You all got a reprieve :) this week in that you watched the "9/11" documentary instead of the first day of The Iliad. My other classes were required to write a 9/11 Memorial after viewing the video. I did not have you all do that (since it seemed that reading Books 1-10 of The Iliad and studying for vocab and doing a journal were enough to do!). However, if you want to post some sort of memorial or comment on here in honor of September 11, that would be fitting.
Lit Terms 2
5 years ago
18 comments:
My memories of that day: I was teaching (my fourth week of my teaching career, in fact) an English II Honors class of 12 people. We were in a little closet of a room during 2nd period when Mr. Rockholt came on the intercom and announced that our country had been attacked. He told us that two planes had hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. He said that we don't have a lot of information at the time, but that we needed to remember the victims. I had first lunch, so at lunch we found out that a plane had hit the Pentagon as well. At some point someone heard that a fourth and fifth plane were inbound. (We later learned about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.) There was just a lot of chaos and nerves. We did not have TV's at the time and I was a floating teacher so I didn't even have my own computer. My junior English class was fourth period and we went on and worked on our lesson, though no one's minds were on it, including mine. During 4th period (my planning period), I went to an empty room with my fellow teachers and watched the coverage. At that point, some stations were still showing the gruesome images of people jumping from the buildings. It was horrific to watch and there was some element of disbelief about it all. I remember waking up the next morning, how it took a minute for it to sink in that the world was a different place than it had been the previous morning. I was not a mom yet at that time, and I can imagine even now how much more terrifying the whole thing would have been if I had already had children. For some reason, nothing in this world is so scary when it is just you and your spouse. It's when little people depend on you that the fear reaches a whole new level. My daughters were born into a post-9/11 world. They don't remember what it was like to get to airports 30 minutes before your flight, to not have to take off your shoes when you go through security, and to live without the knowledge that our security is a precarious thing. September 11 changed a lot of things for the United States, but the freedom we all share remains the same and we should be forever grateful for that.
That's definitely cool to see your take on 9/11 considering I was only 8 years old and in the 3rd grade at the time. I remember sitting at my desk when Mrs. Baker turned on the tv at E.L. Ross Elementary to show us what was going on. At that age, I really didn't know the extent of how bad the situation really was, but it was scary all the same. When I got home that night and was sitting at the dinner table with my family, I remember my dad saying that we may have to go to war with Afghanistan. I was completely unaware of soldiers at that moment and thought,"O no we have to fight ourselves!" I now look back on that and laugh. :) I think our country became more united that day, and it has become a major part of our history, no doubt.
Payton Tipton
My 9/11 experiance is a lot like Payton's. I was also im Mrs. Bakers class and remeber her letting us watch the news that day after we got back from gym. At the time i didn't really know what was going on or understand the depth of what had happend. I couldn't even imagine someone doing that on purpose to hurt others.
Taylor Crumbley
On September 11th, I walked into the library and saw the second building collapsing. I was in 3rd grade at Westview Elementry at the time. When I saw the building falling, I didn't know what was happening. My teacher told us all what had happened, but it was really too much for all of us to take in. I remember the teachers just took us outside for the whole day, and I cried for the majority of the time. Thinking of all of the lives that were taken, and all of the families that lost someone, is terrible to think about.
Hayley Brewster
Besides the fact that 9/11 was sad enough already, I thought it was more sad of how I didn't really know exactly what happened until about 3 years later. I don't really know all the events that was going on in my life when it happened but apparently i was in
2nd grade and I was in Mrs. Summers class and the school didn't say a thing about what happened we didn't watch it on the news I didn't know anything happened until 2 months later but I still didn't know what it was. It was New Years Eve going into 2002 when I finally saw a clip of the towers falling, I didn't know why it was so important at the time but when I was in 5th grade i finally figured out for sure what happened. So I wish I knew more about it at the time and knew all what happened, but just watching that video is really sad and just seeing the towers fall is even more sad.
Levi Long
That morning I cant remember exactly, but I think I was in the computer lab at E.L. Ross. After we were done in there, if I remember correctly, we were taken back to Mrs. Kerr's room and told about the terrist attack. I was so young that I didn't think about the thousands of people killed or that some people in the world were evil and corrupt. It wasn't untill later that I thought of the thousands of people affected. Before 9/11 Americans in general never worried about terrist attacks and the Twin Towers was a sincere wake up call.
-Alexa Bancroft
I was in third grade when 9/ll happened. I was in Mrs. Baker's class doing a starter. Our principal announced for the teachers to meet in the teacher's lounge. So Mrs. Baker headed out to see what the meeting was about. Less than three minutes after she left, she ran back into the room and turned on the tv. Right when she turned it on, all you could see was smoke. All you could here was screaming and yelling out of fear. Then we saw what the fuss was about. One of the Twin Towers had fallen. The other one fell as well. The news reporter said that two airplanes had hit the Twin Towers one each. I started crying. I cried because I heard all of the screaming, yelling, seeing the running, seeing the horrified faces. I remember them vividly in my head. Mrs. Baker started crying and then the principal came on the innercome. He said that if everyone would take a moment of silence for the victims and their families and the firefighters, police officers, and the doctors. Right before Mrs. Baker turned off the t.v., we saw a plane hit the Pentagon. We watched for a few more minutes and then turned the tv off. I was really young and didn't know what was really going on. All I knew was that this situation caused a lot of pain for a lot of people. After I got home, my parents explained well at least tried to explain to me what had happened that day. They said that we would be going to war. That day like Payton said, our country became a lot closer and stronger. Every year when it is time for 9/11 I remember this day. Everytime I open my phone and the time is 9/11, I remember this day. I believe no matter how old or young you are, everyone's heart unites as one on this day.
Katelyn McChesney
I remember 9/11 like it were yesterday. My uncle was in the pentagon when it was hit. I remember rushing over to my aunt's house and seeing my family try to calm her. My uncle was unable to contact us till days later. When we finally found out he had survived it, we were all relieved. I think that after 9/11 our nation has recognizably changed. Moreover, the changes in our country's security status has definitely improved since before the attacks. Its just sad that our country had to go through something so tragic to get our old, outdated policies to change.
Brooke Muller
On september 11, 2001, I was a third grader and i was home sick with my mom. I remember my dad calling from work telling my mom what had happened, and I remember her starting to cry as he explained it. At that age, I really did not understand the full extent of everything that had happend. All I knew is that some terrible people killed a whole lot of innocent ones. Later, i realized how bad it was, and how many people lost there lives. Like Payton, i believe that our country grew closer that day.
Meryn Evans
I, too, was in Mrs. Baker's class. To this day i really don't understand exactly what happened on that day. However, i do know that it was a very important day. The first thing i remember was that she turned on the tv, and it got worse. It showed smoke, people dying, people wandering amelessly, happless, and in total confusion. I began to cry when i saw a person jump from 85 floors up and hit the ground. Instant death. This was tramatizing for me. At the time, i had no idea what was going on. Now, i understand. When i got home, my parents explained everything to me. Even thought this was one of the most tramatizing days of my entire life, it was a major point in our history. It will NEVER be forgetten.
Like most everyone else that has posted, I was 8 years old and in the third grade when 9/11 occured. Like payton said, I really didn't understand the extent of the attack or the realization that we would be in war for at least the next seven years, but I do remember exactly what I was doing on that day. I had just got back from gym class and Mrs. Kerr told our class that the United States had been changed forever. Now, as the years have unfolded, I understand exactly what she meant.
Colton Ward
My experience started with sitting in Mrs. Hall's 3rd grade class at Stuart Elementary School. All the sudden she starts freakin' out and turns on the television. We see the twin towers in smoke. In the 3rd grade, I didn't know about the twin towers. I'd never been to New York and it'd never crossed my mind that two extremely important buildings would suddenly be attacked but terrorists. I cried when I found out that so many people died, in the two buildings and on the two planes. It was definitely and hard thing to process. I really liked the movie! I'd seen it in 7th grade in Coach Price's class but movies like that never get old. I will never forget September 11th.
Brooke Miller
I was in the 3rd grade when 9/11 happened. My experience was some different. I lived in Illinois and the teachers all decided that it wasn't appropriote to tell the class, so we went the whole day as if nothing wrong. We played on the swings, did reading groups, and tried math problems for the first time, never knowing that the unthinkable was happening. The teachers, I'm sure, were trying to hide their sadness from us and that must have been so difficult. I got out of school that day and got in the car with my mom like always, and she had the talk radio on and was crying hard. She said that there had been an accident and many people had died. I didn't understand at all. It honestly took me until 7th grade to understand. We watched a video that showed people jumping out of the inflammed building. I cried for the first time in front of my classmates. Even watching the video the other day in class makes me extremely sad. I do think its very important to remember.
I remember that day I was in third grade in Mrs. Blocks class and she stepped out for a long time so we thought someone is in a whole lot of trouble for something really bad but when she came back in she turned on the T.V. and we watched as our world trade center collapsed and to me it grows more tragic every year because I was so young when it happened and I slowly start to feel worse and worse about it every year and begin to understand how truely tragic it was for the whole country.
Teddy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On September 11, seven years ago, I was in the third grade at E.L. Ross. I remember walking back from lunch to Mrs. Hazzard's class and that she had the TV on when we arrived. I did not fully comprehend what was going on, but the expression of my teacher explained to me that what was happening was horrible. When I got home, my parents explained what had happened. Even with their explanation, I still could not understand what would motivate someone to fly into the Twin Towers and kill innocent people.
Kent Connell
I only remember a little. I actually remember more about the next year memorial then the year it happend. My friends birthday was that day and she wasn't in my class that year, so she was having cupcakes in her class. I was dissapointed about not getting to be with her. I remember watching the news and not really understanding what was going on. Then in the lunch room everybody was silent and had sad looks on their faces.
Arina Dorr
This year it seemed like 9/11 was nearly forgoten by some. I myself forgot all about it until semptember 10th, the day before. Right after 9/11 it seemed like a huge wave of patriotism surged through the country. Everyone began to come together and realize that we have to live true to the quote "united we stand". Seeing how the horrific event has so easily slipped so many people's minds makes me fear that the closeness and unity that bound us together seven years ago may unravel if we don't continue to rememeber that day. September 11th scared us all, and while remembering it's effects may be painful, forgeting them could be much worse.
-Emily Hill
I remember that on 9/11, I was eight years old in my third grade class (which I forgot who my teacher was). Then the teacher rushed into the room as we were learning and reviewing multiplication and division. She almost yelled for my teacher to turn it to the news and we all saw the Twin Towers come crashing down. The boys in my class were all thinking, "Cool!" While my teacher said that stunned. The class was stopped for about an hour since my teacher had her husband in New York on a business trip and she started to call everyone she knew up there to try to find him. I now I think about it as something that unified the United States again after we had become very unpatriotic.
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