9/11 Memorial Trip
photo credit: Bradley Araujo-Ortega ’24
On March 7th, the freshmen Modern World History honors class and AP World Government and Politics visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center in New York City. Chaperoned by Ms. Kelty, Mrs. Antonucci, Mr. Anone, and Mr. DeGennaro, the students were able to remember all the people who tragically died that day.
Throughout the memorial, students were able to explore exhibits including a piece called Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning by Spencer Finch. This wall said the quote, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” Despite only being a simple blue wall, this part of the museum holds deep significance. For one, the wall was constructed with almost 3,000 different shades of blue for each person who passed in NYC and replicated what the sky looked like on that day.
The students on this trip were described as behaving very well, getting compliments from staff members for being respectful, and inspecting displays thoroughly. All the chaperones described the students’ conduct in a positive, courteous way. By examining events like 9/11, the students were able to explore not only the historical significance but the impact it had on many people in the memorial who may have lost people on that day.
“The wall with the pictures of all the people who tragically passed on that day was heartbreaking,” said Ashley Kim, “That room, in particular, showed me just how many people suffered from personal losses and the sheer impact 9/11 would’ve had on families and loved ones.”
“For families, memorials are sacred grounds and locations where loved ones can go to remember their loved ones and others that passed on that day to commemorate the event,” said Mrs. Antonucci.
“When I first started my teaching career, I was very surprised that most of the students I taught weren’t alive for 9/11 and felt that I never did the situation justice when I would teach it,” explained Ms. Kelty as she reflected on the importance of the field trip, “Teaching is all about making history tangible and bridging the past and present together so that students can understand events like 9/11.”
Memorials, as a whole, act as a place to honor the people who lost their lives on that tragic day and an area to help heal those suffering from loss. Reflecting on days like 9/11 helps open doors for the future, whether it’s through preventing future tragedies or remembering history and helping the people who will forever be impacted by this.
