Upper School students honored the victims of 9/11 and recognized the impact the event continues to have on our country and our community during their assembly on Thursday afternoon. The program included an introduction by students, a video compilation of reflections of that day from the class of 2002 who were seniors at the time, and remarks by Brian Coco, Upper School Science Teacher. Coco also led students through an “active reflection” where they took a few moments to send a text to a loved one. (Scroll down to watch a video of the assembly.)
“Ms. Federman reached out to us because she wanted students from the Modern Middle East history class to supply their perspectives about both the path leading up to 9/11 and its effects,” explained Sophie Fendler ’22, one of the student presenters. “The history teachers working on this supplied us with a document that had key facts, and we were asked to build upon it. Many people hear about the actual day, but few realize how 9/11 impacts us currently. Much of the Middle Eastern news we hear about in current events is a direct or indirect result of that day and the War on Terror that followed.
“It was difficult to fit a whole unit’s worth of information into a three-minute script, but I hope we managed to get across the lasting effects and different perspectives of 9/11 especially because much of our community has not had the experience of living through it,” she said.
Matthew Hood ’22 also addressed students and teachers. He said, “I personally felt that it was important to involve myself in this discussion; 9/11 is one of the most significant issues of the 21st century and one that high schoolers now don’t give as much thought to as it has grown farther into the past. Having a chance to remind all of us of the gravity and significance of this event was an opportunity I could not refuse.”
In the Middle School, history teachers are also discussing 9/11 with their classes this week and next, sharing photos and timelines with students.
