September 11, 2004: three years later

The following quotes are from Blair students and teachers reflecting on their memories from September 11, 2001, and how the events of that day have changed their outlook.

"I was in New York during 9/11. I was up early in the morning, which is unusual for me, and I was 15 minutes from my house, and it took almost three hours to get home. My dad works in the city so we were trying to find him. When he got home, his car was covered in debris. I guess it was scary, and I was in lot of disbelief that day. I think I'm still in disbelief, even though I went back to the city. It's a shame. I mean, I'm a history teacher, and I think it's a shame that these things happen. It's sad that's where the nature of the human race is going: killing thousands of people to make a point."
-Amy Thomas, History Teacher

"I remember how scared I was that my mom, who worked in D.C., would get all messed up by 9/11. I think we've come a long a little way since 9/11, but we still need to sort out the stuff with the war and everything."
-Alec Garrin, Junior

"I'm still feeling resentful about it, but it is fading a little bit. It didn't affect me directly, but it affected my country, so I'm mad but quiet mad."
-Caitlin Schneiderhan, Freshman

"9/11 has not affected my life at all, so it doesn't matter if it is one year, two years or three years since 9/11."
-Maxim Wolf, Sophomore

"I feel sad to think how it's been three years, and the people who died on September 11 should still be living along with the rest of us. In addition, it is especially evident now with all of the other international news, such as what happened in Russia, that not just the U.S. is suffering. Loss and death occur everywhere."
-Debbie Cheng, Junior

"I think people haven't forgotten about it but they've moved on. It is something that will always be remembered."
-Mac Kpadeh, Junior

"What concerns me is how we react to [September 11]. As a country, as a world, we have to work to find out a solution. Instead of going to war, we should work to find what happened, why it happened and how to deal with the anger...It needs to be commemorated, but I wish the anniversary would be used as a forum to discuss what can be done. As a country, we have to grow in terms of education."
-Kevin Moose, History Teacher

"September 11 was an event that was going to happen no matter how hard we could've tried to prevent it. As such, I am saddened by the loss, but I refuse to be angry."
-Jonathan Musgrave, Junior

"I don't want to celebrate it. It's not something you want to think about. I try to carry on like any other day. It was a terrible disaster, and I just try not to think about it."
-Donna Franklin, Financial Assistant

"I remember we where just glued to the TV set. We have definitely been tormented as a country. A day does not go by when we don't hear about 9/11."
-Karen Hillmer, Science Teacher

"What comes to mind, of course, is the death and how horrible it was, but also how Bush is using it for his campaign. He has turned it around to be an example of what a 'great job' he is doing."
-Rachel Martin, Junior

"Since I wasn't affected, I'm not very emotional about it, but I do feel remorse for those who were. I'm also not scared of another attack. I'm more focused on the troops who are fighting and the upcoming election."
-Laurie Eckert, Senior

"[September 11] is starting to feel like it was a long time ago. I have to stop and think real hard about what it was really like. It has become such a big part of our national consciousness that it is referred to so often in the press and popular culture that it's sort of just become a famous date. It's weird to think we were actually there."
-David Swaney, History Teacher

"I will never forget the first time I saw footage of ground zero. As I watched the towers collapse, I've never felt more pain in my heart, but as I turned to the tear-filled eyes of the people around me, I've never felt more love for my peers. No longer just classmates, they became my brothers and sisters."
-Chris Nguyen-Gia, Senior

"It's hard to believe it's already been three years. I'm not sure I feel any safer today than I did on Sept. 12, 2001."
-Wendy Rubin, Media Assistant

"I feel a deep sadness for everyone who suffered a loss on that day, sympathy for all those people unfairly persecuted because of 9/11 and now a slight bit of anger for how it is used by the Republicans to bring sympathy to their party."
-Julia Simon-Mishel, Senior

"I felt sheer horror. I remember the fact that I didn't sleep all night and that I felt concern for the students in my class. Some had parents working in the Pentagon."
-Mary Ann Dvorsky, Magnet Computer Science Teacher

"That whole day, I was kind of in a sense of shock, and I didn't really know what to think or what to do. Now when I think about it, I'm sad and angry, but even after three years, I still don't know what to think about 9/11."
-Michael Arbit, Junior

"I think the U.S. needed a warning about terrorism, so I think it was a good thing, but it shouldn't have been so devastating."
-Ani Babu, Junior

"I just remember everything going on that day while at school. It was a traumatic experience. Everything seemed to go by so slow and fast at the same time: fast because I had no idea what was happening when we were let out and slow because of all the pain and sorrow. It was unreal."
-David Sileshi, Senior

"I went to a Quaker school. We really focused on meditating, and it really helped. Thinking about the families was sad, but hopefully, as the time passes, it won't be so hard to deal with."
-Gabriel Huffman, Freshman

"The image still lingers of the wreckage and thousands of dead. Now, most of the feelings, like the patriotism, are gone, especially since we've proven they were false anyway."
-Ben Tousley, Junior

"I hadn't really been thinking about it. I guess it brings to mind the sign that my mom put on the door afterwards that she cut out of a magazine. It said, 'I heart New York more than ever,' and there was a bruise on the heart."
-Susan Blythe-Goodman, Senior

"I remember walking home with my friend talking about what would happen if our country went to war and seeing the images on the TV. We weren't worrried about what had happened, but what might. Also, we heard the announcement in math and it was really weird because we had the whole class before we went home and we were laughing and and talking like normal, but as soon as we left itwas the real world again."
-Lily Jaffie-Shupe, Junior

"It remains one of those seminal events where I can remember exactly where I was [and] what I was doing. Like the JFK assassination...I never forget [September 11], and I think about it often whenever the sky is crystal blue I see planes."
-Phyllis Fleischaker, English Teacher

"It was kind of ironic. On 9/11, I was at a different school at the time, [and] we had a fire drill at the exact same time the first plane hit, and when we came back the teachers told us to turn on the T.V. because the twin towers had been hit...I laughed the whole day because I didn't really realize what had happened."
-Heather Baker, Senior

"I think 9/11 has become overrated and overplayed. We should be able to move on now except that it happened and stop forcing people to relive the moment."
-Lauren Bodin, Junior

"The most vivid images that come to mind are ones of individuals jumping out of the Trade Center. As far as feelings, I lost people personally. I lost two people I grew up with. I also have a feeling of disgust because our government chose not to go after the individuals directly responsible, but instead many resources have been diverted to an unnecessary and unjust quote-unquote war."
-Kenneth Smith, History teacher

"[I feel] immense sadness, obviously. There is also a feeling. I feel safe...All that could come of this is that the world is becoming a safer place. I have a lot more awareness of patriotic pride. After a while, we become grateful that this world is becoming a safer place."
-Sara Josey, Music Teacher

"Mainly what comes to mind is the image of me in eighth grade and having the teacher run in, switch on the TV and mutter something about the Twin Towers getting hit. The whole situation was a big hurt in the throat."
-Conor Casey, Junior

"I remember a lot of paper flying...because they were showing a midway shot of the buildings, and the heat was rising."
-Patrick Mifflin, Junior

"I was in school and everyone was going crazy. Everyone thought the terrorists were going to bomb the school."
-Ciomara Vigueras, Junior

"I remember my mom said that she never wanted to read a newspaper again after September 11. The front pages were horrible that week. Each day all that was shown was the towers and the Pentagon burning. There was so much sadness and on those pages that she never wanted to see them again."
-Sarah Wolk, Junior

"What makes me think and reminds me of September 11 is the recent Russian hostage situation. Just like September 11, we all feel less secure now then we used to. We can all see how one bomb or plane can ruin a community or even a country, and even though I wasn't personally affected by September 11, I think that these events changed the way I and we think and act."
-Joe Lorenz, Junior

"The Bush administration played it up as a patriotic excersize, rather than the country's trajedy and the administration's failure."
-Alex Brown, Junior

"The events were so tragic, but it made this nation stronger, as every American came together to mourn the lost ones."
-Eric Su, Sophomore

"My dad was flying out of BWI, and I was scared he was on that plane. By the time I got home to my family, the two planes crashed. It was total terror. What happened?"
-Vanessa Penny, Junior

"I couldn't conceive it happening, that this was a product of somebody's plan."
-George Vlasits, History Teacher

"We shouldn't have been too quick to react [to the terrorism], to insure we didn't add any more suffering."
-Peter Lorenz, Freshman

"We were learning about Miss Piggy in Spanish class when it happened, and I was bitter about the teacher who wouldn't turn the TV on. It was a surreal feeling. It took days just to sink in."
-Andrew Beach, Senior