Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. The day began like anyother day that senior year at Sickles High School. We woke up, parked, gathered our friends and proceded to 1st period. This day was the Senior graduate announcement day so we got to leave early out of 1st and go to the gym for our assembly. We were all laughing and having fun, not a care in the world at the assembly. When we got released to go to 3rd period we walked out with egos as bug as the school, thinking that nothing or no one could ruin our year. I remember walking through the halls and having this erie feeling. The halls were too empty, the classrooms were too quiet and the whole scene did not feel right. I walked into my AP Psycology class and saw my teacher watching the tv, her back was facing the door. "Movie day, Mrs.Rice" I askied thinking the day was going to be cake. I mean an assembly and a movie day this was too good to be true. I looked at the screen and saw a building on fire. I began to wonder what kind of movie this could be, but then I looked at the bottom corner of the screen and saw LIVE 9:02 9/11/01. I stood there jaw dropped, backpack falling and heart racing. As more of the class walked in Mrs.Rice turned around and all we saw were tears engulfing her face. Not knowing what to do we sat indian style on the ground and were mesmorized by the tv. Then we saw the most disturbing sight to ever be seen by any of us, another plane crashing into the other tower. We saw it coming and when it hit we all screamed and tears soon followed. We were yelling at the t.v. "Oh my god" and "What the hell is this". Then the fear began to set in. We raced to the windows and began to look for planes flying too low. Even though the possibility of a plane hitting our school was 0% we thought for sure they were coming for us. Cell phones began to ring, there was more crying, messages of family and friends that could be there in the towers, the planes or the pentagon. We began to notice things falling from the towers and assumed that it was debris, but then the news channel did a close up and we saw that it was people throwing themselves from the towers. People ran out of the room getting sick in the hallway not knowing what to do. No one could explain what we were seeing. As everyone tried to call family I was glued to the t.v. I noticed that the top of the tower was shaking very quickly. "I think they are going to fall" I said. Everyone looked at me with question but then began to analyze the situation for themselves. We all knew it was going to happen but hoped we were wrong. Unfortuantely we were not. When the towers fell there was not one sound in the entire school. Time stood still. It remained silent for the rest of the period. No crying, no talking, just silence. Finally a nose came,the bell rang for 4th period,but no one wanted to leave, we had to see where they were next. But we were told the best thing to do would be to continue on as if it was a normal day. I walked out of the hallway and saw my little brother, a freshman at the time. His eyes were filled with tears and question. I looked at him and we both knew that our lives would never be the same again. The day continued on, and all day we were subjected to watching the same pictures over and over again. I got sick everytime I saw it. Some of the other class members could not take it and ran out of the room cursing everything and everyone. Names were called on the overhead to go home because their parents were there. Each time, I was hoping mine would be next, I wanted my mom. The school day finally ended and instead of the joyous departure, all I saw around me were empty shells of people who had lost their souls, their inncoence their childhood. Then I saw my mom, I ran up and hugged her so tight and began to cry again. My brother soon followed. We just stood there like so many other familes under the flag pole crying, hugging and looking to the sky for planes. That night, we all slept in the living room. No one wanted to go to school the next day, but we had to. We were greeted with the t.v.'s showing the pictures again. Myself and two of my friends stood up and walked to the tv and turned it off, we had seen enough. We had discussion thoughout the day and we finally spoke about what we had seen. Although we all saw the same event, we all had different memories of it. Ever since that day, we all look up to the sky whenever we hear a plane fly overhead, eventhough in our eyes they all look to be flying too low. That day, 9/11/01 will always and forever be engrained into our memories and just like I have done everyone needs to say their story. We can not let ourselves nor anyone else forget that day. Our nation's innocence and childhood was taken that day and that is something I will never forgive them for. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My family grew closer and we all began to take every thing for more value then we used to. More volunteer groups were created and everyone appreciated everything more than they used to. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? There are so many things that need to be remebered about that day. From the attacks, to the death tolls to the thousands of children that will never know someone in their family.Those will all be rembered though because they are tangible items. Future generations need to be reminded of the fact that the attacks stole this nation's innocence, its dignity and that the attacks were plain brutal and cruel. They were done with no intention other than to ruin us and try to show us as weak. They need to remember the unity that it brought. The good will towards mankind that was shown, the thousands of volunteers, the respect that was shown and most of all that the US did not fall only grew stronger. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? My hose was decorated in it. Everyone took the declaration of independence so much differently after that day. Some of us even cried when we said it. The flag symbolized our resiliance, our strenght and our freedom. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource nmah5664.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-08 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.73.110.206