story11041.xml

story11041.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-09-13

The day of September 11 dawned like any other day in school: up early, homework, tests, and after school activities. My fellow students and I had no notion of what would happen later that day. I remember sitting in my P.E. class and hearing that the Twin Towers were crumbling and we were under attack. It almost seemed as if the world stopped turning. Students were asked to proceed to there classes like usual, but there was a terrible feeling of unease. I later found out the Pentagon had been hit by an airplane as well and that one crashed in Pennsylvania.
I went from my gym class to the drama room with a group of my friends to use the phone of our theatre teacher. Many of us had parents who worked for the government or were in the Pentagon at the time of the attack. The phone lines were so busy that it was impossible for us to get through. I eventually was able to connect to my house and had a brief conversation with my mom. My dad works in the Pentagon so I asked her if she had heard from him and if she knew if he was ok. She told me that she had no news of him, but to say a prayer for him and everyone else that was in the building. The rest of the day was tense and frightening not knowing whether or not my dad escaped. It was not until later that night that I found out that he was well and left the building after securing his office. Family members and friends called from all over the country and world to make sure that my dad and co-workers were alright. Although my dad was safe, there were many students that were not so lucky. This horrific act of terrorism rudely awakened me to the reality of what the world is like. An attack of this magnitude shook the nation to its core, but we did not and will not give in to terrorism. If we give in to terrorism then the innocent lives that were lost on September 11 will have died in vain. We can not, as a nation, allow the brave men and women of September 11 be forgotten.