Through the years, the BRCurrent.com staff has noticed that we have not taken the tragedy of 9/11 as seriously as it needs to be taken. Through this, we discussed the different solutions our school and classes can take to share more facts and have students recognize the long-lasting impact of 9/11.
The day started on September 11, 2001, when a group of Islamic extremists hijacked four planes, and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes flew into the Twin Towers in New York. A third plane hit the Pentagon just outside of Washington, D.C. The final plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Penn.
Almost 3,000 people were killed during the attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defined the presidency of George W. Bush.
It was a traumatic day that some of our teachers saw from different places and it impacted them in various ways. For just this reason we find it important to discuss, watch videos and hear stories on that day.
Some classes already do this, but we feel that Bear River can do more as a school to remember that day. We believe this will help show the younger generations the horrific events of that day, the courage and sacrifice, and most of all the seriousness of the situation our country was abruptly placed in.
That said, many teachers such as Bear River High School history, economics, and government teacher Jeremy Kerr do take time to address the tragic day.
“We do a 9/11 assignment and I show some videos of 9/11. I also share some personal stories about it,” he said. “I do an assignment on 9/11 for both my odd and even day classes, and then depending on the class, I’ll have a different assignment, and one that talks about what a hero is and what it means to be one. I also do assignments on different heroes in 9/11 and the economic problems it caused.”
Trent Duffey teaches AP World, Spanish 1 and US History, and takes time in his classes to address the day. He was off campus on Sept. 11 this year, but he usually spends time addressing 9/11, sharing stories and discussing the raw emotion of that day, including all the sacrifice.
“Every year on Sept. 11th, I’ve taught students about the importance of 9/11,” Duffey said. “This year, Nevada Joint Union School District held a professional development day on Sept. 11th where the entire social studies department was required to obtain a substitute for our classes.
“Yet, despite having to be out of my classroom, I still had students watch a documentary on 9/11 where they answer questions so they can better understand it. I feel that it’s essential for students to learn about 9/11. As students have not lived through this horrific event, I find that primary sources are an excellent way to engage students. Many good documentaries are a good way for students to know and learn what happened concerning 9/11. I also utilize slides and pictures to give a better understanding of 9/11.”
It’s a serious topic that many teachers feel is important to discuss because they have seen how that day went from different sides.
Most of our teachers have a different point of view on 9/11. Let’s take a minute to recognize their stories of when they first saw or heard of the planes flying into the Twin Towers.
Duffey shared his experience on the day the towers fell, and the prayers he gave to all those families, civilians and the people on both the planes and in the towers. He prayed for our country’s safety and unity, and the quick recovery of our country.
“I will never forget when I found out about the 9/11 attacks,” Duffey said. “I was 19 years old at the time. I was in a meeting in Provo, Utah as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There were about 500 missionaries in this meeting and we all found out at the same time from the speaker who suggested that we say a prayer. At which point we all kneeled and a prayer was given. I remember praying for those who have lost loved ones and to comfort their families, those injured and for the first responders, and for wisdom for the leaders of our nation.”
Kerr remembered how normal the day started and how his normal routine quickly turned into utter dismay and shock at what was taking place in New York after hearing it on the radio and then calling his friend.
“I woke up that morning of 9/11 and started driving to Starbucks when I heard it on the radio and I called a friend and asked him to turn on the TV for me and describe what was happening on the news,” Kerr said. “Then when I went to pick up my coffee at Starbucks, they shut down right after serving me my drink. That’s when I knew it was serious.”
The BRCurrent.com staff feel that a mural to memorialize this day would be an amazing way for the school to come together. Just as our country did the weeks after 9/11.
“A mural that would be approved by the community, staff, and students would perhaps be an excellent way to remember 9/11,” Duffey said. “What if our students could design and paint it? We have a wall right next to our social studies wing that would be a great place to have it.”
Sherlyn Reafsnyder, who teaches English and developmental psychology, agrees. She has worked at this school for many years, and she takes time to discuss and share her own experience on 9/11. She also believes it’s important to keep our younger generations aware of what happened that day and why it happened. But it’s also important to be aware that this tragic event means something different for each generation, and we stay strong and persevere through it no matter what.
“The heroes are the men and women who went back to help with the injured and the clean up. Many suffered permanent physical harm as a result of being exposed to the heavy metals in melted electronics, etc,” Reafsnyder said. “A mural would be a great idea, but it should include firefighters who risk their lives not only to clean up the World Trade Center but fight forest fires to protect communities, the nurses and doctors and janitors who risked exposure and death during the pandemic, etc. We have ordinary heroes all around us who sacrifice for others.”
Some Bear River students agree that we need to take the historical day more seriously.
Aubrey Ray, a freshman at Bear River, believes a mural would be an excellent idea. Ray feels like Bear River is a safe and kind community, so it shocked her when she saw the school having Memorial Day off but not taking 9/11 as seriously as she had seen in Texas, where she came from. She believes the school making a mark, like a mural would be amazing.
“That would be cool and honoring, especially for the families that have a direct connection to 9/11,” Ray said. “It would also be a very uniting moment for the school, just as the weeks passed the day of 9/11 the country had united.”
If our school takes 9/11 and puts it into something that the whole school can get behind, like a mural, then the younger generations may have more interest in knowing about that day, so they can understand how it still impacts us today.