Students will observe Patriot Day during activity period, Wednesday, Sept. 11 by watching a video recap of the events of 9/11. Four journalism staff members share their childhood memories of 9/11 below.

Kori Adair, Eagle’s Tale Co-Editor-in-Chief  I don’t remember much about 9/11. It seemed like any other day of kindergarten at Oscar Hinger.  My teacher was acting weird; she kept leaving the classroom to go to the teachers’ lounge.  I don’t think we had recess that day.  When the school day was over, my mom rushed my brothers and I home. My dad was already there, watching what I thought was a movie on TV. Buildings were falling and people were crying, and I just knew that it couldn’t be real. When I asked about what he was watching, he replied, much to my surprise, “The news.”  My parents told me later that night that something bad had happened, but I didn’t have to worry because it was far, far away.  What else can you tell a confused 5 year old about something like terrorists and plane crashes? At school the next day, I remember there was an assembly and a moment of silence that lasted longer than the usual minute. I was too young to pay attention to the broadcasts on TV or hear what was being said by the adults around me. As the years past, I learned more and more about what happened that day. I wish I could have been old enough to understand such an important time in American history.

Cortlyn Dees, Eagle’s Tale Co-Editor-in-Chief  It’s hard to remember a lot from my kindergarten year. Between nap times and finger paintings, it was difficult to ever truly understand anything that was going on outside of my primary color-filled classroom. I do, however, have a vague memory of Sept. 11, 2001. As I think back on that day, I remember learning about the tragedy at home that night. My parents refrained from letting my then 11-year-old brother and me watch any of the graphic news reports. As I’ve grown older, around the time of the anniversary, I’ve learned more and more of what happened that horror-filled day. Through all of the documentaries and magazine issues dedicated to Sept. 11, I’ve seen what people lost that day, and that has made me grateful for what I have.

Maisie Dyer, Eagle’s Tale Assoc. Editor  I didn’t have the most memorable year in kindergarten; in fact, it’s when I start to remember anything. I am one of the many in my generation to say I remember going home that day and to see my parents faces with pure horror. One of the images that I can clearly remeber is watching the news late that night with my dad and seeing a handicapped man jumping from one of the towers windows.  I remember reporters saying all these math terms about the rate at which he was falling. It sounds very morbid for a little curly haired girl but makes me realize how precious my life is and how much I have.

Sarah Fruge’, Soaring Wings Yearbook Associate Editor  Twelve years have passed since the terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York. I was 4 years old, sitting at home with my mom. She had the TV on and was watching the news. I was too young to realize anything bad had happened, but now I can see how much this impacted America. I remember seeing the planes crash and you could hear people in the background screaming and crying.  My mom was crying, too. It was hard to see her in misery and be too young to know what to say or do. My dad said that at the military base he was at they thought it was just an accident until the second plane hit. Every year on 9/11, every news channel is talking about the same thing. 9/11 was a tragic event that I hope never happens again.