Hauppauge Students Will Never Forget 9/11

Since most of the 213 Hauppauge High School seniors who visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum were between three and five years old on September 11, 2001, they do not have firsthand knowledge of the tragedy that unfolded that day. That all changed as students enrolled in the high school’s Participation in Government, AP Government and Politics and History of the Americas II classes had the opportunity to experience a life-changing visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City.

“The 9/11 Memorial Museum was one of the most powerful things I have seen. It focuses both on honoring the memory of those that were lost and educating some of the younger generations on what happened that day. Of all the things I saw in the museum, in my opinion, the most shocking were the videos of the people jumping from the Towers to their death. My favorite part of the museum was writing a message on the screen to be projected onto the wall. My friend and I wrote ‘Never Forget.’ We must never forget the tragic events of this day, and we must never forget all of those who died on that day. They may be gone, but they will never be forgotten,” stated Hauppauge High School student Ashley Schuette.

According to Hauppauge Public Schools Director of Social Studies and Business, Doreen Gordon, students explored the museum on their own to learn about what happened on September 11, 2001. As they moved to the exhibitions, which included the Memorial Hall that occupies the space between the footprints of the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, they were able to see the magnitude of the building and the material used to create each. Spencer Finch’s artwork, Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning, is constructed of 2,983 (one for each victim) individual squares in different shades of blue. Those of us who remember that day often remark what a beautiful day it was, the sky was so clear and so blue. This artwork highlights the In Memoriam space in the museum and commemorates not only the victims who were lost on September 11, 2001, but also the people who were lost in the February 26, 1993 attack. Students then walked through the artwork of the Tribute Walk and the South Tower Gallery and excavation. One of the exhibits has pictures of all of the victims and recordings completed by family members or friends describing their loved ones. In the North Tower exhibits, visitors are able to see the monumental artifacts such as steel beams, fire truck, elevator motor, segments of the radio and TV antenna, Slurry Wall, etc. News stories also are presented, and they connected the September 11th attacks with events in the present. In the main historical exhibition, September 11, 2001, students were able to experience how a beautiful day turned into shock and horror. The events leading up to the attack and the aftermath of the attack also are portrayed. This was an opportunity to see police, fire and ambulance vehicles that were damaged beyond repair; the dust and soot that appeared on everything; pictures of people walking down the stairs while rescue workers, fireman, police and EMTs walked up; artifacts from the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania attacks; voices from news reporters, answering machines, movies and eyewitnesses where heard throughout this part of the exhibit. “Students overwhelmingly commented that they now understood September 11th better,” said Gordon. “They felt the tragedy and also felt the pride when they saw the American flag hoisted up among the debris of the Twin Towers.”

Following the powerful visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, Hauppauge High School student Jillian Panciroli reflected: “I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this trip with my classmates. I found that although many of us were not impacted directly by 9/11 and many of did not know people involved, it was still so touching and eye opening. It was amazing to see firsthand accounts of the stories we hear about year after year. I learned things I never knew about the terrorists attacks. Each section of the museum was touching in a different way – yet each had such a great impact on every person that passed through. Being able to hear phone calls and voicemails left from unsure and worried family members was absolutely heartbreaking. Hearing the worry in their voices is really what hit home for me and many of the people who I went through the museum with. Although it was extremely sad, the museum is something that every American should experience. It is important that we all know what happened and never forget. I feel that the 9/11 Memorial Museum will ensure that it is never to be forgotten.”

Hauppauge High School Social Studies Teachers Anthony Aiello and Anne Stebbins arranged the trip and secured a grant through the Helmsley Foundation to cover the cost of admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.