25 years ago today

By Andrew Nowel, Editor-In-Chief

On Sep. 11, 2001, tragedy struck in New York City and central Pennsylvania. The 9/11 attacks on the United States didn’t just impact the east coast as the entire nation felt the loss of countless innocent lives. Now 25 years later, I sit in The Griffin club room and write from a perspective of not even being born during the time of the attacks, but fully knowing the impact.

Every year on September 11th, my school would not only have a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11, but teach us about the day and how the events transpired. From hearing the calls of parents to their loved ones at home to hearing the radio of first responders going into a building that was about to collapse, the message was clear: 9/11 will be a day we’ll never forget.

With the country broken in a way that seemed irreparable, two moments shaped how the generation that was never born for 9/11 would perceive the event. Major League Baseball (MLB) called on the President of the United States, George W. Bush, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. As Bush walked out onto Yankee Stadium, every fan, player and staff member knew the reason why Bush would be throwing out the first pitch. 

Besides the United States winning gold in the 1980 Winter Olympics in hockey, specifically the team beating the Soviets in the semifinal game, this was the greatest moment in American sports history. Whether you were for or against Bush, politically, everyone saw how he brought the country together by just being present in a city that needed to heal. For me, this was the connection between sports and everything else that, as a fan of baseball, made me tear up watching the video on YouTube. It made me prideful to be an American.

The other moment came a year later in music. Music, for me, is a powerful way to bring everyone together, no matter what their background is or beliefs are. Alan Jackson, a country singer, wrote a song that is played every year on 9/11 as a way to remember the tragedy. “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” was a powerful way to give ordinary people a way to connect with American history in a way different from anything else. 

Jackson’s song asks the audience questions starting with “did you” or “were you” that makes the listener feel their own experience of that day. As someone who never experienced the day itself, this song gives me a way to experience it. As I listen to the lyrics, I picture myself “in the yard with my wife and children” or “driving down some cold interstate.” The lyrics make you go back to a moment in your life where the world stopped turning even if you never experienced the day itself. It’s a powerful way to connect all generations in a way that gives everyone American pride.

There are countless stories and accounts of September 11th. While I never experienced the day on this earth, I will never forget 9/11 as a day that brought a country together to mourn the death of 2,777 innocent victims. 25 years later, I sit in The Griffin club room at 21 years old, writing about a tragedy I never experienced, however, my generation and generations after me will never forget 9/11 because of the impact it made on all of us. So where were you when the world stopped turning?