Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news?
(Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)

That day started out like any other day. I barely got to school on time and was already about to fall asleep halfway through my first class when another student came in. Nobody paid much attention when she started talking to the teacher, but when the TV came on and everyone started to realize what was happening, we paid very close attention. At first I didn't believe what was happening. I knew it was real, but the only thing I thought was that this can't be real. The whole class sat there silent, just glued to the screen. We listened to everything being said. We'd switch channels back and forth just in case we might miss something, but it was all the same. Everything was the same, what was happening was real. That was the craziest realization, that what I was watching was happening to real people. The rest of the day didn't matter; every class was watching what was happening. I'll always remeber what one teacher said to my class. He said "You'll remember this day for the rest of your life, you will know what you were doing, who was with you and what was said". He was right.

What is your strongest memory of that day?

There are actually two memories that are the strongest of that day. The first is when I realized that what was happening was real. The second is seeing people jump out of the towers on live television and knowing there was nothing that could have saved their lives.

How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?