Blendon Students Learn from Tragic Events of September 11

9/14/2012

Blendon eight graders attended the 911 Memorial Ceremony held in First Responder’s Park.

Because most eighth grade students at Blendon Middle School were around two years old on September 11, 2001, they can’t remember what happened on that fateful day. But educators are going to great lengths to help them understand the importance of the attack on U.S. soil that cost thousands of innocent lives and changed America forever.

Westerville’s Chief Fire Marshal, Brian Miller, visited classrooms last week, sharing his perspective about Patriot Day. He let some of the pupils try on his gear to get a feel for how cumbersome it must have been for those who ran up the stairs of the Twin Towers to save people. The students also prepared projects for their Language Arts classes that involved researching someone’s experience on September 11, 2001, and re-telling their story and writing a poem from that person’s point of view.

On September 11, 2012, the eighth graders walked from Blendon Middle School to First Responders’ Park, where they attended a memorial ceremony. A piece of World Trade Center steel that is 18 feet long and weighs two tons is the centerpiece of the park, nestled next to Fire Station 111 on Main Street. The steel, known as C-40, was part of the impact site of the first plane that hit the buildings on September 11, 2001. In its final resting place, C-40 stands upright, facing the same direction it once did as part of the exterior structure of World Trade Center 1 in New York City. The site is also home to a sculpture called "The Crossing", designed by Steve Geddes and Bob Moore, honoring the memory of fallen firefighter Dave Theisen. The park provides fire fighters, peace officers and dispatch personnel, as well as the public, an inspirational and healing setting in which to celebrate the achievements and contemplate the losses experienced by this dedicated group. The memorial stands as a monument to all the courageous men and women who serve, or have served, their communities and our country with honor.

The location served as a perfect backdrop for the students to listen and learn. They stood in silent respect as speeches and prayers were offered and colors presented. They heard the mournful playing of Taps and a haunting version of Amazing Grace played on a bagpipe, to conclude the tribute. After the ceremony, Blendon students wrote collective poems that will be mounted on canvas, decorated with patriotic art, and presented to local fire stations and police stations.