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September 12, 2011 Issue 12, Volume 77
SPECIAL SERIES: 10 YEARS SINCE SEPT. 11, 2001
COUGARS
REMEMBER
The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, claimed nearly 3,000 lives and changed America in ways that still have yet to be understood. In the 10 years since, citizens honor the lives lost. | Wikimedia Commons
Citizens join together to reflect on those who died, thank those who helped recovery efforts 10 years ago
Michelle Casas
THE DAILY COUGAR
H
oustonians gathered Friday evening at Discovery Green Park to remember the events of 9/11 in honor of the “I was in 4th grade and in English tragedy’s 10th class. At first we weren’t told directly, anniversary. but students started leaving, and then teachers finally told us that there was an attack in New York. At the time I wasn’t really scared, but confused... It changed everything, and not really for the good. It changed airport security and people’s views on others, especially Muslims. People started categorizing all of them as extremists.”
The program, presented by Dignity Memorial, featured commemorations by local faith leaders as well as the Houston Grand Opera, and closed with the Albert Mendez city’s premiere of the documentary “REBIRTH.” Various emergency responders were recognized, including the Houston Police and Fire Departments. Houston Police Chief Charles Mclelland said that while the terrorists may have altered our country’s thought process concerning our security, they “failed miserably” at changing the way we live and the freedoms we enjoy. “They united Americans in a way that only Americans can unite,” he said. “Because of the
“I was in 3rd grade, and heroes that wear my teacher actually put it uniforms, foreign and on TV. We saw everything domestic, they will as it was happening, like never win and conquer when the second plane our spirit and our hit…we had no idea what resolve.” was going on, why the Houston Fire Depart- planes were hitting it, if it ment Chief Terry Garriwas an accident. We just son expressed his pride couldn’t believe it. No in the HFD, the third one knew how to react. largest fire department We didn’t know what that in the nation. meant.” “The Houston Fire Vanessa Alejandro Department is the greatest fire department in the country,” he said. “I am so proud to represent them.” Garrison said that the responders on planes, at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon that morning all showed incredible bravery. “They went in without hesitation, even though there was a great amount of risk,” he said. “I was 12 (and) in 7th grade... the teacher turned on the television and showed us the news... I wondered if this was something horrible that happened a long time ago or in some other country, until Ms. Pearson explained to us that it just happened that morning in New York... There were several horrific clips being played over and over again of the towers falling and people jumping to their deaths... Several days later, the song ‘Hero’ by Enrique Iglesias aired on the radio with news clips from the attack edited into it. When I heard it, I finally cried because the gravity of the event hit me.”
Lindsey Slavin
Houston residents attending the “I was in 5th grade, I think. 5th memorial event grade math class, and my teacher came to show their turned on the TV, that’s how I saw it. As support for different a 5th grader, I didn’t realize that it was reasons. actually happening to people. It didn’t Cory Meals, a really register that people were dying graduate assistant right in front of my eyes. It was really with the band weird getting home, and I remember program at UH, laughing that people were jumping out attended the event of buildings, and then my mom getwith his wife to ting super mad at me, because again... support a friend’s That was when I realized ‘oh my god, vocal talent as he I’m watching death right now.’” performed “Pieces Joseph Okoh of 9/11 – Memories from Houston” with the Houston Grand Opera. “The treatments musically that have come out of this 10th anniversary are incredibly different from what happened on the first anniversary,” said Meals. The musical arrangement, written by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, was created to honor and pay tribute to all victims and responders, and includes pieces of interviews with Houstonians who were affected by the events. Meals compares the HGO piece to “On the Transmigration of Souls” by John Adams, written to honor the first anniversary of 9/11, which he said was designed as both a coping mechanism and a plea for peace. REMEMBERS continues on page 3