Andrea Toro Colon – Mustangs Ahead
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) -- Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS) students this week commemorated the tragedy of 9/11.
Thursday marked the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that hit the World Trade Center buildings and Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001.
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As a way of honoring all of those lost and whose lives were impacted, all schools in Florida are required by law to observe “9/11 Heroes Day,” as proclaimed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023.
LRHS Assistant Principal Thomas Bellantonio started the school day off with a moment of respect and announced to the school, “Today is September 11th. On this day in 2001, our nation experienced a tragic event that changed history. Thousands of lives were lost, and many heroes showed great courage and sacrifice. To honor their memory and reflect on the importance of unity and resilience, we will now pause for a moment of silence. Please join me in observing this moment of silence.”
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The moment of silence was held at exactly 8:46 a.m. to mark the time that the first tower was hit 24 years ago.
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Mustangs were asked to share stories they had from family members of the tragic day.
Junior Scarlett Moran-Perry shared, “At the time of the initial plane hitting my family living in New Jersey and a few had to go over to the city for their jobs. My grandmother, tia (aunt), and two tios (uncles) were crossing the Hudson River when the news got out.”
Along with personal stories, Mustangs also described how they think that event shaped our country today.
Senior Jacob Cunningham shared his thoughts saying, “this day affected America in so many ways, and we are forever changed because of it. 9/11 was a day to remember and a day that each person on Earth that day had lived an entirely different experience.”
Freshman Aaron Wilner described it as, “The 9/11 attacks was a horrific day for all Americans and as a country. We lost a lot of great people that day who sacrificed their lives for the sake of others, and we lost people who didn't deserve to die just because they went to work that day. As a country we improved a lot of our security and created new agencies because of what happened on 9/11.”
