The morning of September 11, 2001. Fifteen minutes before 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on a Tuesday. Students were waking up, going to school, and in the middle of classes across America. Their daily plans would soon be interrupted by a tragedy that would shake the nation, instilling fear in the hearts and minds of millions.
The calamity of 9/11 has had a major impact that changed the way the world looks at international security and terrorism. That day had an additional effect on youth, which is significant but often overlooked. Heather Loeschke is a history teacher at Cannon Falls High School and has developed a special project that involves students on a deeper level. For the third consecutive year, Loeschke has had her students “plant” American flags in the ground in front of the high school’s front doors. 2,977 flags were arranged to honor the 2,977 lives of civilians and heroes that were taken on that September day. Loeschke teaches 111 students this year, meaning each one placed around 27 flags. “I hope they fully understand what each of those flags means,” she explained. “I hope they appreciate the sacrifices made by so many that day, and I hope they grow up to be adults who in some way, shape, or form are able to give back to their community, state, and nation.”
The commemoration of this historic day holds significance for Loeschke. “It was my first year here at CFHS. I was in my classroom talking with Mr. Vande Hoef when one of our students, Eric Peterson, came running into class telling us the World Trade Center had been attacked,” she recalled. “Mr. Vande Hoef and I turned on my classroom television and saw the smoke of the first attack. Then we watched a second plane fly into the other tower, and both thought it seemed ‘Hollywood’ like…then the towers fell.” The majority of citizens alive on that day would be able to retell their experience, but for people born after the events, many have heard the same story.
Mya Menge and Emma Templin are tenth-grade students who take Loeschke’s sixth-hour APUSH class; they were both involved in the commemoration of the people who passed away. Templin expressed, “When I planted the flags in the ground, I felt very somber when I realized that each flag represented an innocent life that was taken.” Menge also stated how she felt about the project, saying, “It takes some time to plant them all, but it’s a great way to represent the lives lost.” Both students said they didn’t feel directly affected by the events on that day, but Templin mentioned that “It’s an emotional day throughout the U.S. and it brought us closer as a society.”
9/11 has had a significant impact on youth, introducing fear and distrust; those who were born after the events of 2001 have never known a world without this anxiety. It has developed racial stereotypes among children, created fears of tall buildings and airplanes, and, without proper education on the subject, can lead to more misconceptions that can be detrimental to youth. Perhaps the most harmful is racial misjudgments. Because of who instigated the attacks on America, there is a lot of wrongful hatred towards Middle Eastern people and cultures. This racism is often taught at an early age and carries on to adulthood, hurting those affected by it. It is necessary to stop these stereotypes at a young age, and education on the topic is the best way to do so.
Loeschke ended her comments with a heartfelt remark, expressing, “When Alan Jackson’s song ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)’ comes on and I hear the lyrics, ‘Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day? Teaching a class full of innocent children…’ it brings me right back to the events of that day, because yes…I was teaching a room full of innocent children.” The remembrance of 9/11 is vital for future generations, and Loeschke is one of many teachers who are contributing to that goal in different ways.
