The Disaster That Changed Everything

The Disaster that Changed Everything - Sufira Freeman

New York City has always been a bustling city with apartments that will cost you an arm and a leg despite their generally small sizes that will remind you of your college dorm room. This city is unique in many ways and has so much to see and do. There has always been life that’s full of wonder to explore with more people than one could count. It wasn’t always like that; it is nowadays, but there was a time where that wasn’t the case. There was a short time that felt like forever, where this wondrous city experienced fear, heartache, hate, sorrow, and a long lasting remembrance of the horrific day that happened on September 11th of 2001. We all know about the disaster or have at least seen its yearly reminder to the world. Four planes were hijacked on that day, two of which hit the twin towers in New York City, one hitting the Pentagon, and the last one crashed in rural Pennsylvania when it was theorized to have been meant for the White House. That day brought the whole world crashing down and had caused so much heartache for all those involved. That day caused for there to be more laws and regulations to be put in place regarding passengers and what can be brought on the aircraft. It also hurt a lot of people knowing that there are still bodies that haven’t been identified and returned to their families and loved ones. That day also stirred up a lot of hatred towards islamic countries and its people who believe in the word of Allah. There will be people who would avoid muslims or downright call them racist slurs with accompanying stereotypes.

Nowadays, people live knowing full well of other culture’s stereotypes and misconceptions, however, despite everything that we as a whole have been through and all of the similarities that we all share, our world is still heavily divided. All it takes is one bad apple that will determine how a certain culture or religion is being perceived by those around them. It is saddening and disheartening to see that our world is truly divided by hate and sorrow. That is why the 9/11 memorial and museum is so forthcoming with their message on spreading love and healing of those who have suffered a great loss. The Glade, a newly added area to the memorial site since May of 2019, is a spot that honored those who had gotten sick and/or died due to the lethal toxins that made its way into the atmosphere, not only at the World Trade Center, but to the other crash sites. The volunteers, first responders, and those in the general area had all been the primary victims of the toxin. The Glade incorporated a message on either side of itself according to the 9/11 memorial website. Part of it reads, “Here we honor the tens of thousands, From across America and around the world, Who came to help and to heal, Whose selflessness and resolve, Perseverance and courage, Renewed the spirit of a grieving city, Gave hope to the nation, And inspired the world,” (1). It truly is an amazing message that even in the face of danger and uncertainty, that there will always be those who are hopeful, caring, and selfless to do something that may put them in grave danger. There has always been hope that we could all one day come together and set aside our differences because in the face of danger, all of our skin color, beliefs, and backgrounds, will be the last thing on anyone’s mind. In my opinion, I hope that there will come a day where our differences just won’t seem to matter. 

Before the construction of the memorial, a design had to be created first that better reflected the victims and is an area for healing and growth. A competition was first introduced and anyone from anywhere in the world could participate. According to the official 9/11 Memorial website, it says, “the competition was open to adults 18 years or older, without regard for nationality or professional accreditation, and yielded 5,201 submissions from 63 countries,” (1). This went to show that the memorial is for everyone and that we are all a part of it and not just due to us having a loved one fall victim to such a disaster. The chosen design selected in January 2004 for the memorial was selected by, according to the website, “the design submitted by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, Reflecting Absence, was chosen as the winning entry. Their design features twin waterfall pools surrounded by bronze parapets that list the names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The pools are set within a plaza where more than 400 swamp white oak trees grow. The Memorial opened on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the 9/11 attacks,” (1). The opening of the memorial became an anniversary of sorts where all of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack could be showcased and be forever memorized by those reading their names around the two pools of water. 

People from all over the world can come and go to the memorial and see the two pools of water that are on opposite ends from one another and are surrounded by trees. The trees that are placed around the memorial and the museum are white oak swamp trees, a hardy species. These 400 trees are native to all three of the crash sites and are highly resilient, much like the one callery pear tree that had survived the collapse of the twin towers. That one tree was in rough shape when it was found and was taken out to be healed back to health. All of the trees that are planted near the memorial and the museum are highly cared for by the staff and there is a filtration system that runs underneath the trees that allows water to flow to each and every one of the trees so that they were always watered. I saw that system myself and it was impressive to see all of the time and planning that it took to get that system up and running regardless of the cost that it could have. A lot of time and effort went into making this one disastrous area safe and beautiful again despite all of the horror and sadness that was once in everyone’s line of sight.  

The memorial itself has a constant supply of water flowing into the pools, down to the middle of it, however, the concave part in the middle of the pool never seems to fill up and never rises. To me, it showed that the hole in our hearts will never be full because a day this disastrous, not only for all those involved, but for those across the globe who live with similar fears of a terrorist attack happening to them. It was a time when it was broadcast on numerous news channels and was shown to the world. I was only one year old when that happened, but I saw videos and pictures of the event, some of which were gorey and filled with a sense of fear that displayed the start of the apocalypse. The bronze parapets around the pools are filled with inscribed names of those who were victims of the plane hijackings, as well as those who were inside of the targeted buildings. According to the 9/11 memorial website, “additionally, during the Memorial’s development, victims’ next of kin were invited to request that their loved one’s names be inscribed alongside specific others. In this way, those who were connected in life reside together on the memorial,” (1). This was a way so that friends and colleagues could be placed together and could always be together at this memorial. It’s a nice way of making sure that no one is separated from one another and easier for the friends and family of those who are still living to be able to see everyone at once and be able to be there for each other and paying each one their respects. The inscribed names and holes in their names to allow for flowers or even flags to be placed with them, allowing the families, friends, and other loved ones to be able to place something by them, to offer them something. It is much like what we do to a tombstone, to be able to give something to those victims to show that they are always in the hearts of their loved ones. It is really amazing to see the flowers placed in their names, it makes it all the more beautiful to see bright colors on top of the dark bronze color.

I personally went to the memorial and the museum a few years back and it was breathtakingly peaceful and quiet. People were truly respectful and it felt calming to hear the sounds of the water. The museum was also respectful and had brought in original pieces from the World Trade center into the museum for the viewers to see and get a glimpse of what happened and the aftermath of the towers collapsing. I walked around aimlessly with my girl scout troop in either 2016 or 2017 and there were so many incorporations of the twin towers into the actual structure of the museum. A long row of steps that were originally from the World Trade Center were placed in the middle of actual walkable stairs that are on either side of the original set of stairs so it is as if we are walking on the original stairs that many people ran on to get away from the collapsing towers. I explored all of the different areas of the museum and that there is a lot to see and view. The layout was pretty open and from the look of the crowd that was there the day that I went, there are still people who still like to view the museum and are very respectful to the surrounding areas. The kids and young adults were also very respectful to their surroundings so it was nice to see that people were taking this place seriously. Even kids in the giftshop were nice, despite being told “no” by their parents when the kid wanted a toy.

The gift shop was filled with novelty items and souvenirs such as: mugs, pens, stuffed animals, amongst other things. There was even jewelry and a bracelet that I had picked up was one that represented a drop of water that would go into the water falls. It was a bracelet that if you were to buy one, the proceeds would go to maintaining the water in the two giant water falls on either end of the museum. I wanted something that will always be a reminder of my trip to the memorial and that bracelet was a good option for me and was also something that would help contribute to the sustainability of the waterfalls.

I didn’t want to do this research project on one specific piece at either the memorial or the museum because they are all so important to one another and each brings something different, however, it all comes together. This is bringing it all together as a whole because every part of the memorial and museum have their own significance that is highly respected. There is some controversy with the museum due to there being a section on the terrorists. Some people find that distasteful to even include the terrorists in the museum because people don’t want them to be showcased and to give them more attention, however, others say that it is great to include them to showcase the terrorists that caused the death of about 3,000 people and instilling fear in the lives of everyone in the US and parts of the world who had the victims in their prayers. 

There is no one man behind the execution of the 9/11 memorial, it was a group effort on all sides and it is something the community itself came out to do. To help those in need during this attack and all of those that helped build the museum and the memorial all played a part in the community rebuild as well as it becoming the starting point for healing and growing. I’m glad that I got a chance to visit the memorial and the museum a few years ago, however, I would love to go again and see some of the changes that were made after my last visit. I never did get to see the Glade and I’m sure the trees have grown considerably over the course of a few years. Seeing the trees would be a great way to show how much has grown. When the trees are fully grown, a canopy of leaves will cover the walkways surrounding the museum and memorial, making it feel secluded and shielded from the sun, making it a more comfortable place to be at.

Images:

Pre 9/11 by Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Balthazar Korab Collection 1976, (3).

Name Arrangement 9/11 Memorial Website, (1).

Memorial Pools by Michael Hnatov, (1)

Aerial view of the debris field of the North Tower, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC (upper right). The damaged Verizon Building Can be seen left of WTC 7's ruins, (2).

Layout of the 9/11 memorial, (4).

Videos:

Towers Collapsing: 9/11: The Towers Collapse

Physics of the Crash: The Collapse of World Trade Center | The Complete Physics

Work Cited:

1. “9/11 Memorial Glade.” 9/11 Memorial Glade | National September 11 Memorial & Museum, www.9/11memorial.org/visit/memorial/memorial-glade. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023. 

2. “Aerial View of the Debris Field of the North Tower.” Google Image Result for Https://Upload.Wikimedia.Org/Wikipedia/Commons/3/3b/September_17_2001.Jpg, images.app.goo.gl/SsLtU8G5nqCzs9qj6. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023. 

3. “Pre 9/11 by Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Balthazar Korab Collection 1976,.” Google Image Result for Https://Projects.Voanews.Com/Ground-Zero/Images/800x-Master-Pnp-Ppmsca-71300-71335u.Jpg, images.app.goo.gl/osmBkhoC6CEX6JKc8. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023. 

4. Rosenfield, Karissa. “National September 11 Memorial / Handel Architects with Peter Walker.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 11 Sept. 2012, www.archdaily.com/272400/national-september-11-memorial-handel-architects-with-peter-walker. 

5. “9/11: The Towers Collapse.” YouTube, 8 Aug. 2023, youtu.be/kWCDA09XFT0?feature=shared. 

6. “The Collapse of World Trade Center: The Complete Physics.” YouTube, 2 Oct. 2023, youtu.be/1NkBfLBov5Q?feature=shared.