On the 16th anniversary of the tragic day forever known as 9/11, students and teachers gathered together around a courtyard inside the Brentwood High School to remember and honor all the lives that were taken away too soon. From a speech to a moment of silence, there was a mood of grief as everybody inside the school united together as one. Members of ROTC showed their patriotism for the country as they participated in the memorial. As a finale, the American National Anthem was played. It felt like a moment of unity and comfort for everybody.

The fact that we hold a memorial every year may give one a sense of repetitiveness and therefore make the event seem to lose its significance. After all, most students were not of age to remember or even comprehend the attack taking place on our country.  For some of us, we come to the conclusion that we should just get over this event that took place 16 years ago, but such an assumption is quite destructive. We must remember that while our generation was not really present for the attacks, many others who walk our halls were.

The adults in our school, such as teachers, administrators, and custodians, were alive at the time of the attacks, and they still have the memories of their whereabouts imprinted in their minds. Mr. Loeschner, Superintendent of the Brentwood School District, tells us what he remembered from 16 years ago:“My best friend, who was my best man at my wedding, and his brother both died in the Trade Center.” These are the heartbreaking words we heard as Mr. Loeschner remembered his own loved ones who lost their lives in the attacks.

So why should we continue to honor what happened on September 11th in the year 2017? We should remember the people whose lives were tragically ended and their families who are still mourning their deaths. With more recent tragedies like the attacks in Manchester and Las Vegas we learn how we can prevent these horrible things from happening in the future. If you would like to learn more ways you can help prevent terrorism or bring aid to victims of these tragedies, visit the website of the Department Of Homeland Security at www.dhs.gov/preventing-terrorism.