AMHS Students Reflect on 9/11

As part of the school’s commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, Amityville Memorial High School (AMHS) social studies classes conducted special lessons about this tragic yet important date in history, including discussions about the impact it has left on our world today. Many of the students at AMHS were just embarking on their educational careers.

“I hope you never experience something like this again in your lifetime,” said teacher Bob Western to his students. During his U.S. History class, Mr. Western, who grew up in the 1960’s during the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and several other tumultuous events in U.S. history, made connections between the current war on terror and past American wars. Students also debated on whether the towers should have been rebuilt. Students in Jeffrey Picirilli’s Global Studies class discussed special events in their lives that they can remember and why it is important to remember 9/11.

Announcements were made over the school’s public address system to start off the school’s commemoration, which was held on Friday, September 9. Many classes also walked across the street to the 9/11 Memorial at Pearsall Park, which is dedicated to the memory of former Amityville resident Peter O’Neill, Jr., who lost his life at the World Trade Center ten years ago. While there, students in both Anthony Powell’s and James Seuberts’ classes read special poems and held a moment of silence in memory of Mr. O’Neill and the 3,000 individuals fallen victim to the attacks on September 11, 2001.