NHA Visit to Pennsylvania 9/11 Memorial

On Friday September 11th 2015, New Hope Academy Yardley English Teacher Caryn Search, took her Junior and Senior Honors English classes to the Garden of Reflection in Upper Makefield Pennsylvania, to view the 9/11 memorial for its fourteen-year anniversary. Many of us were too young to remember the historic event, but the memorial made a huge impact on what America is to us today. The Garden of Reflection is one of the biggest memorials that happens to take place outside of New York.

Most of the time students stayed together and observed together. Everything in the memorial was symbolic and beautifully put together. I paid close attention to the placement of everything, even the arrangement of flowers in search of hidden meaning. Many people left gifts behind on something that to me looked like a support beam from the ruins in memory of the ones they have lost. We had seen things from medallions, a patriotic gallon, flags, rosaries, a police patch, and a few bouquets of flowers. This made us wonder what kind of connections people had with their loved ones and what they are feeling today. We pandered on this piece of the memorial the most until we walked over to the fountain.

A lot of people were at the fountain which represented the twin towers. Most talked to strangers who all in common, seemed like they were sad and reminiscent of that horrific day. The fountains appeared to give a calming effect as some who just sat and stared at it. I separated from the group and read the names of the lost lives on the railing plaque and felt sad. Seeing the roses placed between the railings and plaques made me content because that means fourteen years later, someone still brings flowers. Some other students appreciated this too.

Caryn Search's Junior & Senior English Honors students gather for a photo in front of the two fountains
Caryn Search’s Junior & Senior English Honors students gather for a photo in front of the two fountains

After a few more minutes’ observation, we headed to Vince’s to grab a bite to eat before heading back to school for fourth and fifth period. We ate and enjoyed ourselves before heading to the bakery next door to look at the treats before heading home. The memorial put what September 11th really was into perspective for a lot of us. This was the point of the trip and I am glad I got to go and share the experience with my classmates who all saw things differently than I did.

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