AbbyElse

This September marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the fatal terrorist attack that changed the course of world history. All Americans who were alive remember where they were and what they were doing on that day. However, current Marian girls were born seven to 11 years after the attacks. Although many honor and remember the heroes who risked their lives that day, it can feel difficult to find a connection to this tragic event. With this resurgence of interest for the 25th anniversary, Marian girls and others can understand the true weight that day holds in history.

Recently, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani released new information regarding the air quality levels at Ground Zero that affected and still affects New Yorkers. According to abc7ny.com, documents from 2001 note how officials knew about the toxic chemicals that infiltrated the air and the harmful effects they carried. But they failed to report this, and 25 years later, it is breaking news.

Julie Menin, who was living in lower Manhattan in 2001, said how “residents and first responders were repeatedly told the air was safe, yet thousands later developed serious illnesses, including cancer.” Alongside this new information, stories of Marian alumnae, the women who were once sitting in these same seats, can provide a tie to 9/11.

Lizz Dyer, Class of 2000, was a sophomore at New York University on 9/11. She was in class when the planes hit both towers, but afterwards she remembers seeing lines of people on the street and “they were all looking up in the sky, so I turned south, and then you could just see the twin towers, both of them billowing smoke,” Dyer said. 

She felt the community that day when a random man pulled up next to her and some others on the street and together they all listened to his radio to gather more insight. Even after that day there were “all sorts of vigils and memorials of people’s photos, candles, just everywhere. Businesses would have their doors open with water, food, and things like that out for people,” Dyer said. 

Dyer still says, 25 years later, there is no smell like it. “Anytime there’s a certain smell that a burning building makes, it’s different than a bonfire. It’s different from a car fire. A burning building, and I’m immediately brought back there. It is a response where I can feel that day. I can feel that time,” Dyer said.

  “Shock, horror and disbelief,” were the words used by Miss Elizabeth Kish, the principal of Marian at the time. “I was in a board meeting when my assistant [principal], Kathy Tompkins, came to my door and motioned me out in the hall. I went with her to the main office where there was a TV. I witnessed the second airplane crashing into a tall building,” Kish said.

On Kish’s mind was how much students should need to know. “25 years ago, there were no cell phones and teachers were the main source of communication. So, the counselors advised a limited but correct amount of TV exposure would be best,” Kish said. That day, Kish got on the intercom and asked the students and faculty to join her in praying a Hail Mary for the victims. 

As for any student personally affected, she remembered “a student whose mother was a pilot and in the air at the time of the terrorist attack. We prayed together as a school that she would land safely somewhere quickly, and the students and her classmates were relieved when we announced she had landed,” Kish said. She hopes current Marian girls can remember how, amidst the shock and horror of that day, people showed up for each other and chose unity.

A living example of choosing unity is Candice Iberg, Class of 1994, and founder of Share Omaha. This year they hosted their Heartland Honors 9/11 event that brought the community together through memorable acts, service and thanks. “Share Omaha serves as a community engagement partner for Heartland Honors 9/11, helping connect volunteers, nonprofits, businesses and community members to service opportunities that honor the spirit of Sept. 11 through acts of remembrance, gratitude and community impact,” Iberg said.

Even after 25 years, Iberg reflects on how emotionally moving it is to witness service and compassion prevail through tragedy. On 9/11, Iberg was living in California and driving to her job at United Way of Orange County when she heard about it on the radio. When she arrived at work, she prayed with her coworkers.

Kate Athey, Class of 2004, was a sophomore at Marian when it happened. “I was in Ms. Tocco’s sophomore religion class. It was a typical morning, when suddenly Mr. Baker came in and told her to turn on the television as a plane had just hit the World Trade Center,” Athey said. She and her class continued watching the live broadcast and remembered feeling devastated for all those who lost their lives that day. 

When she learned President Bush arrived at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, she remembered “being scared that we might get attacked trying to get to the president. I remember people coming to get their daughters. I stayed but the whole day from that moment on, surprisingly, is a blur,” Athey said. 

She remembers feeling the most united as a country the following day, Sept. 12. In the following days, she made American flag beaded pins to sell in order to help raise money for recovery efforts in New York City. As a second grade teacher, Athey has been incorporating 9/11 into her lesson plans each year for 19 years. 

Katelyn Bousquet, Class of 2002, was a senior at the time of the attacks. She was in her study hall in the quad “when Ms. Gosney came shouting through the room yelling ‘Americans! Americans! They’re dead, they’re all dead!’” Bousquet said. In her following class, she recalls the TV displaying the second plane hitting the other tower in which the “whole day felt like a horrible dream,” Bousquet said. 

Bousquet said it is important that we never forget because of the innocent people who rescued others even at the risk of losing their own life. “History repeats itself and every single Marian girl needs to learn about 9/11 and educate themselves on it because it has changed the world that they live in today,” Bousquet said.

9/11 was a horrific event that changed the trajectory of America in the past 25 years. Whether it’s a hero account or a Marian alum, every story matters and can influence how Marian girls and the rest of the world choose to honor, remember and live out the phrase “Never Forget.”