September 11, 2001, is a daunting memory for many Americans today. Precisely 22 years since the dust settled after the Twin Towers collapsed and 2,996 people lost their lives, the Center for Student Life and School of Human Protective Services hosted a 9/11 memorial event. The event commemorated those lost in the tragedy, as well as first responders who saved people and sacrificed themselves.
The event was open to all students and community members with a buffet-style lunch and a special guest speaker, Firefighter Lt. Mahlon Mitchell of the City of Madison Fire Department.
During his speech, Mitchell, president of both Firefighters Local 311 and Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, thanked the first responders for their service. He explained to the students the importance of remembering 9/11 and the sacrifices of the brave first responders on that day.
“Nothing could erase the grief and sorrow that we felt during and after 9/11, but we should take comfort in knowing that there was abundant meaning in the lives of those first responders who responded during that tragedy,” Mitchell stated. “We can take heart in knowing they were engaged in an endeavor that is a measure of human greatness and will always be remembered for their courage, honor, and selfless dedication.”
For many students, 9/11 is a historical event that took place decades before they were born, but some are old enough to remember the silence that day brought throughout the United States.
“I was five when 9/11 happened,” said Mariah Gummer, a student in the emergency medical technician program and fire academy at Madison College.
“My mom picked me and my sister up from school and we rushed home. My dad, being a firefighter himself, was in shock. The house was quiet and there were no words or thoughts, we went to sleep that night in silence. I remember all the skies were clear for a week or two after that, no flights, the U.S. was quiet. That’s why it’s so important that we have these events to commemorate the heroes that day and their sacrifices.”
At the end of his speech Mitchell asked for a moment of silence and drove home the importance of the tragedy and the impact it had on the American people.
“Twenty-two years ago, we all went to bed quietly, with no thought that the next morning — our world would change forever,” Mitchell said, “That night hundreds packed suitcases that they would not live to open. Thousands held close to their loved ones for the last time. One never knows what the next day has in store, let us live each day to the fullest and never miss a chance to let those closest know we love them… We should never forget and always remember. We should never forget the extraordinary acts of those first responders and the men and women who put their lives on the line.”