Looking Back on 9/11

Ashley Kim ’23

This month, EA held its annual Chapel service to memorialize the 20th anniversary of the devastating attacks of September 11th, 2001. The air was somber as the Upper and Middle School gathered to look back on one of the worst days in history. Thomas B. Locke, father of EA’s Head of School T.J. Locke, oversaw the 9/11 investigation as part of the FBI. In his moving speech, he emphasized the unity and resilience that 9/11 brought out in people around the nation. Giving insight into the historic day from a first hand perspective, he described how so many people can remember exactly when and where they were when they first heard the news of the attacks. 

Father Tim Gavin, Upper School Chaplain, was in the library at Episcopal’s Merion Campus when he first heard about the attack on the Twin Towers. While helping to program one of the TVs, images of smoke and fire coming out of the World Trade Center appeared. “I thought it was news footage of an attack of the World Trade Center that happened back in the 1990’s,” he comments. “However, that didn’t make sense because the attack focused on the basement.” 

Gavin continues, “Suddenly the librarian and I realized it was a live video of a plane that had crashed into the building. We couldn’t believe or understand how a plane that big could be so off-target. Then suddenly a second plane crashed into the other tower. We knew at that moment we were under some type of attack.” His experience reflects the overall sentiments at EA: disbelief, confusion, and grief.

While none of the current EA student body was alive to remember where and when they were at the time of 9/11, Locke’s speech conveyed the impact that that day has left on our generation, and generations to come. In the words of Gavin, “9/11 made us all aware that life is fragile and humanity is vulnerable to the natural chaos in our world. The only way to overcome our fragility and vulnerability is to realize we are part of something greater than ourselves. That greater something is goodness.” 

In terms of the imprint 9/11 left on the EA community specifically, Gavin believes “EA learned to take our core values, The Stripes, more seriously.”

Hearing about the attacks from someone like Locke who was involved in the response gave a new perspective to many students. Jenny Bui ‘23 described Locke’s speech as “eye opening.” Sarah Kotapka ‘23 adds, “Friday’s service was insightful,” elaborating that “it was really inspiring to hear stories about that day and of all the selfless people who risked everything to save others.” 

Across the EA community, Locke’s speech clearly left an impression. Max Scharpf summarized his takeaway from the speech, saying, “Today is not just a day to reflect on the brave sacrifices and tragic losses, but also to unite as a nation… On 9/11, we leave political disputes and trivial rivalries behind, and mourn together and pray for a better future.”