Students at Haddonfield Memorial High School will receive first hand examples of how lives were changes 10 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, as guest speakers will flock to the high school to share their experiences during the tragic terrorist attack.
Mayor Tish Colombi said that on Friday, Sept. 9, Haddonfield Memorial High School will be inviting several residents from in town to speak with history class students at all grade levels of the high school about their experiences 10 years ago during the attacks.
“We’re focusing on our students this year. Because it’s the 10th anniversary, we’re trying to use it as a teaching tool for our students. We want to foster interaction between the students and people who experienced that day. We want them to share their thoughts with the kids and hopefully it will open the door for discussion in these history classes,” Colombi said.
Guest speakers will include Fire Chief Joe Riggs, Police Chief John Banning, Board of Education President Steve Weinstein, the members of council, reporters Mike Vitez and Monica Yant Kinney, and several others, Colombi said. These speakers will discuss what they were doing during the attacks, how they reacted, what they felt, and how it has affected their lives since, Colombi said.
“There are 35 different history classes being taught at the high school, and we’re hoping to bring in a guest speaker to talk for about 10 minutes to each class,” she said.
Afterwards, Colombi, HMHS Principal Mike Wilson, and other borough representatives will join the students in placing 2,996 flags — one for each life that perished in the attacks — on the lawn in front of HMHS.
Haddon Fire Co. №1 will blast its air horn on 8:46 a.m., 9:06 a.m., and 9:37 a.m. to signify when the planes struck the World Trade Center towers and when United flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
Immediately after the first air horn, Bagpiper Thom Green, standing near the main entrance to the school, will play Amazing Grace.
