By EMMA THOR
It’s been 15 years since 9/11 happened. Our worlds changed when The Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers in New York City were targets of terrorism. Americans know where they were during 9/11, but for international students there wasn’t much impact. 9/11 showed American patriotism
According to CNN The 9/11 attacks took 2,977 lives including many foreigners who worked in New York City 9/11 effected 62 countries such as , UK , Dominican Republic, India and South Korea and many more countries.
Arjun Bastola 20 , who is an international student from Nepal and is a junior majoring in computer science and mathematics , had a different experience that day.
“9/11 is a sad day for America people ,” said Bastola.“The American people unlike other people from other countries aren’t used to witnessing terrorism first hand.”
Fifteen years after the attack, Ground Zero is a memorial site where there is peoples name engraved in marble inside of waterfall. There are 3,000 plus names .Its a peaceful way for the victims families to reflect on their loved ones. There is a museum that contains 11,000 artifacts from the site such as a flashlight from volunteer fire warden on 84th floor , fire hat, soccer jersey, JFK Hangar , stuffed peter rabbit and many more. There are 40,000 print and digital photographs, 300 moving images and 3,000 oral history and audio recordings.
In other countries, media interrupted programs to air the news of the 9/11 attack.
Bastola was living in Bharatpur Nepal when 9/11 occured.
“9/11 is a sad day for American people ,” said Bastola.“The American people unlike other people from other countries aren’t used to witnessing terrorism first hand.”
“I was watching a movie on Nepal’s National Television the movie was interrupted to news of 9/11 attack,” said Bastola.
“I haven’t met anyone who was directly affect but I did meet some woman who used to work for Goldman Sachs when 9/11 happened she said everyone was panicking and they evacuated to Jersey City by ferry,” Bastola said.
When Bastola moved to the United States to attend Ramapo College, Bastola experienced the somber atmosphere during 9/11 anniversaries.
The day before 9/11 anniversaries NYC has the Tribute in Light where two light beams luminate the sky in honor of the twin towers. This event has occurred since 2002.
“People start talking about 9/11 weeks in advance,” said Bastola.
“I feel like 9/11 has brought a feeling of patriotism more than ever in the United States,”said Bastola.
“I love how all kinds of people (old,adult,young and even children) come up hand and hand and mourn for the lives lost during the terrorist attack,”said Bastola.
But Bastola noted that there were many other heroes who still have gone unnoticed.
“I feel like United States Government has not done enough to support and honor the victims and including the first responders,”said Bastola.
Karen Ando, a senior biomedical engineering major at Penn State, lived in Japan and France. Ando was in first grade when 9/11 happened.
“I heard about what happened to the World Trade Center after I came home school,” said Ando. “Most people in France didn’t know what the World Trade Center was.”
“My mom explained to me what the World Trade Center was and why was the attack a big deal in the United States,” Ando said.
When Ando came to U.S with her family to Wyckoff, 9/11 had a bigger impact on the town than overseas.
“According to NJ.com there were 147 residents of Bergen County that lost their lives on 9/11. I know that John Brady from my church in New Jersey lost his uncle in 9/11,” Ando said.“Also a girl from high school lost her dad.”
“At my high school, there is a scholarship in honor of Dana Rey Hannon who was a former firefighter for Wyckoff Fire Department who lost her life during 9/11,” Ando said.
Kids that were in kindergarten on 9/11 are starting their third year of college. They’re the last generation to have a memory of 9/11. For students like Bastola, 9/11 is a day of reflection and remembering those lost that day.
It is shocking to think that acts of terrorism and events like 9/11 are so common in other countries. International students especially recognize the patriotism the US has in honoring and remember the lives of all of those involved.