Daily Highlight: Remembering 25 Years of 9/11

On the 25th year anniversary of 9/11, we discuss the aftermath and where we were that day.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today's Daily Highlight from Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
So the questions include this one. How would you be different? Well,
how would life be different today if what happened 25
years ago didn't happen on 9-11? That would be very different.
People are texting in. Sitting in my English class, senior year,
September 11, 2001. Our whole class was glued to the TV.
It was one of those moments that I decided right

(00:27):
then and there I wanted to go into broadcast journalism.
And become a news reporter so I could be live
on the scene for moments like that.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Because of the college I went to, I went to
Hofstra University, I met my husband. And my life has
ever changed, forever changed because of that decision I made
because of the actions of 9-11. Another text, I was
a school bus driver in the morning of 9-11. I
was driving children, kindergarten, to school and wondering today if
they remember that day. We should definitely teach them to

(00:58):
never forget. Line four is Alyssa, a teacher. And I
wonder how teachers are teaching the events of 9-11. Alyssa,
fill us in. Are you a history teacher? What do
you teach?

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Hi, guys.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Good morning. Good morning. I listened to you guys literally
before 9-11, all of those years. I've grown up listening,
and I felt good. that I needed to call in
or try to call in. Um, I am a fifth
grade special ed teacher in New York city public school. Um,

(01:34):
I was, I was actually in sixth grade when it happened. Um,
so it was really emotional this morning and right now,
just even thinking about it, like I have to explain
this to my children, um, today because believe it or not,
you know, I think these kids know what happened, but
they don't understand the severity of how, what truly what happened,

(01:58):
but also how it affected New York city in this country.
And you don't want to scare them, but it's true. Um,
and it's not like they can't see videos and things,
but it's a delicate balance of how do I explain
my experience? What happened to the community right around us? And, um,
I definitely struggle with it every year, but this year

(02:19):
is weird because they're in the exact same place that
I was in. Wow.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, that's got to be quite the challenge for you.
You know what I'm loving about you and your voice
and your call, Alyssa, is, yeah, these kids are going
to see videos, but with no context whatsoever.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
Right.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
It's up to you to be there to go, okay,
this is how you need to think about this.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
And you're the filter. This info has to go through
your filter to make it make sense to them.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
I feel like you need to start with exactly what
you said, too. The fact that I was exactly where
you are. I was the age that you guys are
when this all happened. So I understand it's confusing and
I understand how you're feeling.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
I was actually.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Talking to someone.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Somebody recently who was saying that it's very tricky for
them to teach about this right now. So they kind
of just touch on it quickly and then move on.
And they try as the kids are getting older to
do more. But there are a lot of things that
apparently they're not allowed to answer.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
So from a political side?

Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
So it's like very tough for them as well as,
you know, being teachers.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
So what words do you, Alyssa, what do you say?
The bad guys? I mean, how do you, how do
you tell the story?

Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah, it's a very delicate balance because I, you can
use a word, you know, we'll use like a foreign
enemy or something like that. But It's really, I try
and talk about how it was a very, a bad

(03:57):
decision that was made by people that did not like
the United States at that point. And, and again, I don't,
it's so hard and every year it sort of changes,
but it's so hard because you don't want to scare
these children, but you have to teach them. Like, like
you said, you can't, we, we will never forget this.

(04:18):
And again, being that we lived through it, I have
to teach it to them. But, um, Gandhi is right.
It's like, we, we have to touch on it, but
we also still have to teach it. It's a weird combination.
And I kind of let the children ask the questions
and lead the discussion after I put it out what

(04:39):
it is, because this way I can navigate it a
little bit more like what's in their mind. Um, And
just show the connection like it's around the corner. I mean,
I teach in Queens. We can literally see the New
York City skyline from our classroom. So, you know, I'm
nervous to have the discussion 25 years later, especially being

(05:00):
right where they are and in the same seat that
they were basically in. But I feel confident about it.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
Alyssa, you have no reason to be nervous at all.
It sounds like you've got it together. Very much so.
And this is why we love our teachers, people.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
This is why.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
And you know what, Alyssa, we just had a text
from a fourth grade teacher. She says what I like
to do, it's the same thing that Mr. Rogers told
us to do, is we'll focus on the helpers as well,
you know. That's a great lesson to be learned there. Alyssa,
you are a superstar. And I love that you're listening
to us. And you go in there and you do
what you got to do. And I'm so grateful that
you are the one or one of many who are

(05:38):
in there doing it today. Thank you, Alyssa.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
Thank you guys so much.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Have a good day, okay? Gosh, that'd be so tough.
Text message. I was listening to you on Z100 that morning.
This is how I found out what was happening.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
I wonder how many people had that experience that you
guys were the ones that broke that news to them.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Many.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
I mean, I still hear it today, 25 years later.
And we didn't even know what it was at first.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
No.

Speaker 4 (06:07):
We turned on the news station because we thought it
was pilot error.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
That's what everybody thought at first. We were told it
was a helicopter.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Tim Louie, our phone op, he's like, oh, it's a helicopter.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
It was a helicopter. Then I think it was a
small plane. They said it was like a little small plane.
It wasn't a big. And then they found out more
and more. When we saw that second plane hit, we
knew exactly what was going on. Anyway, this texture continues
to say you are the ones that gave me this news. And, uh, God,
this text message, their texts are going so fast. I
can't keep up with them. Uh, I teach about September

(06:38):
11th every year because these kids are in the gap
between when it's in the history books and when it
matters to tell them, I'm not a history teacher, but
I think it's really important that they know the events
exactly how it played out. There you go. Third grade
teacher here, texting in from Orlando about to teach about
nine 11 today. So, uh, How many people, I wonder,

(07:00):
actually went into the military or went to work for
the police department or FDNY or the fire departments? I
have friends that did.

Speaker 3 (07:07):
Really?

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Yeah, absolutely. It was, I mean, you're in early high
school and then that's your, wow, I'm never going to
let this happen. And people definitely did that.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
It's crazy. Wow. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Well, so thank you for listening today.