On Sept 11, 2001 2,977 people lost their lives in the tragic attacks that took place across the United States. What occurred that day was life-changing for millions of Americans, however, unlike many schools across the country, students at East still attend school on Sept 11.
Logan France, a freshman at East, has a strong opinion about whether students should have the day off.

“I think that 9/11 was a horrible day, not only for the people involved, but for the whole country,” France said. “Because of that, we should all have the day off to commemorate the lives that were lost.

Harshil Nunez, a junior at East, believes that students should have the day off in order to honor those who lost their lives.

“I think it should be closed because we should honor the lives that were taken that day and also honor the people who died trying to save them,” Nunez said.

While many students believe school should be closed on 9/11, not everyone agrees. Mr. Augustine, a teacher’s assistant and head coach of the boys’ freshman football team, believes students should remain in school.

“No I don’t think that we should have the day off, but I believe it’s fair and right to talk about it, especially in your history classes.” Augustine said.

So, if students don’t have the day off because the faculty believes it is only necessary to talk about 9/11, why do we have days off for other events that have caused less change and are not considered as important? For example, Labor Day is meant to honor the workers and their contributions to the prosperity of the United States. Yet, we are given the day off to honor them. So, why aren’t the lives lost on 9/11 just as important to honor?

Stephanie Scapino, an English teacher at East, also disagrees with the idea of giving students the day off. She believes that students should remain in school on 9/11 because school can provide a sense of stability and give students an opportunity to learn about and process the traumatic events of that day.

“Absolutley not, if we had a school day off for every tragic event that happens in American history we would never have school. There would be zero appreciation for why students have the day off.”, Scapino Said.

Although some teachers believe students should remain in school, students have a different perspective. For many students, having the day off would not mean forgetting about 9/11. Instead, they believe it would be a way to show respect for the lives that were lost and the people who sacrificed themselves to save others.

Ultimately, the debate comes down to whether 9/11 should be remembered through a regular school day or by giving students a designated day to reflect and honor those who were affected. While teachers may believe that schools should remain open so students can learn and discuss the events, many students feel that 9/11 deserves the same recognition as other important days in American history.

Written by Senior Wyatt France, Edited by Editor in Chief of Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.