It's hard to believe that it is now six years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, and even harder to believe the humongous changes that single event has wrought in our world in a mere six years. Just the impact it has had on my own life in that time is astonishing. On that fateful day, I was a 14-year old enjoying a pleasant vacation with my family in Florida before diving into my freshman year of high school upon my return. Before that day, my chief concern was memorizing a short practice speech for the first meeting of the NCFCA debate club I had just joined; and I was looking forward with nervous anticipation to the new world of competitive forensics. Yet it was that day that would awaken the nascent interest in politics and world events which would ultimately lead me to where I am today at PHC and beyond. I am a member of the 9/11 generation; and it is that event which for good or ill will forever shape the world I will live in.
This year, I would like to commemorate the passing of another 11th of September with my own unique means of expression, in the form of two 9/11 tribute videos which I have made over the last year in separate attempts to convey the tragedy of that fateful day.
"Liberatio 9/11" This is my most recent video which I only completed yesterday and made primarily for the 9/11 memorial service at PHC, where it will be shown on the projection screen as part of the ceremony. This video is set to a choral Latin requiem by the symphonic metal band Krypteria called Liberatio (Liberation), and is meant to portray the human side of the disaster and the pain, sorrow, and grief of the victims.
"9/11: A City So Cold" The second video is one I actually made last December over Christmas break but have waited until now to post it because I wanted to post it on 9/11. Radically different than my other video, this is set to the song "So Cold" by Breaking Benjamin and is more of an action video portraying the broader events of 9/11, the media response to the attacks, and the American military response in the War on Terror.
I tried to make both videos capture something of the power and momentousness of the day; and I believe my latest video especially succeeds at portraying the raw emotional power and sadness of the day--more appropriate for a tribute video. Which one you like better I'll leave for you to judge, but here is my contribution toward keeping the memory of that day alive and honoring all those who died in those terrible attacks.
