JROTC commemorates, learns about 9/11

By Kayla Gayle, News Editor

The JROTC observed the 18th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, presenting the annual ceremony in the gymnasium to students who, for the most part, were not yet born when those terrorist attacks occurred.

“About 15 years ago when I first started teaching here, there were students that watched it happen,” JROTC instructor Lt. Col. Gregory Johnson said. “Now every year it’s less and less. [There is] only a handful of students that were alive during it.”

Cadet 1st Sgt. Evan Turner, who was not alive in 2001, believes it’s important to continue the ceremony because the events of 9/11 still affect everybody to this day.

“It changed the way our country can see national security and foreign policy,” Turner said.

Battalion Administration Officer Jorja Plummer, who was also not alive at the time of the attacks, said the ceremony was “really serious to us, it’s really important for all of us.”

In order to make the ceremony a success, Johnson has the JROTC cadets watch videos and follow the timeline of everything that happened that day to understand “while I’m doing this, this is what I’m doing it for. Not just to just do it.”