For Americans, there are very few events that define the 21st Century, or to an extent, their entire lives. That is, except for 9/11.
The night before, moms routinely tucked their children into bed, firefighters polished their trucks for the nightly inspection, teachers intricately set up their classrooms, restaurateurs prepared the World Trade Center cafeteria's servings, families printed their boarding...
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” these iconic lines ran through my head as I walked into the Xavier High School entryway, shivering from the biting New York cold. On its surface, Xavier appears nothing like Jesuit, each space optimized to serve countless functions, missing the sprawling athletic fields characteristic of 12345 Inwood Road....
Without paying careful attention, you can walk right past the America media headquarters on West 56th Street. The nameplate, worn and faded through years of exposure to weather, blends seamlessly into the charcoal entryway. Who knew that a doorway so humble would hold within it the creative engine behind one of the most popular magazines in the media capital...
Fredrick Douglas. Helen Keller. Caesar Chavez. What do these people have in common? All of them overcame hardships and difficulties to bring a message to the world. Paul McCormack represents the contemporary example of this brave heroism, devoting his entire life to the service of others despite the personal costs. He is the last man out, the last man...
A pair of deserted felt loafers. A firefighter's helmet. A rusty police badge. A cap soaked with murky dust. Warped steel fragments twisting upwards. These objects appear commonplace, scattered haphazardly around New York City. Within their tattered exteriors lie an abundance of memories, frozen in time behind display cases. On Friday September 11th, 2015, several retired first responders and close...
Smoke billows from the twisted molten carnage in an opaque deluge, ashy tendrils leaking toxic rubble into the first responder’s lungs. Jarring sirens pierce the terse silence enshrouding New York City. Firefighters weave through the crumpled stairwells, braving each onslaught of fiery waves to reach the stranded civilians. Throngs of onlookers wait outside anxiously and yearn for their loved...
