Student essay on 9/11 photography, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Cnnimemorntive edition La' die ^tudaits of Stup-esant High School

Spectator staff members col­ lected scores of personal accounts from Stuyvesant stu­ dents and faculty members. These anecdotes describe their experiences before, during, and after Tuesday's attack as they remember them.

Reporting by: An Administration in Crisis Marlon Bishop Christina Chang Adina David Abigail Deutsch Lindsey Gurin Jane Pae Susie Poppick They were told the towers wouldn’t fall. over the loudspeaker that students were to report Jessica Skolnick Principal Stanley Teitel was sitting at his desk to homeroom; he soon announced he was Daniel Walker at 8:48 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, when he extending homeroom until further notice. Lisa Xu heard a bang and felt the school tremble. He saw “The federal officials were talking around Lily Yoon that the north tower of the World Trade Center me, saying they didn’t know whether the planes Shall Zhang was in flames and called the superintendent’s were part of an overall plot,” said Blaufarb in a office. later interview. “It could have been a larger plot, “ [The deputy superintendent] said, ‘Is any- with people on the ground, coming out of covert one in danger?’and I said,‘[There’s] no danger to places. One of my concerns was closing the I watched in horror as I saw us,”’ Teitel said. “She said, ‘Then keep everyone perimeters, keeping the students inside the what I first thought was rub­ in the building and they’ll be safe.’ And that’s building; that’s why everyone was sent to home- ble, but then realized was peo­ what we did. Until about ten minutes later.” room.” ple jumping from the building. The second plane struck the south tower at They were told the towers wouldn’t fall. But People stood in the gash in the 9:03 A.M., jamming communications and leaving they did. At 9:50 a.m. the south tower collapsed, building waving jackets and the administration without further guidance sounding a great boom and sending a shock shirts, trying to catch the from the Board of Education. But the F.B.I. and wave through the school. attention of the people below. Secret Service agents who appreared in Teitel’s “And we realized the guy who told me we I looked up at the TV in the office on the first floor wanting to use it as a com- were safe had no clue,” Teitel said. “No clue.” room and noticed debris was mand center had some information to offer, the “A federal official came to me and told me beginning to fall rapidly from principal said. the north building was in danger of falling, and it the upper floors. I looked out “I looked over to [the agent in charge], and could hit us—which it couldn’t,” Blaufarb said. the window and saw the thou­ all I said was, ‘I have just one question. What are “But the shock wave, if it came at us, could bring sands of people on the street the chances of those towers coming down?’ He our building down.” screaming and running north­ looked at me and said, ‘No chance.’ Based on Teitel huddled with other members of the ward and ambulances and fire that, I made my decision.” administration and after “just a few minutes” engines below the building Teitel announced that students were to stay they devised a new plan. Blaufarb announced begin to be engulfed in a pile in the building. over the loudspeaker that students were to evac- of debris and ash. I was “You need to understand at this moment uate the building from the north side, slowly and motionless as I realized the that there are no trains and no buses in Lower calmly. cloud was moving towards the Manhattan,” Teitel said over the loudspeaker. “So “My main concern was panic,” Blaufarb school and the lights flickered leaving the building, you can’t go home. There’s said. “Many students were crying and getting and the building shook.... nowhere to go, and I think it’s dangerous in the scared, and for good reason. I wanted everyone When I finally got onto West street because of falling debris. Stay in the build- out of the building as quickly as possible, but as Street I turned around and ing. Stay away from the windows on the south safely as possible.” looked at the place that the side of the building. Those are the windows near To that end, Blaufarb said, he had to appear Twin Towers once stood and the Statue of Liberty. calm. “It was important to say, ‘Okay, there’s no looked to my left, where I “We have security in the building, and feder- danger,’ even though the danger was tremen- noticed that a man was walk­ al agents,” Teitel continued. “If anyone asks for dous.” ing, shell shocked, covered in ID, please, just present your ID or your program He added, “It’s my job even when I’m scared. white dust. All I could think of card so we know you belong in the building. I have to keep in mind what my duty is.” was the resemblance to a Whatever you do, just stay calm. Try to go to Teitel and Blaufarb positioned themselves in ghost this man had. He eerily class. If you stay in the hallways we just don’t the lobby, Teitel near the security desk, Blaufarb walked forward because that have enough room for walking. If you have a free standing on a chair, instructing students “to keep was the only thing that he period and you want to sit quietly, you’re wel- moving slowly, exit the building, and move north could do, he just kept walking. come to come to the theater. I will try to come on towards Chelsea Piers,” Teitel said. “We just It was almost like walking the PA before 10:30 and give you more informa- wanted to get you north.” alongside a man who wasn't tion. Thank you.” “We were trying to evacuate 3,500 people there. You got the feeling Several days later Teitel said he could not through two doors,” Blaufarb said. “Td let 200 that he understood just how recall making the announcement. through the door, wait 15 seconds, and let the close he came to death. A little while later, Assistant Principal of next 200 through.” —Sasha Gsovski, senior Student Services Eugene Blaufarb announced Teitel said he thought the evacuation went

4 The Spectator • Fall 2001

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