By Tyler Goff ’14 and Rebecca Gorelov ’14, Staff Writers

On September 11, 2011 – 10 years after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as the crash of American Airlines Flight 93 – the National September 11 Memorial was unveiled. The monument is a symbol of remembrance and honor to the 3,000 people that lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and the six that lost theirs in the World Trade Center bombing of February 1993. The memorial, built by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, consists of twin reflecting pools each nearly an acre in size sitting in the footprint where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of the individuals who died in these attacks are inscribed on the edge of the pools. The memorial stands as a powerful reminder of the largest loss of life on American soil due to a foreign attack, as well as the single greatest loss of rescue personnel.

The 9/11 memorial sits atop one half of the sixteen acres that were formerly occupied by the World Trade Center. The memorial contains two one-acre wide waterfalls, some of the biggest man made waterfalls in North America, which are used to symbolize where the twin towers once stood. Surrounding each of the pools are plaques that contain the name of each victim who suffered during and after 9/11, the hijacked plane passengers, Pentagon personnel, as well as the terrorist attack victims on February 26, 1993. Listed in the North Pool are the names of the victims who were killed in the North Tower, Flight 11, and the February 26 terrorist attack. Listed in the South Pool, are the victims who were killed in the South Tower, the Pentagon, and flights 175, 77, and 93 as well as the first responders who died. According to the 9/11 memorial website, the Memorial Plaza is “one of the most eco-friendly plazas ever constructed.” The memorial itself contains more than 400 trees, each of which was picked from the World Trade Center site and other sites affected by 9/11. Visitors passes are free, and must be reserved in advance online.

Along with the memorial, there is a reconstruction effort currently underway. Unfortunatey, this effort has taken longer than expected due to conflict among architects, engineers, and construction workers as well as attempts to lower rising costs. Yet, as of today, much progress has been made: two sky scrapers will be erected at the World Trade Center site and two more are still in the planning phase. By the 11th anniversary of 9/11, the Memorial Museum is expected to be completed. It will house underground exhibitions which will show elements from the towers and display remnants to their foundations. By the end of 2013 the Freedom Tower (otherwise known as 1 World Trade Center), the Vehicle Security Center, and 4 World Trade Center are expected to be completed. The Freedom Tower will become the nation’s tallest building eventually reaching 104 floors and 1,776  feet (including the spire). The building is rapidly growing about one floor per week. The Vehicle Security Center will be an underground screening center that will admit trucks and cars into the complex. 4 World Trade Center will be a 64-story office center. The Transportation Hub is estimated to be completed in late 2014. Two and three World Trade Center will only be built if economic conditions improve. In the end, however, the World Trade Center Site will become a place where the past and the future come together.

The 9/11 memorial and the reconstruction efforts serve as an elegant way for future generations to honor those lost on 9/11. Hopefully, the 9/11 memorial will serve not only as a reminder of the 3,000 lives lost, but also as an everlasting symbol of the unconquerable nature of American freedom.