William Bleicher | Staff Reporter

The Menlo community gathered during Student Life Thursday morning to remember those affected by the 9/11 attacks thirteen years ago. This assembly differed slightly from previous years, as it was held in an open air setting in front of the student center. Dean of Students Tony Lapolla paid homage to the New York Fire Department, praising their courage and acts of heroism they displayed during that fateful day. After Lapolla’s speech, junior Monica Juan sang America, The Beautiful to the entire student body and faculty. Finally, the school took a moment of silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives. “It was actually beautiful and I liked how this assembly was shorter and more to the point than prior 9/11 assemblies,” junior Daria Sprague said. Not all students shared the same sentiment. “[I] felt like the summary of what happened was not as beneficial as some other speech or activity could have been,” junior Alex Neumann said. However, whilst the assembly may have generated mixed responses from the student body, the significance of this day was not lost on the Menlo community.