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Photo credit: Loula Aycock
New School Year Brings New Changes to SAS Upper School
New School Year Brings New Changes to SAS Upper School
Loula Aycock, Lily Martinez, and Ellie Herz
Loula Aycock, Lily Martinez, and Ellie Herz
October 16, 2023
October 16, 2023
When students returned to campus after a much-needed summer break they expected campus to be just like how they left it in May. However, this was not the case. Read to find out what changes were made and why!
New Cell Phone PolicyThe Covid Pandemic completely changed the use of cell phones all over the world. Students depended on using different technology platforms like Zoom to actually attend school. This constant screen time became the norm for students. Slowly this system seeped into the classroom, where teachers now struggle to remind students to stay off their phones. Last year, a group of faculty members called the “Cell Phone Task Force” dedicated their time to understanding the power that a small device can have on the brain. After compiling research, connecting with various schools on the topic, and producing a research paper on their findings, the Task Force proposed a new policy. The new 2023-2024 cell phone policy states that students will only have permission to use their cell phones during lunch, free period, or when given instruction to do so during class. Ms. Garcia, Upper School Library Educational Technologist & key member of the task force explained, "I think we envisioned a place where students don't feel a need to be on their phones and can be involved around school and engage in conversation with people.” With this new policy, the hope is to redirect student focus on interacting with school activities, academic pursuits, and friendly exchanges. “I hope we are able to teach you what cellphones are designed to do to your brain and how you can disconnect and unplug if that is what you want to do,” Garcia detailed.
The implementation of the cell phone policy into the SAS community has been fairly smooth. However, students have shared concerns that their freedom is limited and have not fully resolved to follow the policy. Senior Brooks Nelson commented, “I think we are old enough and responsible enough to make our own decisions about when we use our phones. You suffer from your own consequences when you pick up your device.” Most students have complied with the new policy, but question the control of students and the real impact of cell phone detachment. While opinions are extremely clear-cut, the still new approach has yet to reveal the true influence it will have on students throughout the year.-Lily MartinezParkingOne of the newest changes to St. Andrew’s this year is a trial solution to our former parking problem. At the end of last year, former Tartan writer and senior Grant Drake interviewed current student body president Pruett Fedorowicz about how the plan was going. Now, Fedorowicz and the rest of the senate have crafted a plan that they believe will ensure confidence in SAS students who have long waited for a sure plan. So, what is the new plan? According to Fedorowicz, over the summer, the senate team worked with Mr. Brandon Ambruster, Director of Maintenance operations, to put their well-devised plan into action. After much hard work and time, they decided to assign specific parking spots to juniors and seniors and give the remaining spots to sophomores through a lottery system. “We definitely wanted a little bit of upperclassmen privilege. When you get to junior and senior year, you should know that you're gonna be guaranteed a spot every day,” Fedorowicz emphasized.
But how do other SAS students feel about the new parking? “I think it’s really good for upperclassmen, especially if you’re a senior, but I think that for underclassmen it’s gonna be really difficult to find spots,'' said senior Emily Gregg. "I like it but I really don't want to park in Narnia," said sophomore Ben Gillham.
When asked how Fedorowicz felt about the plan he said, “Ultimately, it's a trial. So we may try this and get to the second semester, and everyone hates it, so we might have to implement a system where we rotate it or something else.” -Ellie HerzNew FurnitureAs the school year speeds along, students continue to gather in the vestibule outside the Learning Commons, although this year, it looks and sounds a lot different. The area last year was most commonly described as “loud, chaotic, and wild.” However, this year, the vestibule is calm and quiet for the most part. The blue chairs have been removed and replaced with tables that students quickly noticed and began to critique on the first day of school.
Senior Cade McCall, who was a regular at the blue chairs last year, reflects on the new tables and said, “I miss the sense of community I felt sitting really close with my best friends; tables feel more structured and serious.” Although the tables are, in fact, more structured and serious, they provide a better work environment for students. Ms. Rachael Brooks, Assistant Head of Upper School: Student Life, was in charge of the change. She said, “Our thought process was, ‘What are students using this space for?’ There are certain students that hang out there just for fun, but there are also a lot of students trying to do work.” Ms. Brooks thought about how students could use the space most effectively. “I would find people all over the place because they could not find a comfortable position to read and write at the same time, so we thought about how we could redesign the space so it still felt inviting, but that had tables and real chairs,” Ms. Brooks said.
Although many students prefer and miss the blue chairs for comfort, the tables will have to do and are more realistic for the space as they provide much more seating for students.
“I think the vestibule smells a lot better now,” Mother Whitney said when walking in to see the new tables. -Loula Aycock
New Cell Phone PolicyThe Covid Pandemic completely changed the use of cell phones all over the world. Students depended on using different technology platforms like Zoom to actually attend school. This constant screen time became the norm for students. Slowly this system seeped into the classroom, where teachers now struggle to remind students to stay off their phones. Last year, a group of faculty members called the “Cell Phone Task Force” dedicated their time to understanding the power that a small device can have on the brain. After compiling research, connecting with various schools on the topic, and producing a research paper on their findings, the Task Force proposed a new policy. The new 2023-2024 cell phone policy states that students will only have permission to use their cell phones during lunch, free period, or when given instruction to do so during class. Ms. Garcia, Upper School Library Educational Technologist & key member of the task force explained, "I think we envisioned a place where students don't feel a need to be on their phones and can be involved around school and engage in conversation with people.” With this new policy, the hope is to redirect student focus on interacting with school activities, academic pursuits, and friendly exchanges. “I hope we are able to teach you what cellphones are designed to do to your brain and how you can disconnect and unplug if that is what you want to do,” Garcia detailed.
The implementation of the cell phone policy into the SAS community has been fairly smooth. However, students have shared concerns that their freedom is limited and have not fully resolved to follow the policy. Senior Brooks Nelson commented, “I think we are old enough and responsible enough to make our own decisions about when we use our phones. You suffer from your own consequences when you pick up your device.” Most students have complied with the new policy, but question the control of students and the real impact of cell phone detachment. While opinions are extremely clear-cut, the still new approach has yet to reveal the true influence it will have on students throughout the year.-Lily MartinezParkingOne of the newest changes to St. Andrew’s this year is a trial solution to our former parking problem. At the end of last year, former Tartan writer and senior Grant Drake interviewed current student body president Pruett Fedorowicz about how the plan was going. Now, Fedorowicz and the rest of the senate have crafted a plan that they believe will ensure confidence in SAS students who have long waited for a sure plan. So, what is the new plan? According to Fedorowicz, over the summer, the senate team worked with Mr. Brandon Ambruster, Director of Maintenance operations, to put their well-devised plan into action. After much hard work and time, they decided to assign specific parking spots to juniors and seniors and give the remaining spots to sophomores through a lottery system. “We definitely wanted a little bit of upperclassmen privilege. When you get to junior and senior year, you should know that you're gonna be guaranteed a spot every day,” Fedorowicz emphasized.
But how do other SAS students feel about the new parking? “I think it’s really good for upperclassmen, especially if you’re a senior, but I think that for underclassmen it’s gonna be really difficult to find spots,'' said senior Emily Gregg. "I like it but I really don't want to park in Narnia," said sophomore Ben Gillham.
When asked how Fedorowicz felt about the plan he said, “Ultimately, it's a trial. So we may try this and get to the second semester, and everyone hates it, so we might have to implement a system where we rotate it or something else.” -Ellie HerzNew FurnitureAs the school year speeds along, students continue to gather in the vestibule outside the Learning Commons, although this year, it looks and sounds a lot different. The area last year was most commonly described as “loud, chaotic, and wild.” However, this year, the vestibule is calm and quiet for the most part. The blue chairs have been removed and replaced with tables that students quickly noticed and began to critique on the first day of school.
Senior Cade McCall, who was a regular at the blue chairs last year, reflects on the new tables and said, “I miss the sense of community I felt sitting really close with my best friends; tables feel more structured and serious.” Although the tables are, in fact, more structured and serious, they provide a better work environment for students. Ms. Rachael Brooks, Assistant Head of Upper School: Student Life, was in charge of the change. She said, “Our thought process was, ‘What are students using this space for?’ There are certain students that hang out there just for fun, but there are also a lot of students trying to do work.” Ms. Brooks thought about how students could use the space most effectively. “I would find people all over the place because they could not find a comfortable position to read and write at the same time, so we thought about how we could redesign the space so it still felt inviting, but that had tables and real chairs,” Ms. Brooks said.
Although many students prefer and miss the blue chairs for comfort, the tables will have to do and are more realistic for the space as they provide much more seating for students.
“I think the vestibule smells a lot better now,” Mother Whitney said when walking in to see the new tables. -Loula Aycock
St. Andrew's Transformative Vision For The Next 25 Years
St. Andrew's Transformative Vision For The Next 25 Years
Sloan Golson
October 16, 2023
October 16, 2023
In 1997, when St. Andrew’s was just a school serving students from 1st to 8th grade, Ms. Lucy Nazro, former Head of School, and Ms. Catherine Ervin, Director of Advancement, ventured out to a working ranch in Austin, where they encountered only a solitary horse on the premises. Fast forward 26 years, and thanks to the unwavering support of dedicated families, the St. Andrew’s Upper School now stands on the former ranch land on Southwest Parkway. With an ambitious new construction plan, St. Andrew’s is now set to embark on its biggest expansion project since the creation of the Upper School. The St. Andrew’s New Master Site Plan is a comprehensive 25-year plan that hopes to “better the student life experience” as current Head of School Ms. Melissa Grubb puts it. This plan includes a new Athletics Complex and Student Union, a new Middle School located at the Southwest Parkway campus, a STEM center, 10 tennis courts, new fields, reimagined outdoor spaces, and updated classrooms and wings. The new Athletics Complex and Student Union is the first building on the agenda, with the plan to break ground in May 2024. Ms. Ervin notes that “the goal here is to improve the student-athlete experience,” and this is shown in the plan for the building. With a competition gym, a practice gym, a dance studio, a student union, a spirit shop, a workout facility, home and away locker rooms, and spaces for team meetings, this new building will only strengthen the athletic pillar at St. Andrew’s. The timeline for this new building has already started. With permitting for the building almost completed, once the Raise the Roof campaign reaches the 22 million mark, groundbreaking can happen. The goal is to start in May of 2024. If all goes smoothly, the hope is that in the Fall of 2025, the new Athletics Complex and Student Union will be finished and ready for use.
From a short-term perspective, this new complex will pose some challenges for parking at the Upper School due to its location being the current athletic parking lot. In May, the athletic lot will no longer be for cars but trucks and shovels. Mr. Ambruster, the Chief operating officer for this project, is working on the parking plan during construction with the idea of the dirt parking lot students call “Narnia” being a potential filler. Ms. Erivn notes that it's important to keep an open mind when talking about parking because these issues will be temporary and the new building will only improve our current parking issues in the long run. The new Athletics Complex and Student Union is also away from all academic settings, ensuring learning will not be heavily disrupted.
When talking to Ms. Grubb and Ms. Ervin about the upcoming plans they both had tones of excitement, and you should too! Ms. Grubb notes, "It can feel like it’s going to be a long time from now. But it's not.” The current 9th and 10th-grade students will see some of these changes. The timeline is exciting and will quickly start to benefit student life at St. Andrew’s. Ms. Grubb says that the goal is to make St. Andrew’s “even more wonderful for those that we will love and care for.” She also notes that alumni will be extended many welcome backs throughout their lives and the new Athletics Complex and Student Union will be able to host alumni gatherings.
While the new buildings are focused on improving the student experience, they will also focus on sustainability. These two new buildings are planned to be very energy-efficient and they have a goal of protecting the trees on campus. Ms. Grubb wants students to know that the school pays attention to the environment and our heritage in the greenery.
This is the largest campaign done ever at St. Andrew’s and the most ambitious. The new site plan represents an exciting chapter in St. Andrew's history and will only continue to benefit and enrich our SAS community. For further information, please look at the St. Andrew’s Raise the Roof Fund or the St. Andrew’s School website.
From a short-term perspective, this new complex will pose some challenges for parking at the Upper School due to its location being the current athletic parking lot. In May, the athletic lot will no longer be for cars but trucks and shovels. Mr. Ambruster, the Chief operating officer for this project, is working on the parking plan during construction with the idea of the dirt parking lot students call “Narnia” being a potential filler. Ms. Erivn notes that it's important to keep an open mind when talking about parking because these issues will be temporary and the new building will only improve our current parking issues in the long run. The new Athletics Complex and Student Union is also away from all academic settings, ensuring learning will not be heavily disrupted.
When talking to Ms. Grubb and Ms. Ervin about the upcoming plans they both had tones of excitement, and you should too! Ms. Grubb notes, "It can feel like it’s going to be a long time from now. But it's not.” The current 9th and 10th-grade students will see some of these changes. The timeline is exciting and will quickly start to benefit student life at St. Andrew’s. Ms. Grubb says that the goal is to make St. Andrew’s “even more wonderful for those that we will love and care for.” She also notes that alumni will be extended many welcome backs throughout their lives and the new Athletics Complex and Student Union will be able to host alumni gatherings.
While the new buildings are focused on improving the student experience, they will also focus on sustainability. These two new buildings are planned to be very energy-efficient and they have a goal of protecting the trees on campus. Ms. Grubb wants students to know that the school pays attention to the environment and our heritage in the greenery.
This is the largest campaign done ever at St. Andrew’s and the most ambitious. The new site plan represents an exciting chapter in St. Andrew's history and will only continue to benefit and enrich our SAS community. For further information, please look at the St. Andrew’s Raise the Roof Fund or the St. Andrew’s School website.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of LPA Architects
Mr. Matt Lipstein in NYC. Photo courtesy of Mr. Lipstein.
Impact of 9/11 Still Lingers With Members of St. Andrew’s Community
Impact of 9/11 Still Lingers With Members of St. Andrew’s Community
Emily Gregg
Emily Gregg
October 16, 2023
October 16, 2023
New Yorkers always comment on the weather that day. A crisp fall morning with a crystal clear blue sky; what should have been the perfect fall day. Instead, the blue sky became the stark backdrop to the black billowing smoke that rose into it.
September 11, 2001 is a day that transformed the lives of the many Americans that lived through it. Each person that lived through that day has a response to the question of where were you on 9/11? This year marked the 22nd anniversary of September 11. To remember the lives lost during that day, and the many people that put their hearts on the line to help others, we must listen to the stories from our SAS community; stories from those who choose to never forget.
Vicky Gregg, board member and mother of Celia Gregg and myself, was finishing up her fellowship as a doctor at Bellevue hospital in New York City. She had moved into a new apartment on September 10, located one block south of the World Trade Center. At 8:20 a.m. Gregg boarded the subway for work. At 8:46, the North tower was hit. Once above ground, Gregg could see smoke rising from the North tower, and took off for work to prepare for numerous victims, but no one came. The doctors were waiting for patients and desperate for information.
At 9:59 a.m the first tower collapsed. “I had a friend staying in my apartment and I really thought they were dead because of how close we were to the towers,” said Gregg.
After no patients arrived, the hospital instructed the doctors to move closer to the World Trade Center. “We moved down to the periphery of the rubble and we stood there and we took care of the firefighters. We would wash out their eyes with saline, give them breathing treatments, and occasionally we did an IV if they were getting dehydrated. Those guys were not going to leave to get treated at a hospital, so we just did it all there,” said Gregg.
“Other than the blue sky and the smell of that burning metal, the thing I remember most was the sound. Firefighters wear these locators that will start chirping when they haven't moved for 10 to 15 seconds, so all you heard was all this chirping coming from beneath the rubble.”
The following week resulted in a period of adversity and hardship. “I couldn’t get away,” Gregg said. “I felt it at work because we were the hospital that took care of the firefighters and policemen, and I felt it when I got home because my beautiful windows now looked down onto this war zone of rubble.”
Ms. Joanna Hallac, a former sophomore advisor and History teacher at the Upper School, was a year out of college and living in a suburb of New York City. She was coaching soccer and working as a sub at the local high school. The morning of 9/11, her fellow coach called her and told her to turn on the news.
“I turned on the Today show, and I couldn’t really tell what was happening. You think it was a freak accident, not a terrorist attack. Your brain just did not go there.” Hallac watched on live-TV as the second plane came into view and smashed into the South Tower. “I just started to cry. Because I think that's when everyone knew what was happening. We were under attack.” Ms. Hallac tried to call her friend who she knew lived in the city but got no reply. Communication was down due to the broken antennas that had been on top of the tower. Hallac didn’t have any other way to contact friends and family. At one o’clock, Ms. Hallac went to the high school where she coached and subbed regularly. “No one had told the kids. It was weird to me that we hadn’t told them but then I realized, oh my God, of course we’re not telling the kids because they have parents who work in the city,” said Hallac. The rest of the day consisted of sitting with students and other faculty waiting to hear from their friends and family. “Even though I wasn't in the city, just being in that proximity, you knew that there were people that went to work that day from your town and the towns right around you, that weren't going to come home.”
The rest of the week was a blur. Hallac ended up coaching their soccer game the next day, and was able to contact her dad who was overseas and her mom who lived in New York. The week consisted of long nights and hard days, spent watching the news and checking up on people. “You couldn't stop watching the coverage. It was mesmerizing and it was everywhere,” said Hallac. “It just was like this weird combination of trying to go back, trying to keep your routine, but there was nothing routine about that week.”
When asked to comment on what it’s like teaching kids who didn’t live through 9/11, Hallac said, “the world you've known is just so starkly different from the world I knew when I was your age and that makes me sad for you, actually. It makes me sad that you only know this kind of post 9/11 world because it was just different. It was just really different.”
Mr. Matt Lipstein, Director of Technology at St. Andrew’s, was living a mile north of the Twin Towers on 9/11. He was in between jobs, and enjoying his cereal when he got a call from his friend Dave.
“I picked up the phone and he’s like, ‘A plane just hit one of the Twin Towers.’ I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV and while we were on the phone, both watching TV at the same time, we saw the second plane hit the second tower. That’s when both of us knew that there was obviously something more happening,” said Lipstein.
Lipstein hung up the phone, quickly put on his shoes (without socks to save time), and headed over to Dave’s apartment. “At that point, everything on the New York City streets was totally normal. It was as if many people didn't even know what was happening,” said Lipstein.
Dave, Lipstein, and their friend Darren, gathered at Dave’s apartment, and huddled around the TV mesmerized at what was unfolding in front of them. They discussed their proximity to the towers, and decided it would be safer at Dave’s sister’s apartment, located 30 miles north from their current location. “We went downstairs and the scene had totally changed on the streets. It was way more of a panic. Nobody knew what was going on,” said Lipstein.
The three of them began their 30 block walk North. They were joined by thousands of people who all shared the same idea; get away from the World Trade Center. “We didn’t know if there were more planes coming. We didn’t know if there were attacks all over the U.S. People were huddled around their cars listening to the news on the radio. And then someone shouted ‘one of the towers is falling.’”
Unable to see the Twin Towers, the realization that they were falling was enough to send everyone around them into a panic. The debris that followed was even worse. “This blast of white dust and debris came up the avenue where we were. It wasn’t enough to cover us, but the destruction was reaching us, and we were like, ‘We have to book it.’”
Almost to the apartment, they paused at a small corner store, filled with many people unaware of what a person should do or buy at a time like this. “We had no idea how to prepare for an emergency. We bought candy bars. Like as many Snickers bars as we could. And I think my buddy Dave got a whole bunch of sliced ham,” shares Lipstein. Stocked with their ham and candy, the three of them reached the apartment.
“My buddy Dave started hyperventilating into this brown bag. It felt like the end of the world.” Darren’s wife worked at a school right next to the Twin Towers, and couldn't get in contact with him. Lipstein, along with his two friends, failed to get in touch with their families.
“Maybe three hours after watching the news and calling people, we got some cell phone communication back. We found out that Darren's wife was okay, and we got in touch with family members,” said Lipstein. At that point, the three of them decided to head back to lower Manhattan towards their apartments.
“The scene outside had completely changed again. It had been so long that people who were next to the destruction at Ground Zero, had made it up to our part of Manhattan. You may have seen the images of people covered in white debris, all the destruction, they're covered in that. And there were people with wounds, and there were people who were hurt. And there were people crying everywhere,” said Lipstein. “The thing that was really powerful about that moment, beyond the obvious, is that all the New Yorkers who weren't coming from Ground Zero were taking care of the people who were down there. So this city that has such a bad rap for being tough and having a hard surface and hard edge, they really were incredibly compassionate and supportive of each other during this whole experience.” The three of them continued their walk back as one of the few groups walking towards Ground Zero instead of away.
The rest of the week was spent huddled in each other's apartments watching the news for 24 hours a day. “On the streets of New York, people started posting on fences, photos of friends and loved ones that they were missing, that they haven't seen since the attack. Almost every wall or fence was kind of plastered with these portraits of people who were missing. It was really, really sad and really, really intense and really immediate,” said Lipstein.
As 9/11 comes back up each year, Mr. Lipstein has a phone call with Darren and Dave, the two people that he spent that day with. He does a chapel talk every other year, informing students of his story and his experience during 9/11.
“It was a hard day for everyone,” shares Lipstein. “I have my story. Everybody has their own story, and I think it’s important to remember and talk about, and never forget what happened on that day.”
September 11, 2001 is a day that transformed the lives of the many Americans that lived through it. Each person that lived through that day has a response to the question of where were you on 9/11? This year marked the 22nd anniversary of September 11. To remember the lives lost during that day, and the many people that put their hearts on the line to help others, we must listen to the stories from our SAS community; stories from those who choose to never forget.
Vicky Gregg, board member and mother of Celia Gregg and myself, was finishing up her fellowship as a doctor at Bellevue hospital in New York City. She had moved into a new apartment on September 10, located one block south of the World Trade Center. At 8:20 a.m. Gregg boarded the subway for work. At 8:46, the North tower was hit. Once above ground, Gregg could see smoke rising from the North tower, and took off for work to prepare for numerous victims, but no one came. The doctors were waiting for patients and desperate for information.
At 9:59 a.m the first tower collapsed. “I had a friend staying in my apartment and I really thought they were dead because of how close we were to the towers,” said Gregg.
After no patients arrived, the hospital instructed the doctors to move closer to the World Trade Center. “We moved down to the periphery of the rubble and we stood there and we took care of the firefighters. We would wash out their eyes with saline, give them breathing treatments, and occasionally we did an IV if they were getting dehydrated. Those guys were not going to leave to get treated at a hospital, so we just did it all there,” said Gregg.
“Other than the blue sky and the smell of that burning metal, the thing I remember most was the sound. Firefighters wear these locators that will start chirping when they haven't moved for 10 to 15 seconds, so all you heard was all this chirping coming from beneath the rubble.”
The following week resulted in a period of adversity and hardship. “I couldn’t get away,” Gregg said. “I felt it at work because we were the hospital that took care of the firefighters and policemen, and I felt it when I got home because my beautiful windows now looked down onto this war zone of rubble.”
Ms. Joanna Hallac, a former sophomore advisor and History teacher at the Upper School, was a year out of college and living in a suburb of New York City. She was coaching soccer and working as a sub at the local high school. The morning of 9/11, her fellow coach called her and told her to turn on the news.
“I turned on the Today show, and I couldn’t really tell what was happening. You think it was a freak accident, not a terrorist attack. Your brain just did not go there.” Hallac watched on live-TV as the second plane came into view and smashed into the South Tower. “I just started to cry. Because I think that's when everyone knew what was happening. We were under attack.” Ms. Hallac tried to call her friend who she knew lived in the city but got no reply. Communication was down due to the broken antennas that had been on top of the tower. Hallac didn’t have any other way to contact friends and family. At one o’clock, Ms. Hallac went to the high school where she coached and subbed regularly. “No one had told the kids. It was weird to me that we hadn’t told them but then I realized, oh my God, of course we’re not telling the kids because they have parents who work in the city,” said Hallac. The rest of the day consisted of sitting with students and other faculty waiting to hear from their friends and family. “Even though I wasn't in the city, just being in that proximity, you knew that there were people that went to work that day from your town and the towns right around you, that weren't going to come home.”
The rest of the week was a blur. Hallac ended up coaching their soccer game the next day, and was able to contact her dad who was overseas and her mom who lived in New York. The week consisted of long nights and hard days, spent watching the news and checking up on people. “You couldn't stop watching the coverage. It was mesmerizing and it was everywhere,” said Hallac. “It just was like this weird combination of trying to go back, trying to keep your routine, but there was nothing routine about that week.”
When asked to comment on what it’s like teaching kids who didn’t live through 9/11, Hallac said, “the world you've known is just so starkly different from the world I knew when I was your age and that makes me sad for you, actually. It makes me sad that you only know this kind of post 9/11 world because it was just different. It was just really different.”
Mr. Matt Lipstein, Director of Technology at St. Andrew’s, was living a mile north of the Twin Towers on 9/11. He was in between jobs, and enjoying his cereal when he got a call from his friend Dave.
“I picked up the phone and he’s like, ‘A plane just hit one of the Twin Towers.’ I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV and while we were on the phone, both watching TV at the same time, we saw the second plane hit the second tower. That’s when both of us knew that there was obviously something more happening,” said Lipstein.
Lipstein hung up the phone, quickly put on his shoes (without socks to save time), and headed over to Dave’s apartment. “At that point, everything on the New York City streets was totally normal. It was as if many people didn't even know what was happening,” said Lipstein.
Dave, Lipstein, and their friend Darren, gathered at Dave’s apartment, and huddled around the TV mesmerized at what was unfolding in front of them. They discussed their proximity to the towers, and decided it would be safer at Dave’s sister’s apartment, located 30 miles north from their current location. “We went downstairs and the scene had totally changed on the streets. It was way more of a panic. Nobody knew what was going on,” said Lipstein.
The three of them began their 30 block walk North. They were joined by thousands of people who all shared the same idea; get away from the World Trade Center. “We didn’t know if there were more planes coming. We didn’t know if there were attacks all over the U.S. People were huddled around their cars listening to the news on the radio. And then someone shouted ‘one of the towers is falling.’”
Unable to see the Twin Towers, the realization that they were falling was enough to send everyone around them into a panic. The debris that followed was even worse. “This blast of white dust and debris came up the avenue where we were. It wasn’t enough to cover us, but the destruction was reaching us, and we were like, ‘We have to book it.’”
Almost to the apartment, they paused at a small corner store, filled with many people unaware of what a person should do or buy at a time like this. “We had no idea how to prepare for an emergency. We bought candy bars. Like as many Snickers bars as we could. And I think my buddy Dave got a whole bunch of sliced ham,” shares Lipstein. Stocked with their ham and candy, the three of them reached the apartment.
“My buddy Dave started hyperventilating into this brown bag. It felt like the end of the world.” Darren’s wife worked at a school right next to the Twin Towers, and couldn't get in contact with him. Lipstein, along with his two friends, failed to get in touch with their families.
“Maybe three hours after watching the news and calling people, we got some cell phone communication back. We found out that Darren's wife was okay, and we got in touch with family members,” said Lipstein. At that point, the three of them decided to head back to lower Manhattan towards their apartments.
“The scene outside had completely changed again. It had been so long that people who were next to the destruction at Ground Zero, had made it up to our part of Manhattan. You may have seen the images of people covered in white debris, all the destruction, they're covered in that. And there were people with wounds, and there were people who were hurt. And there were people crying everywhere,” said Lipstein. “The thing that was really powerful about that moment, beyond the obvious, is that all the New Yorkers who weren't coming from Ground Zero were taking care of the people who were down there. So this city that has such a bad rap for being tough and having a hard surface and hard edge, they really were incredibly compassionate and supportive of each other during this whole experience.” The three of them continued their walk back as one of the few groups walking towards Ground Zero instead of away.
The rest of the week was spent huddled in each other's apartments watching the news for 24 hours a day. “On the streets of New York, people started posting on fences, photos of friends and loved ones that they were missing, that they haven't seen since the attack. Almost every wall or fence was kind of plastered with these portraits of people who were missing. It was really, really sad and really, really intense and really immediate,” said Lipstein.
As 9/11 comes back up each year, Mr. Lipstein has a phone call with Darren and Dave, the two people that he spent that day with. He does a chapel talk every other year, informing students of his story and his experience during 9/11.
“It was a hard day for everyone,” shares Lipstein. “I have my story. Everybody has their own story, and I think it’s important to remember and talk about, and never forget what happened on that day.”
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