Blog #3

In this original introduction, I tried to match up what I was doing to what was happening at the same time with the 9/11 attacks. Of course I had no idea what was going on, so I was trying to portray how oblivious I, and everyone else around me, was to the whole situation.

8:20: American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 with 58 passengers and six crew members, departs from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, Virginia, for Los Angeles. Five hijackers are aboard.

 It was 8:20 am and I was about to enter my first full week of second grade. I walked downstairs after I got dressed, ate my cereal, and watched SpongeBob on TV, just like every other morning. My mom helped pick out my clothes; I was still nervous to leave her every day and go to school.

New Introductions-
Asking Questions: Did you ever try to look back and think of the exact thing you were doing when those planes hit the twin towers? Have you ever tried to imagine what it was like on the streets of New York City at that time? Imagine the terror you felt while watching the flaming buildings on the news; now imagine you were standing 100 feet away; now imagine you were inside. Can you feel the burnt ash on your face? the dust in your eyes? The sweat and debris falling all around you? It's nearly impossible to even begin to feel that close to it. It's impossible to put yourself in that position; if you weren't there, you'll never truly know or understand, as hard as we may try to.
Open with a quotation: "Good Morning America, it's a beautiful day in New York with that summer weather still upon us. Let's hope we can hold on to it a bit longer!" the news anchor smiled at the cameras and fiddled with the papers on his desk. It was one of those perfect days when school had begun, summer had ended and people were happy just to be able to hold on to that bit of warmth that August had been kind enough to leave behind. Nothing bad ever happens on days like this.
Open with a striking fact: 2,996 people were about to die in my state, my home state where I had grown up and loved and never left. 2,996 were about to die and I had no idea; just like the rest of the world. Just like my mom who was rushing to get me to school on time, or my teacher who was sitting at her desk planning the day, or my sister, 14, who was only worried about the history test Mrs. Wilson had them planning for all quarter. My dad went to work, my mom cleaned the house, my sister went to school, and I was attempting  to learn cursive; it was a normal day. And yet it wasn't, because 2,996 people were about to die and no one could stop it. Abnormal doesn't even begin to describe that epic day.
My favorite introduction is probably either the striking fact techinque or the or the quotation piece. I think they both bring something interesting to the paper but that striking fact really grabs your attention as you try to perceive how many people that really is.