Burchell leadership class learns lessons of 9/11

WASILLA — Students at Wasilla’s Burchell High School’s (BHS) student leadership class shared lunch with area emergency services personnel Monday afternoon for two reasons. High school seniors Arianna Escala and Michael Clayton, both from Wasilla, said the informal luncheon provided both an opportunity for students and law enforcement, firefighters and EMS to get to know each other. It also gave the students a chance to say ‘thank you.’

“We wanted to recognize those who do the things we sometimes take for granted,” said Clayton. “It also ties into 9-11.”

BHS staff member Lisa Boswell teaches both English and the leadership class. She said the school’s staff of about 15 teachers, provided the food while the students did the rest. Members from the Mat-Su fire and police departments, Wasilla Police Department and central EMS were contacted and invited.

“The whole class did the planning,” said Escala. “We started about two weeks ago. This was our first big event of the quarter. We do a lot of little things like dances.”

“We want to interact with them, and learn more about 9-11. Communication is a main focus of the leadership class,” Clayton said. “I know on 9-11, they evacuated some of the buildings here in Alaska because of bomb threats.”

That day, both seniors were less than two years old, much too young to remember the impact the terrorist attacks had one the nation and the world. The two said they were unaware of any students or staff members that had a direct link to anyone involved with the event. Despite that, they said BHS students and staff wanted to tie the event into 9-11’s 15th anniversary.

Boswell said AmeriCorps volunteer Andrew Whipple was also involved. The Michigan native said one of the service projects AmeriCorps focused on this year was coming up with an event that tied into the 15th anniversary. He gave a short welcome to the EMS members who attended the event.

“A lot of the time, we take (emergency service workers) for granted. But we wanted them to know that we appreciate everything they do for us,” Clayton said.

The leadership class itself is comprised of about 20 of the school’s 265 students.