On Nov. 11, York students and faculty, as well as local veterans, convened at the Cambell Gym at 8 am to commemorate Veterans Day. The assembly included a variety of events such as speeches, patriotic music, and the pledge of allegiance.

Not to be confused with Memorial Day, Veterans Day celebrates all U.S. military veterans with either current or prior service, while Memorial Day is for the veterans who lost their lives in battle. 

But some students with no connection to the military have expressed confusion over the holiday and even frustration over the annual morning assembly.

As today’s assembly once again proves, Veterans Day is a day of well-deserved respect, which honors those who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our country.

¨Veterans Day is a day to take time out of our day to realize what people are doing for us that we would normally take for granted,¨ said Mackenzie Brethauer, former York graduate. ¨People are laying their lives on the line, yet when we say it, we don’t really stop to think about what it really means.¨

Other students have a simpler reason for why Veterans Day is so important:

¨It’s to celebrate the people who fought and came back to their families,” said Brian Heskin, senior.

“The veterans serve our country, so the holiday is about appreciating them,¨ said freshman Sam Harrington.

¨Veterans Day is about paying tributes for those who have served,¨ said senior Katie Beth Pasternock.

“It’s a good holiday,” said senior Jordan Ciccarone. “Veterans should be honored for what they did.”

Most seem to say the same thing, that Veterans day isn’t just about an hour long assembly, it’s about the people of the United States, who risked their lives for us, and the least we can do as American citizens, is to dedicate November 11 to their service.