September 19, 2024
The establishment of three brand new memorial events has brought forth a new air of unity across campus, allowing locals, students, and faculty to join in remembering the lives lost and bravery exalted 23 years ago on September 11, 2001.
For the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Winthrop University hosted three separate memorial events all focused on uniting campus for moments of remembrance.
Earlier this month, President Edward Serna emailed Winthrop University students encouraging attendance at three new events.
“Let’s gather together to remember,” President Serna wrote. “I hope you’ll take a moment to join me on Wednesday, Sept. 11, to remember and reflect on the thousands of lives lost on that day. Wearing red, white and blue is encouraged.”
The first event began that morning at the Tillman Fountain Plaza. This ceremony consisted of a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the exact time the first plane hit the North Tower, alongside a presentation of colors, a playing of taps by Winthrop faculty Dr. Elisa Koehler, and a performance of the National Anthem by Winthrop senior Lilie Kyger.
From 9-11 a.m. in the Winthrop Coliseum, local first responders participated in what the university called the “9/11 Memorial Stair Climb” to pay tribute to the firefighters in New York City. Local police and firefighters walked the equivalent of the 110 flights of stairs inside the World Trade Center and Winthrop students were even encouraged to participate.
The last event was held at 6 p.m. on the South Lawn of the Winthrop Coliseum and hosted by the Palmetto Council and Boy Scouts of America. Over 200 American flags were placed to honor and commemorate healthcare workers, first responders, veterans and other prominent local and national individuals. Students, faculty and locals gathered on the lawn for further moments of remembrance, strawn out on blankets and lawn chairs.
When asked about how these events came to be, Winthrop’s Vice President Joseph Miller had plenty to say about the collaboration that led to their establishment.
“Last year, several individuals across campus recognized the need to coordinate a more official event to commemorate the day that would blend participation among faculty, students, and staff,” Miller said, “especially as the average age of students indicates that most of our undergraduates were not yet born on or before Sept. 11, 2001. It became abundantly clear that we needed to honor and memorialize the day that would be symbolically, ceremonially, and educationally meaningful.”
One thing has remained consistent as the generations of students on campus continue to grow up in a world after Sept. 11, 2001: the desire to continually honor the lives lost. While most students may not have personally experienced the tragedy like those who witnessed it did, they have grown up with the post-Sept. 11 guidelines and safety regulations.
When asked about living with those regulations, Winthrop freshman Ella Williams said, “People really hate some of those security checks and administrations, and while the people who work there might get on our nerves and the processes feel tedious, they are protecting us within reason and do have a scary job to do. It’s honestly harder to imagine a world without these regulations than what it’s like living with them now.”
President Serna even recognizes this as one of the reasons they decided to host these public memorials.
“We discussed that most of our students were not born on September 11, 2001. Yet we recognize the importance of that date, the impact it had on our country and the relevance even today of remembering those who perished,” said President Serna.
Hosting these events on a campus prominently populated with students who were born and grew up in a post-Sept. 11 world remains crucial to further solidifying the mantra, “Never Forget.”
“The #NeverForget is a vitally important message for our nation and the world. The catastrophic and horrific events of Sept. 11 should always be honored to pay tribute to those heroes that selflessly sacrificed their lives for others. It shows the greatness of our country and community,” said speaker and Winthrop alumni Gary Simrill.
When both were asked, Vice President Miller and former State House Representative Simrill shared their personal stories about where they were on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I was in my senior year as an undergraduate student on Sept. 11, 2001. As I was getting ready for class, [I] had just turned on the television when news coverage started reporting that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. Initial reports on the incident were unclear as reporters provided coverage on the situation,” Miller said. “As news coverage continued, I made my way to class, while the second plane flew into the World Trade Center. By the time I arrived to class, all of my classmates were talking about what happened. When my professor arrived at class, he decided to forgo the course material and instead, turned on the radio in our classroom so that we could listen to the coverage.”
“I was traveling to Columbia for a meeting when I heard the news on the radio. By the time I arrived in Columbia, legislative buildings and the Capitol were on lockdown,” Simrill said. “Upon [arriving] home later that afternoon, there was very little traffic on I-77 and it was eerie that no planes were flying as I was over the glide path for Charlotte International Airport. Surreal day to say the least.”
To both the campus and local community, uniting in remembrance of the lives lost on Sept. 11 is extremely important. Whether or not someone was alive to witness it or born to live with the aftershock, gathering together helps us feel united as a community and as a nation.
