Students, faculty reflect on life changes after terrorist attacks 
By Jacob W. Brower

Associate Editor 

For many Americans from New York to California, Minnesota to Texas, Sept. 11, 2001, was a day that changed lives forever.

Due to the events of Sept. 11, Sept. 10 is now recognized as the end of an era in American history. Missouri Southern students and faculty recently took time to reflect on what they were doing Sept. 10, 2001.

Courtney Martin, junior nursing major, went to her home in Purdy for a church meeting, where she spent the night.

"It was a good day," she said. "I was with my family, and I left school early to go early to eat with my parents."

Martin was coming back to the College early Sept. 11 when she heard of the events. She said she felt confused.

"When I heard what happened, I knew it would not be a normal day," Martin said.

"I'm more conscious of what's going on in the world since then. I find myself watching the news more often and trying to keep up on what's going on around me."

Sept. 10 was a routine day for Casey Highland, senior criminal justice major.

"I went to class, did my homework and went to bed," he said. "I just went through the motions. It was just like any other day."

Highland said he looks at Sept. 10, 2001, as a major turning point in America.

"If someone would have told me on Sept. 10 that the next day at 9 a.m., two planes were going to hit the World Trade Center, and that thousands of people were going to die, I would have been like, 'Yeah, whatever,'  he said.  What are the odds of that happening? We're the United States - we have the greatest intelligence in the world.

"Then the next day hit, and then here we are a year later, and we're still trying to figure stuff out."

Highland said Sept. 11 has made him take more caution in his actions. He took a trip to Ireland with the criminal justice department this summer, and had a frightening experience at the airport.

"I was in Newark (N.J.) and we had a six-hour delay before we took off," he said. "I was watching the news and they said there was a high alert.

"I thought, 'New York is right over there.' I got freaked out a little bit, and I turned my eyes from CNN, and I see soldiers walking around outside. When you see it right in front on you, it really makes you look at the situation in a whole different light."

Annetta St. Clair, associate professor of political science, was entertaining house guests on Sept. 10.

"It was a good day," she said. "They have been friends of mine for a long time, so it's always a good day when they come to visit."

St. Clair saw the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11 from a personal point-of-view. Her daughter and son-in-law work as attorneys in New York City. In fact, her son-in-law's office was only a few blocks from the World Trade Center.

"I was listening to NPR (National Public Radio) and they said that a plane had crashed," she said. "I immediately ran to the phone and told him, 'The World Trade Center has been hit by a plane.' He said, 'That's what it is. I heard it and felt it.' I said to him, 'It's got to be terrorists.'"

St. Clair's son-in-law immediately left his office, where he saw the buildings fall. He declined comment for this story.

Dr. Jerry Williams, director of lifelong learning, said he was putting together a schedule for the spring semester on Sept. 10.

"It was a pretty typical, hectic day," he said.

Williams said he was watching television the next day, and did not immediately recognize the attacks as an act of terrorism.

"When I saw that second plane, I was just stunned," he said.

Williams said he takes life more seriously since Sept. 11.

"I'm more concerned with the events of the future, because I have a son-in-law who s in the military and another one who is at the age where, if it gets to be bad, could be called up," he said.

Williams said he is waiting to make his decision about business and personal airplane trips to be made in October.

"Flying is not as casual a decision as it used to be," he said. "I'm going to wait until after Sept. 11 has passed to see what the situation is.

"Life is never going to be the same."