The Chart Online

Southern's memorial honors heroes, victims
By Allison Rosewicz

Editor-in-Chief

Students and faculty of Missouri Southern and Joplin-area residents made Sept. 11 A Time to Remember.

The College s Sept. 11 Memorial Service began at 8 a.m. in Taylor Auditorium. Honored guests included firefighters and police officers from Carterville, Carl Junction, Webb City, Joplin and Jasper County. Members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce were also honored.

This is a time of remembrance, of celebration of the American spirit, said College President Julio Le n.

Kelly Wilson, director of the Student Support Center, said Americans have ached and mourned but risen above the tragedy.

What we gained that day was a sense of what it is to be an American again, she said.

Firefighters who died trying to save lives Sept. 11, 2001, were remembered with the last alarm during the firefighters bell ceremony. District Chief Jim Austin said firefighters across the nation have been deeply affected by the terrorist attacks, but they must move on and serve the country.

Our methods may have changed, but our goals remain the same - to save lives and protect property, he said.

Two more area residents also spoke, giving testimony about their visits to Ground Zero in New York.

Captain Gary Laws of the Salvation Army said he was especially hurt by the attacks, because he grew up in New York and has four children and 12 grandchildren there.

When he arrived at Ground Zero, Laws said he saw devastation like he had never seen before, but he also saw an abundance of dedication. He said the volunteers had their eyes focused on New York, their hearts wishing America well.

The American spirit is re-energized in times of crisis, Laws said.

Alma Knapp of the Red Cross in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, also visited Ground Zero.

As I watched the buildings collapse, my heart went in my stomach, my stomach went in my throat, she said.

Almost immediately after watching the buildings collapse on television, Knapp started preparing to help with the Red Cross. She was stationed in New Jersey and served eight weeks assisting in training 3,000 people for disaster cleanup. Across the nation, 53,000 people volunteered for the Red Cross.

After serving her eight weeks, Knapp visited New York.

It is devastating, even after cleanup, to see what those folks must have gone through after working there for so many years, she said.

After performances of Let the River Run by the Southern Exposure Choir and United We Stand by the Southern Concert Chorale, all attendees were dismissed to the dedication of the Flag of Freedom on the oval.

Le n spoke about the flag s dedication, and the Joplin High School ROTC raised the flag while John Magoffin, senior secondary education (biology) major, played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. The Southern Concert Chorale followed with the Star Spangled Banner.

As the flag was lowered to half-mast, Rusty Raymond, director of bands, and Aaron Scriven, senior music major, played Taps. The memorial ended with the tolling of chimes.

Southern students said they were moved by the ceremonies.

It was very nice, said Misty Bittick, sophomore elementary education major. It was also kind of scary coming, just not knowing what could happen today.

She said the opportunity for students to gather helps them cope with the Sept. 11 tragedy. During the flag raising, Bittick said she was amazed at how quiet everyone was.

It was as if the whole school was in prayer, she said.

Richard Lewis, junior computer information systems major, said the memorial helped him understand how New Yorkers must have felt a year ago. Originally from Indonesia, Lewis did not know the United States could be so patriotic.

It s incredible that America has so many volunteers, he said. I thought the attacks were just something on TV, but it turned so real for me.

The Sept. 11 ceremonies finished at 8:30 p.m. with a prayer service around the new flagpole.