Local residents share Sept. 11 memories at FSCC event

By Jason E. Silvers

Herald-Tribune

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- A handful of Fort Scott Community College staff and a few community members gathered Friday at the college for a remembrance of the horrific events that took place Sept. 11, 2001.

Organized primarily by FSCC instructor Larry Shead from an idea originated by FSCC Admissions Director Mert Barrows, attendees recited the "Pledge of Allegiance" and then had a chance to share their thoughts, memories and feelings about Sept. 11.

Barrows said it would be "remiss" for the college to not hold an event remembering and honoring those who lost their lives in the attacks of a decade ago. She said Sept. 11 is an example of a devastating event that sticks in people's minds much like the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Barrows said it is important to remember those types of events, which "sadly, are the events that make us stronger" and more resilient as a nation.

"Most people remember where they were when Kennedy was shot," she said. "As traumatic as they (events) are, it shows how strong we are as Americans, and as a people."

Barrows said when she came to work on Sept. 11, 2001, she entered the front door of the academic building and saw several students watching events unfold on a television in the commons area. When she got to her office, the phone was ringing.

"It was my husband," she said. "He called and said, 'Honey, a plane has hit the World Trade Center towers. They think it's a terrorist.'"

She said at first, faculty and staff didn't understand the "gravity of what was going on."

"It was hard to be at school that day," she said.

Shead said he was also at FSCC on Sept. 11 watching the tragic story on the news and he remembers vividly seeing the second plane hit one of the towers.

He said he has noticed one of the big changes in America since the attacks is the increasing number of people "who turned to God."

"Our nation turned to God a lot more since that day," he said.

Elie Riachi, science instructor at FSCC, said he driving to work the morning of Sept. 11, when he heard the news. Just a few days prior to the attacks, Riachi said he was watching a program on television about engineering concerning tall skyscrapers and an accident involving small propeller planes flying into certain buildings. He said it was "weird" that he had just watched the show a few days before the planes hit the towers.

"We were trying to figure out if it was an accident or on purpose," he said. "When the second plane hit, I knew that was no accident."

John Seal, history instructor at FSCC, said he was teaching middle school students at the time and he and his students also watched the story unfold on TV.

"The horror on TV we saw was unbelievable," he said. "We lost a lot of civil rights on that day."

Scott Flater, environmental technologies director at FSCC, said he, like many others across the nation, had trouble figuring out what he was witnessing that day.

"It was one of those things you look at and wonder, 'What's going on? What is that?'," he said.

Flater said he remembers watching a view of the disaster on TV and it "looked like all of Manhattan was on fire."

He said the events of Sept. 11 also "changed the innocence" of youth, who learned about war that day.

Attendees also watched a brief video showing images of Sept. 11, 2001, and heard information about the new World Trade Center complex that is being built where the original WTC towers once stood.