In remembrance of Sept. 11, 2001, the Lipscomb community hosted a special event to honor the victims and the heroes of the tragic terrorist attacks 11 years ago.
Tuesday morning the Allen Bell Tower became a place of observance and remembrance. Lipscomb students and staff, as well as the surrounding community, gathered to recall the events of that day and pray for those affected and for the future of America.
At the conclusion of the service, the bells tolled 11 times at 7:46 a.m., representing the time when the first plane flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
“We are grateful for the changing fortunes of our lives. We know all comfort and consolation comes from you,” said Randy Bostic, who led the group in prayer before the bells chimed. “Let the heroes of this event be an example of courage, and let us apply it to our life with you.”
Jim Humphrey, assistant dean of students and director of veteran services who retired from service last November after 22 years, organized the event.
Humphrey said he wanted it to take place at a convenient time for those with 8 a.m. classes, which happened to line up with the original time of disaster.
Humphrey led the group in reflecting on the events that forever marked Sept. 11, and then a moment of silence followed.
The 16-minute ceremony was meant to be emotionally light but significant in its meaning, he said.
“These aren’t just numbers, but real people who died,” Humphrey said, referring to the 3,000 people who lost their lives that day.
“To me, it’s almost like it happened yesterday… probably because I was sent overseas, but nationally we are becoming desensitized,” he said. “That’s why we do these things, not to harp on the tragedy, but to remember.”
Most current Lipscomb students were between the ages of 7 and 11 when attacks occurred in 2001, and some people fear that the younger generation is losing the memory of what happened that fateful day.
“It’s part of our history now; unfortunately, a tragic part,” Humphrey said.
Yellow Ribbon student Jacynda Long recalled her reasoning for entering the military and what 9/11 means to her.
“It means everything to me,” Long said almost immediately, explaining that she joined the Army right after graduating from high school, “because of 9/11.”
“It hit me at the right time for me to actually care about something bigger than myself,” she said.
Long stayed in the U.S. during her service and actually met her husband in the Army.
Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon community ranges from those who entered because of 9/11 to those who were already overseas when 9/11 occurred.
Jay Saar, another Yellow Ribbon student, was stationed in Turkey during the attacks.
“I was [ticked]. I was scared,” he said about how he felt that day. “I was ready to do what I was trained to do.”
Saar later found out an old friend who was a flight attendant was killed during the terrorist attacks.
“We do everything different now than we did the day before 9/11,” Humphrey said. “We need to remember it.”