ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Most Winthrop University students were born after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against America.
Yet they will be reminded soon about “9/11,” shorthand for September 11, 2001, when four coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania by al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group.
Winthrop President Edward Serna ’02 noted that the 24th anniversary is a sad reminder of the tragic event in American history and the ways it changed our country. “The images from that day are seared into the memory of many of us who remember where we were when we heard the news,” Serna said. “Gathering together on this day each year helps us collectively reflect on the tragedy while also remembering the acts of bravery and patriotism that were also displayed, as well as the touching moments of strangers helping strangers to navigate an incomprehensible day that would have long-lasting impacts on our country.”
He invited faculty, staff and students to join him on Wednesday, Sept. 11, to reflect on the thousands of lives lost on that day.
Two remembrance events are scheduled on campus:
- 8:30 a.m., Tillman Fountain Plaza
The Winthrop community will gather for a presentation of colors, patriotic music, brief remarks and a moment of silence at approximately 8:46 a.m., the exact time a plane struck the World Trade Center North Tower. Refreshments will be provided.
- 9-11 a.m., Winthrop Coliseum
The Rock Hill Fire Department and other first responders will lead a silent Memorial Stair Climb to pay tribute to the brave individuals who climbed the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center towers. Everyone is invited to climb as many stairs as they are able. Winthrop student-athletes are expected to participate in the climb.
About 9/11
Nineteen terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes, deliberately crashing two of the planes into the upper floors of the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City and a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
The Twin Towers ultimately collapsed because of the damage sustained from the impacts and the resulting fires. After learning about the other attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, fought back, and the plane was crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania.
The attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 nations: 2,753 people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40 people were killed on Flight 93. This counts as one of the worst attacks on our nation and led to retaliation attacks by the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security to enhance surveillance and the nation’s security.
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