On Sept. 11, the area between North and South Foundation Halls served as the meeting ground for people to remember the terrorist attacks that occurred Sept. 11, 2001.

The ceremony began at 8:46 a.m. with Kate Lopez, president of the Student Veterans of OU, reading a list of the victims who lost their lives the day of the attacks.

Lopez served in the United States Army for five years and said she was in high school when the attacks happened. She said classes stopped so students could watch what was happening at the World Trade Center on TV.

According to Lopez, the importance of remembrance events is to teach those who weren’t alive when the attacks happened what went on that day, why people lost their lives and why some still are losing their lives in current wars.

Jim VanSickle is the secretary of the Student Veterans of OU and a U.S. Navy recruit since November 1998. VanSickle served in Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain.

On the day of the attacks, he was in Bahrain and at the end of his shift he saw what was happening at the World Trade Center on both CNN and Sky TV from Europe.

He said the attacks that day were a very big turning point for him socially as well as the country.

Leo Markfort, a member of Student Veterans of OU, served in the U.S. Navy in the nuclear program for six years. He was stationed on the USS George Washington when the attacks occurred.

After finding out what happened that day, Markfort said the ship went to Florida to pick up aircrafts and then delivered them to the New York Harbor.

Some at the remembrance ceremony were connected to the attacks through family members.

Pam Jando, an office assistant at the Registrar’s Office, had parents living in NewYork during the time of attacks. Her father was running late to a meeting at the World Trade Center. Jando said if he were on time, he would have been in the elevator during the time of the attacks.

Jando said she was working when she got a call that day asking if she heard where her parents were. From 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m., Jando said she searched for her parents but had trouble because the phone lines were tied up.

Jean Ann Miller, director of the Center for Student Activities, said when the attacks happened campus became chaotic.

Miller said everybody went home and the residence halls were locked down.

According to Miller, this event is great because it honors the victims, service members and others who sacrificed their lives trying to protect others the day of the attacks.

 

Contact Assistant Campus Editor Natalie Popovski via email at[email protected]