From These Roots

Twenty-five years ago today, North Greenville students, faculty, and staff gathered around televisions across campus and watched in horror as the events of 9/11 unfolded. In the midst of the fear and chaos happening in the world, the North Greenville community gathered to pray for each other, the families and loved ones of those lost in the attacks, first responders, and the nation as a whole. The following stories are the memories of some of the students, faculty, and staff who were at North Greenville that day.

“I was commuting from Travelers Rest to NGU on September 11, 2001. I left a little early that morning because I was getting married the following year and had planned to look at houses on the way to school. Cell phones were a part of life then, but we certainly weren’t connected in the way we are today, so I had no idea anything had happened until I arrived for class. Someone wheeled a television into the classroom, and we watched the news as the events unfolded. It was eerily quiet in the room. I think most of us were simply in shock, trying to comprehend what we were seeing. My next class was with Dr. Frazer, and I distinctly remember him telling us that we were going to focus on our classwork—and that’s exactly what we did. Later, when I got home, I continued watching the coverage on television. Some of the images are impossible to forget, including seeing people jumping from the burning towers. More than two decades later, I still remember that day with remarkable clarity—the classroom, the silence, the television, and the feeling that the world had suddenly changed. We later learned about all the men and women that day that did extraordinary acts of bravery in the face of evil. I’m grateful for the opportunity to remember those who were lost and to honor the courage and sacrifice of so many who responded.” – Brandy Hart Amadon (’01)

“I remember September 11 with remarkable clarity because someone came into my room and woke me. I had a later class that Tuesday morning and was still asleep when someone from down the hall said, ‘Hey Trav, doesn’t your sister live in New York? I think they just got bombed or something.’ We turned on the television and watched the news unfold in real time. I remember seeing the second plane strike the second tower live. In that moment, whatever confusion remained disappeared. We knew we were witnessing something horrific and historic. My immediate concern was my sister, who was living in New York City. I tried repeatedly to reach her, but the phone lines were overwhelmed. For a while, I had no idea whether she was safe. I vividly remember the helplessness of knowing she was there while realizing there was absolutely nothing I could do to get to her. When I finally got through and heard her voice, the relief was immense. The atmosphere on campus was unlike anything I had experienced. Classes were canceled, and an eerie stillness settled over the university. People wandered around trying to comprehend what had happened and what it might mean. The familiar rhythms of college life suddenly seemed insignificant in light of something so devastating. As BSU president, I worked alongside our campus ministry team, and we began gathering people to pray. Those times were remarkably honest and yet genuinely hopeful. We grieved for those who had been killed and injured, interceded for their families, and asked for justice in the face of such evil. But we also pleaded for God to use even something this horrific to awaken people spiritually and cause us to recognize our need for Him. By our regular BSU gathering that Thursday night, the room was noticeably more crowded than usual. People were searching for answers. That same spiritual urgency extended far beyond our campus. Churches across America were packed the following Sunday. In the face of tragedy, people who might not ordinarily consider eternal questions suddenly found themselves asking them. Calamity has a way of exposing the fragility of what we assume is secure and causing us to look beyond ourselves. Twenty-five years later, September 11 remains one of the pivotal moments of my life. Whenever I read Isaiah 6:1, I think about that day: ‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord.’ Isaiah located a profound encounter with God within the memory of a national crisis. For my generation, September 11 is one of those defining markers. We remember where we were, what we were doing, and the disbelief we felt as the world seemed to change before our eyes. Looking back, I am grateful that amid our own shock and uncertainty, the North Greenville community understood that tragedy should drive us toward God rather than away from Him. We did not have explanations sufficient for the magnitude of what had happened, but we knew where to turn. We grieved honestly, prayed earnestly, and sought to point people toward the enduring hope of Christ when so many were searching for something solid enough to hold onto.” – Travis Agnew (’03)

“I was just coming out of my 8 AM history class when I saw students watching the TV. A plane had just hit the World Trade Center. I thought ‘What an awful tragedy’. I went back to my dorm, Anthony, and walked into my RA’s room. Travis Agnew was there and he was the one to tell me that a second plane had hit, that this was intentional. I remember feeling truly horrified, and still remember that feeling of the ground opening beneath my feet.” – Joshua Mims (’04)

“My first class of the day was German. I walked into the classroom, and the teacher had the TV on. I remember putting my stuff down on a desk and asking him what movie we were watching because it was showing an image of the towers and smoke and they were talking about planes. He then told us that had already arrived what was going on. We were all glued to the screen and asking questions since that was the first we had all heard of it at that point. After a few he ended up just dismissing us for the day and offered to prayer with anyone that wanted it. I remember walking back to my dorm, wondering if a plane was going to basically fall out of the sky or something. Really just being scared because I had no idea if we were safe. Would there be more attacks? Where would the next one be? I turned on the news in the dorm. After hearing about the Pentagon, the one in Pennsylvania, the news speculating about possible targets of Charlotte or the nuclear power plant in Oconee, I decided to pack it up and head to my mom’s house. At that point I just remember being scared and wanting to be with my family. Now I don’t remember if the news had suggested those locations or if it was people in the dorms throwing them out. Everyone was back in the dorm, wandering between rooms with variations of fear, crying, and praying.” -Melissa Thomas Schleier (’06)

“I had just gotten out of Mr. Ryder’s class and was going to meet my roommate, Jessica Haile, in the old caf. Lots of people were gathered in the admin building watching tv. Jessica and I later sat in our dorm room for the rest of the day and saw the 2nd tower hit.” – Cayman Lucy Richardson (’04)

“I remember getting up and getting ready for class. I wasn’t watching the news or any local channels. I think I was actually watching an old movie on TCM and then I went to my first class. It was an English class with Dr. Drummond, and everyone was asking did you see what happened? I had no idea what they were talking about. Some teachers were watching a TV in the hallway? Dr. Drummond came in and would tell us what she saw on the TV and then go back out and look at it and at one point she went out, came back and said the second tower was just hit. Then she said ‘I think we’re at war’. I remember that evening having a prayer meeting in the chapel and everyone was praying for everyone in New York and in Washington. Some people that afternoon were reading from the book of Revelation and saying we shouldn’t do any homework because Jesus was obviously coming back this week. I don’t know about that, but some people seriously believed it. I remember we talked about it all week in all our classes and things started getting really patriotic. People were putting American flags all over their cars and wearing red white and blue every day and I remember seeing more flags and more patriotism on the campus during that whole month.” -Sarah Neely Vick (’05)

“I don’t remember Monday, September 10th, 2001, at all. I remember on Tuesday, September 11, I was running late to Dr. Bielecki’s class, African American Studies. After class I was heading to the cafeteria and Tim Fortescue passed me about where the bell was and as if I heard the news about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. I had not and as a historian I thought it was an accident like the time a plane hit the Empire State Building in the 1940s. I walked up through the Administration Building, and everyone was standing, not saying a word, and watching the TV. I remember Beverly Carlton crying and then seeing the second plane hit. I thought it was a replay, but it was live. My heart dropped and I felt an uneasiness I’ve never felt. I was living off campus and instead of going to the cafeteria I drove to my apartment. I remember flipping the radio stations and every station had it on. Mark Knight was my roommate and he was still asleep. I came rushing in saying, ‘We are under attack! We are under attack!’ Mark’s family was from Pennsylvania and his cousin called and said a plane had crashed near his house. We came to find out it was Flight 93 and Dan Rather reported it 30 minutes later. We knew a plane had gone down before it was nationally known. We watched the TV in horror. Then we saw news of the Pentagon. I remember I had a test later that day for geography class. Rosemary Nelson Thrasher was the professor, and she made us take it while she played a Bob Jones Radio Station with patriotic music. I think we all failed. She later confessed that she should have postponed the test. I worked in an afternoon program and it was canceled. I remember going to Turner Chapel to pray that evening and President Bush addressing the Nation. It was the only time in my life that we as Americans stuck together. There were no Blue States or Red States, Democrats or Republicans, Christians, Atheists, Jews or Catholics, we were all Americans and the United States of America. It was a horrible tragedy that brought us together.” – John Polk (’02)

“I remember 9/11 as a day marked by the extreme contrast of a beautiful, cloudless day and the unspeakable horror of planes flying into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. I had a class at 8:00 that Tuesday morning and another in the afternoon. The news about the terrorist attacks was just beginning to trickle in as I returned to White Hall at 9:15. Dr. Dee Bilecki was in her office, which was right across from mine, and faculty were beginning to gather around Dr. Bilecki’s small black and white television to watch the news footage of the attacks as it streamed in. Our shock and unbelief were palpable as we struggled to wrap our minds around the reality of what we were seeing. I remember each of us calling our spouses and other family just to connect with them and make sure everyone was okay. The other thing that sticks out in my mind is how blessed I felt to be at NGU during that time. It meant everything to share fears, concerns, questions, and prayers with a Christ-centered faculty, staff, and students. 9/11 certainly brought us a pervasive grief at the senseless loss of life and innocence forced on us by one evil act. But it also reminded us of the reality of the goodness and steadfastness of God and the comfort of His people in the cruelest circumstances of life.” -Dr. Cheryl Collier

“On September 11, 2001, I was heading to my computer class on the second floor of the Donnan Administration Building.  Inside the building there were two tv’s downstairs and many people had stopped to look at what happening. I watched with several other students and staff members as the second plane crashed into the second tower.  It was eerily quiet as we all just watched what was happening without any understanding.  We didn’t know that the crashes were terrorist attacks, we just thought planes had crashed.  After a few minutes I ran upstairs to my class and immediately began to search the web for information as the professor tried to teach a normal class.  I remember attending all the rest of my classes as normal with class time being taken to pray and discuss what was happening but also attempting to serve as a distraction. While we were scared for those in major cities, life felt pretty normal and safe in Tigerville.” -Staci Buss Rollins (’04)

“I was in my freshman year of college, still adjusting to the unfamiliarity of college life. I was tired, sitting in my 8:30 a.m. Intro to Business class in what was then the Administration Building, now, I believe, the Enterprise Building. We began hearing a commotion in the hallways, like a rustling of voices, and what honestly sounded like someone had fallen or that something had happened that required everyone’s attention. Then we heard someone walk by the room and say that there had been a plane crash. My professor turned on the television, initially thinking the crash had occurred at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. It was only then that we began to understand what had actually happened. Then we watched as the second plane struck the World Trade Center, right in front of our eyes. The shock in the room was immediate. We began gathering our belongings. I honestly don’t remember whether we were formally dismissed from class, but I remember everyone instinctively getting up and preparing to leave. Before we did, our professor led us in prayer. I then walked back toward my dorm, where I remember seeing small groups of students gathered together, praying. Looking back, I don’t know if they knew what had happened, or if they were simply praying. The events were playing on every television, in the dorms, the cafeteria, the student center, everywhere. I eventually got into my car and drove to the coffee shop in Travelers Rest that was there at the time, and the television was showing the same images. Everything seemed to stand still. It was as though the entire country had suddenly become one small city block, with everyone experiencing the same fear, uncertainty, and grief. As more information emerged, we slowly began to understand the magnitude of what had happened. There was no avoiding it. When I returned to campus, I remember noticing that the small groups of people praying had seen before had become larger groups. The televisions were now often muted, and instead of the sound of news coverage, the campus seemed filled with the sound of prayer and Scripture. Prayer began that morning and continued for what felt like days, weeks, and eventually months. Prayer services began almost immediately across campus. They were in the chapel, dormitories, classrooms, and other gathering places. Professors were willing to set aside their planned lessons simply to talk, reflect, read Scripture, and pray with their students. In that moment, academic schedules and everything else seemed secondary. Faculty, staff, and students, regardless of who we were or where we came from, were all experiencing the same uncertainty and grief. Looking back, I truly felt that I was in the best place I could have been. I was confronted, quite literally, with the terrors of the world, yet surrounded by a community that responded with fellowship, prayer, Scripture, and faith. In the midst of something so frightening and incomprehensible, I experienced the peace that God offers through the presence and support of other believers. That is one of the things I remember most vividly about that time, and something I have never forgotten.” -Patrick Johnson (’05)

“I was in the Ellison Board room leading a weekly faculty/staff prayer time when the first plane hit the tower. We did not know about it until the prayer time was over. We saw the news on a TV screen as we were leaving the prayer meeting. It was just minutes after the first plane crashed into the first tower. It was somehow comforting that we were in prayer when this horrific tragedy began. I was somewhat in shock. Nothing like this had ever happened before in America. I was dumbfounded as I listen to the reports. I watched the second plane crash into the tower on a live feed. I remember just wanting to go home and hold my wife and two boys. This was 2 years before the birth of my daughter. I felt sorrow for the loss of life, gratitude for the brave first responders, fire fighters and police officers who helped so many. I had a deep since of grief for those who gave their lives trying to save others. I spent much time in prayer lifting up all these needs. I prayed earnestly for our local and national leaders. There really is no safety anywhere other than being covered in the arms of our Lord.” -Dr. Steve Crouse

“It was Tuesday morning September 11. That day became my generations ‘Where I Was at Moment!’ 9/11 will never be just a date on a calendar! Twenty-Five years later the memories of that day are just as vivid as they were that fateful day! Because we kept late hours, our day in Student Life started at 10am and on Tuesdays we started with a weekly staff meeting. Angie was Dr. Sam Isgett’s, VP for Academic Planning and Assessment, executive assistant and had to be at work at 8:30am. She always watched The Today Show who at that time featured Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel. I normally had ESPN on in the bedroom, but not that morning, Angie left the TV on The Today Show when she left for work, and I could hear it as I got dressed. I heard them talking about a plane crashing into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It was 8:45am. They thought it may even be a small plane. I was brushing my teeth when I heard Katie Couric scream out, “Did you see that.” It was 9:03am when the second plane hit the South Tower. Everybody knew at that point something was not right! At that time Angie and I were the Children’s Ministers at Mt. Pleasant BC, and I was talking to our pastor Scott Lewellen when word came across at 9:37 that The Pentagon had been hit by a plane. I told Scott we may be at WAR! I told Scott I would talk to him later! I walked down to The Foster Student Center (now Foster Ed). We decided to move the staff meeting downstairs to the movie room where we had a big screen TV. It was Chuck Morton, Director of Student Life, myself, Lorry Green, Micah Sepko and Scott Weaver. We stood still not totally understanding exactly what was happening. As we arrived downstairs, we saw the South Tower fall; it was 9:59am. During that time rumors started to come fast and furious! The Capital, White House and other buildings in the seat of power were in danger as rumors of a fourth plane was heading toward DC. We now know the Heroes of Flight 93 brought that plane down at 10:03am in Shanksville, Penn. At 10:28am we saw the North Tower fall. I don’t remember anyone saying a word. Chuck Morton said let’s get out on campus and see how everyone was handling what was happening. I walked up to Donnan Admin Building to check on Angie and see what they had seen. Remember this was before we got news on our phones, we got our info from the TV or our computers. When I walked into the lobby it was full of students, faculty and staff watching a 24′ TV mounted behind the window as you went into the Business Office/Academic/Registrar area. There was absolute silence as everyone stood mesmerized by the events unfolding in front of them. The reports were that as many as 50,000 people worked in the Twin Towers complex and generally there were upwards of 100k visitors a day to the complex and estimates were that about 20,000 would be in buildings at that time of the morning. One of the faculty members watching in the Donnan Lobby said, ‘Is this our Pearl Harbor?’ We just did not know. We did not know how many people had died. The news was speculating 10k+. What we know now that we did not know as we watched the events unfold is that 2,753 people perished in the Twin Towers, 184 at the Pentagon were killed and 59 ‘Let’s Roll’ Heroes died on Flight 93! What we saw is New Yorkers walking across the city’s bridges leaving New York with a look of defeat. What we did not know is while New Yorkers were running away from the Towers the Brave Men of the NYFD, Port Authority Police, NYPD were running toward the building to save lives. Ultimately it cost 343 Fireman and 71 Policemen their lives. Speculation is that many, many more have since died due to exposure at Ground Zero! On that Tuesday, Student Life was responsible for that week’s commuter lunch. At about 11:30 we gathered in Moore Hall in the Hayes Ministry Center. My brother was Chief of Police at GSP at that time, I called and left him a message that said, ‘I am sure your day is chaotic but just wanted you to know I am praying for you.’ Well, I was at the commuter lunch and he called me. He said it was chaotic to say the least as planes were landing from all over. While we are talking, the Airport director walked in and I could hear him in the background say, ‘All hands on deck we are about to get real busy! The airlines have received word to land their planes by noon edt, or they risk being shot down! Tommy said I got to go!’ The military disputes that order was given, but the airlines will say it came down! The dining hall and the entire campus were eerily quiet. We gathered in Hamlin Hall that afternoon for prayer time led by Dr. Crouse. We still could not understand the totality of what was happening, not that day! Literally, Tigerville Stood Still! I do not know how faculty members handled things in their classes. I know some faculty members read my post and hopefully they will comment on what was happening in their classes that day. My day ended with a church service as people sought answers for what they had seen. Our little church was packed as were many churches around the country. One of the things I remember was watching congress both Republican and Democrats, who had been running for their lives earlier in the day standing on the Capital steps singing GOD BLESS AMERICA! Every TV Channel like ESPN ceased programming and just showed the news. NG was one of very few schools in the country that played football on the Saturday after 9/11. We were playing at Eastside High School at that time. I was the PA Announcer. We had ceremonies uniting both our team and Campbellsville. Dr. Crouse sang God Bless America, and a sense of normalcy began to return to campus!” – Billy Watson

“I was getting ready for my painting class with Mr. Craft and turned on my tv and saw the footage of the first tower. I called my mom immediately and told her about it and then went to class. While I was in class, someone was listening to the radio when the second tower was hit, and they came to tell us. By the time I got back to my dorm, they had fallen. My sister was in NY state when it happened as well.” -Erin Contois-Moore (’02)

“It was a beautiful morning. As I remember it, the air was cool, and I thought, ‘Finally fall is coming.’ As I normally did around 8:30a.m., I headed to the cafeteria- Neves, as it was called at the time- for breakfast. When I arrived, I heard that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York City. As I talked with others about what had happened, most of us assumed it was a small plane, perhaps a Piper Cub. How wrong we were. I returned to my office and turned on the television. It was around 9:00a.m. Billy Watson came in for our 9:20 staff meeting and began filling me in on the developing story. Then, as we watched the television together, we saw the second plane strike the other tower. In real time, we realized that this was no small Piper Cub. It was a large commercial airliner. By then, the rest of the Student Services staff had arrived for the meeting. As you can imagine, the attackes were on everyone’s mind. We decided to move our meeting downstairs to the television room so we could continue watching the events unfold. I remember saying that we needed to spread out across campus to gauge how the students were responding. Billy and I walked to the Donnan Administration Building, where we found a large group of students gathered in the lobby around one of the televisions we had installed there. It was extremely quiet. I think the students did not know what to make of what they were seeing. I know I did not. I knew only that we had been entrusted with the care of those students and that we needed to look after their needs. That became our plan: to be present, to listen, and to help in whatever ways we could. At that moment, it was about all we could do. As Billy and I talked, we believed it would be helpful to open the auditorium so students could come and pray. It was where we gathered every Monday and Wednesday for chapel, and it seemed like a natural place for the campus community to come together. Around the same time, Steve Crouse and others began developing a service for later that day. That seemed to be the best course for our student body. As I remember it, the service was deeply meaningful. It brought us together as a campus and gave us an opportunity to focus our hearts on the goodness of God and His providence. In the midst of those terrible events, the words of Joseph come to mind: ‘You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.’ Those words did not minimize the tragedy or answer every question, but they reminded us that evil does not have the final word. Even when we cannot understand what God is doing, we can trust that He remains sovereign, present, and good. That morning began with the promise of fall in the air. It became a day that changed our nation and left an indelible mark on all of us who lived through it. I will never forget September 11, 2001. Nor will I forget what the Lord taught us that day: in moments of fear and uncertainty, His people can gather, pray, care for one another, and rest in the providence of God.” – Dr. Chuck Morton