GREENEVILLE – Individuals who want to learn more about the tragic events of 9/11 and the aftermath are invited to explore a new exhibit at Tusculum University.
“September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed the World” is available for viewing through Friday, Sept. 18, in the Clem Allison Gallery, which is housed in Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center. The exhibit consists of 14 posters that give an overview of the terrorist attacks and then more detailed information about the four planes that crashed that day.
People can also discover more about the recovery efforts, the mourning and solidarity that followed and a reflection 20 years later. It concludes by posing the question, “How will you remember 9/11?”
“This moving exhibit enables people to reflect on that terrible day in 2001 and all of the after-effects that flowed from it,” said Dr. Peter Noll, professor of public history and museum studies at Tusculum. “Those who were old enough to process the events have many images and emotions that still resonate today. Those who were not alive then have likely learned about what transpired that day and developed their own perspective. We hope this exhibit enables everyone to recognize the horror of that day but also the kindness and courage so many people demonstrated.”
The exhibit is one of two ways Tusculum is remembering 9/11. The university is teaming with its Athletic Department and the Greeneville Flyboys for a 9/11 ceremony and stair climb at Eastman Credit Union Field at Pioneer Park Friday, Sept. 11.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum developed the exhibit, which includes archival photographs and images of artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. It informs the viewer through the personal stories of those who witnessed and survived the attacks. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on 9/11 when planes crashed into the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania. The posters explain that 19 terrorists associated with al-Qaeda hijacked the planes. Among those who were killed were 441 first responders. The attacks resulted in the largest loss of life from a foreign attack on the United States and the most extensive loss of emergency responders in a day in American history. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed. Following the devastation of the day, people came together in support of the United States, and memorials were developed. The exhibit explains that people found meaning in public service in the aftermath.
In addition to discussing 9/11, the exhibit includes references to earlier attacks by al-Qaeda outside U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and on the USS Cole in 2000 and a terrorist attack beneath the World Trade Center in 1993.
The exhibit concludes by saying terrorism remains a global threat.
“We may never be able to prevent all of the actions of people intent on harming others, but we do have control over how we respond to such events,” the exhibit says. “Whether by volunteering in our local communities, serving our nation in the military, caring for the sick and injured or through other efforts, all of us can help build the world in which we want to live. As we witness history unfolding in our own time, the ways we choose to respond – both large and small – can demonstrate the best of human nature after even the worst of days.”
The exhibit is part of Tusculum’s America 250/Tusculum 232 observance throughout the fall semester. A comprehensive series of events the university has undertaken is designed to highlight various aspects of American history, including those that occurred in East Tennessee. The events also call attention to Tusculum’s contributions to the nation’s success.
People can review all Tusculum has planned for the fall by visiting tusculum.edu/america-250-tusculum-232-events/.
“9/11 was a disturbing moment in American history but also a heartening one in the way people rallied by each other’s side,” said the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, chair of the America 250/Tusculum 232 Committee, Tusculum’s director of spiritual life <https://site.tusculum.edu/campus-ministries/> and special projects and chaplain of the Greeneville Fire Department. “We will always hold the firefighters and the remaining men and women who lost their lives in the attacks close to our hearts. We will also cherish the spirit of camaraderie that spanned the response in the United States and around the world.”
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu <http://www.tusculum.edu>.
