Lance Tatum, President | Northwest Missouri State University
Lance Tatum, President | Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University will hold its annual 9/11 stair climb to honor those who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001 attacks. The event is scheduled for Thursday, September 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium. Participation is free and open to the public, but attendees must sign a waiver before taking part in the challenge of climbing 2,071 steps. Individuals can complete the climb alone or as part of a group of two to five people.
Registration for the stair climb will be available at Bearcat Stadium on the evening of the event.
The Emergency and Disaster Management Club at Northwest is organizing this year’s event in partnership with the 1-129th Field Artillery of the Missouri National Guard and the Maryville Fire Department.
Travis Surprise, an instructor of emergency and disaster management at Northwest, will serve as master of ceremonies. He emphasized the educational purpose behind the event: “The value of this event is to learn our history, so it’s never repeated,” Surprise said. “We learn why 9/11 is so important and understand the physical exertion that was needed that day to save the lives they were able to save. We can teach the younger generation what happened that day and what came from those terrorist actions.”
The ceremony will begin with a bell ringing by members of the Maryville Fire Department followed by a moment of silence.
Throughout September 11, Northwest’s Memorial Bell Tower will chime at four specific times—8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., and 10:03 a.m.—to mark when each plane crashed during the attacks on New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
Additionally, video footage related to September 11 will be shown on Bearcat Stadium’s video board.
On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked in coordinated suicide attacks against targets in New York City; Washington D.C.; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly three thousand people died in these attacks—including hundreds of first responders who worked to evacuate buildings and help victims.
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