Today marks the 17th year anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. The September 11th attacks have forever affected our nation, and every American can recall what they were doing on this day in 2001. Staff members of Rolla High School share their stories of where and what they were doing on September 11th, 2001. 

Mrs. Luna, Gym teacher said, “I was in college at my campus house watching the news, I saw the first plane hit, and all I could think was ‘What?’. The news anchors were confused, then the second plane hit, and that’s when I woke up my whole campus house and everyone in came to watch. We all watched the whole thing happen, and nobody went to class that day.” 

Mrs. Webb, English teacher said, “On September 11th, I was right here in the halls of Rolla High School during my senior year. I was in Mrs. Gillis’s ECHO class, where I worked as a reporter for the high school newspaper. One of the very first things I heard about 9/11, which looking back on it now doesn’t make very much sense, was that somebody told me there was a fire at the Pentagon. My immediate thought was, ‘Well, that’s unfortunate, but I’m certain that they will take care of it’. However, my class started watching the news, and we saw footage of the planes hitting the towers. I remember just sitting there watching in complete shock, and not knowing how to process the information. Every class I went to the TV’s were all on, and everybody was just watching everything unfold until I left that day. I did not have an afternoon schedule, so I left right in the middle of the day, and people kept saying the price of gas was going to skyrocket. So I called my mom to ask if I should stop and get gas, because I didn’t know if or when the price of gas was going to go up or if gas going to be available at all. She said I should, and I sat at the MotoMart on Highway 63 for over an hour just waiting for gas. Then I went home and continued to watch the news coverage of 9/11 all day.”

Ms. Norbo, A+ secretary said, “I was at home that day, and I was doing homework in my room when my sister yelled from the living room to come watch the news, because the first tower had been hit. I ran in the room, and they were playing the video footage back of the first tower being hit, and then I saw the second one hit live on the news. Then, the news of the hijacked plane heading to the Pentagon came in, and we watched that story through. It was absolutely crazy, just thinking about it now causes all the same feelings to come back, it’s almost indescribable.”

Mrs. Hargis, English teacher said, “I was teaching at Rolla Junior High at the time. I was on my conference period, and I walked passed the principal’s office where I saw the television showing the first images of 9/11. That’s how I found out initially what was happening. Then I had some difficult decisions to make because I had to decide what I was going to tell my students. I had to teach for the rest of the day, so I went back and forth in my mind as to what the right thing was to do because I didn’t want something that serious to come from me, I wanted it to be discussed in the student’s homes with their families. However, as the day progressed, more and more students found out what was happening. So, I briefly discussed it, but I didn’t go as in depth as I wanted to because I wasn’t sure how their parents would feel about that. I don’t think the students were at an age where they were old enough for me to be discussing every single aspect about what was going on. Also, I didn’t even know every aspect of what was going on, I didn’t have all the information either. I was learning everything as they were.”