SRU looks back 10 years later

Slippery Rock University is remembering the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 with a collection of events throughout the week, leading up to the 10th anniversary of the infamous date.

The university made three banners for students to sign in remembrance of the attacks. The banners will be sent to Ground Zero in New York City, Shanksville, Pa. and the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

A series of workshops were also held on Thursday in room 205 of the University Union to demonstrate and emphasize various issues surrounding the attacks and their aftermath.

The workshops were informative about what transpired 10 years ago, but focused mainly on the psychological and social issues resulting in post-9/11 America.

Dr. Susan Lubinski, associate professor of professional studies at Slippery Rock University, showed part of the film "The Reality of 9/11" and gave a presentation that centered on the events leading up to and following the attacks, focusing mainly on a historical perspective.

This perspective, she feels, is important to students currently enrolled at the university because most were too young to have understood what was really happening a decade ago.

"The average age of current students was about eight or nine, so what happened was more historical for them," Lubinski said. "You can't understand the issues that result from 9/11 unless you understand the history of it."

Lubinski made it a point to speak about various mistakes the United States made prior to the attacks, pointing out forewarning clues that were somehow missed by the government.

"I just wanted to show how there were a lot of mistakes made," Lubinski said following the workshop. "The U.S. really had to set back and take a look at its intelligence agency."

While she focused a lot on the historical events of the attacks, it was mainly aimed to allow students to better understand the issues that resulted from it, including the numerous social and psychological issues.

Carol Holland, director of the SRU counseling center, spoke about the psychological impact of 9/11 prior to Lubinski, and Lubinski tried to connect the historical events to the mindset, at the time and now.

"Everyone was in shock," Lubinski said of the mindset of Americans immediately following the attacks. "People were thinking ‘is this a test or for real?'"

Nowadays, Lubinski claims things have changed drastically, but that Americans need to stay strong despite that.

"When I studied in London, they did hand searches at the airport and had guards with machine guns," Lubinski said. "Back then, I thought ‘what horrible living,' and look where we are now. But you can't live in fear," she continued. "That's what they want you to do."

Lubinski also presented information on Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man regarded as the mastermind to the Sept. 11th attacks, who also was responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center attack and the death of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

"He is the world's most famous terrorist," Lubinski said. "And he likes that title. He wants to go down as a martyr."

In explaining the reasoning and views of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other al Qaeda terrorists, Lubinski stressed an important factor of their radical beliefs.

"Their hatred for America is so deep," Lubinski said, citing U.S. relations with Israel and Arab royalties and the failure to follow Sharia law as the focal points for their hatred.

 "You and I cannot even relate to it," Lubinski said.

But differentiating the beliefs of radical extremists and the vast majority of Muslim people has been a major cause of concern in post-9/11 America, and that was what Corinne Gibson, director of multicultural development at Slippery Rock University, spoke about following Lubinski.

Gibson showed a video titled "Being Muslim in America: The 9/11 Backlash" and had two guest speakers, Dr. Mohamed Elowny, professor of modern languages at Slippery Rock University, and Margie Riddell, a university payroll manager, speak about the Islamic religion, as well as the life of Muslims in America after 9/11.

The video gave a brief account of the history of Islam and showed various personal experiences of Muslim life in America today.

This was important to Gibson.