Scholars erect memorial for terror victims
A three-foot memorial now stands in front of the Utah State University Eccles Business Building to recognize those who have been affected by terrorism and tyranny.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), hosted a memorial dedication Tuesday evening in remembrance of Sept. 11. The plaque is inscribed with words proclaiming the victims and oppressed as memorials to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Logan City Police Department officers Rob Italasano, Shand Nazer, Jason Ostermiller and detective Barry Parslow conducted the posting of colors to open the dedication.
Joe Barnard, former NSCS president, gave the memorial presentation.
“I shall only proclaim this night that freedom is a gift,” Barnard said. “It belongs to all people everywhere. It is a gift that transcends governments and armies, a gift that has cost the blood and dreams of generations of our sons. Freedom is what we pursue and recognize tonight.”
Sept. 11 hit the NSCS close to home, Barnard said, because one of its members was killed in one of the planes that hit the twin towers.
He said the tragedy started to take on personal, local face when people found out about victims like USU alumni Brady Howell, who was working at the Pentagon when a plane crashed into it.
“NSCS encouraged us to do whatever we could to recognize those people who have been killed,” Barnard said. “I was the newly inducted president of the NSCS and about to conduct my first induction of our new members [on Sept. 11, 2001.]”
Barnard said his organization was faced with the decision to continue with the induction ceremony or to cancel on that day.
“Resolve filled our hearts as we realized we had to continue,” he said. “It was our duty.”
Rev. Clarence Sandoval of St. Thomas Aquinas Church gave the dedicatory prayer for the memorial. Ken and Jeanette Howell, parents of Brady Howell, cut the ribbon to dedicate the plaque.
A speech was also given by Cassi Going, assistant to the adviser of NSCS, about Brady’s life.
Going said Brady died at age 26 working for the United States government.
“At the time of his death, he was training as a watch officer for the CNO,” Going said. “A scholarship fund has been established by the family in Brady’s memory to honor him and help achieve the goals time did not permit him to accomplish.”
Bethany Christensen, former president of NSCS, said it is an honors organization recognizing academic achievement among first- and second-year students. Christensen said she thought it was important for NSCS to get involved with this project because one of the main focuses of the organization is to encourage members to participate in community service.
“We have so many freedoms enjoyed under a democracy for people to succeed scholastically,” Christensen said. “Tyranny and terrorism hinder a democracy. So, I guess that is why we feel the need to remember it as an organization.”
Christensen said service, leadership and scholarship are the foundations of freedom that enable individuals to do many things, and terrorism threatens that.
The inscription on the memorial reads: “In the darkness of tyranny and terrorism the valor of democracy lights the world. The victims and oppressed of such action stand as memorials to our belief in ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ In remembrance of all who suffer as a consequence of tyranny and terrorism in the world.”
To find out more information about NSCS, contact current president Courtney Rowe at crowe@cc.usu.edu.
– jengeisler@cc.usu.edu