Talk of attacks fills hallways, classrooms at local schools

Terry Webster

Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2001 | 8:51 a.m.

The meaning of the word "democracy," the Declaration of Independence.

Those history basics were to be part of Tuesday's lesson plans for Staci Brick, a Silverado High School U.S. Government teacher.

But instead of a discussion on history from 1776, Brick and her students stood with the rest of the nation watching events unfold that will be remembered 225 years in the future.

News of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington swept through classrooms in the Clark County School District as students, teachers and administrators tried to grasp the threat to U.S. security and horrific loss of life.

"They attacked something that represents our relationship to the rest of the world," Tillie Andrade, a junior at Silverado High School, said. "They tried to take away the place that defends us from war. They want us to feel like we are not safe."

Talk of the tragedy found its way not only into history classes, but also into English, math and science classes -- and anywhere else students and teachers gathered.

Some students put plans for after-school get-togethers on hold.

"All of the malls are closed," a student said to a friend as she walked through the halls of Silverado. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to be a statistic."

Others asked questions that stumped friends and teachers.

Students in a U.S. Government class at Basic High School in Henderson fired off questions to teacher Clydeane Zollar during a lively discussion.

If the terrorists had weapons, they asked, how did they get on the airplanes? Maybe they were plastic or shaped like cell phones, their classmates responded. The group also pondered the possibility of airport personnel being involved in the attacks.

"We talked about it in my science class," Janniece Anderson, a freshman at Silverado, said. "I'm deeply hurt by this. Why would someone run a plane into a building just to kill themselves and other people?"

Silverado Principal Mark Coleman tried to compare the attacks to other devastating events in history. But, he said, "They all seem to pale in comparison."

"I can only imagine how people must have felt when Pearl Harbor was hit," Coleman said. "This is far more severe, just in terms of the scope of the loss of life."

Male students expressed fears over a possible military draft, said Brick, who listed the day's events on her chalkboard: South tower of the World Trade Center hit, north tower hit, plane crashes into the Pentagon, both towers collapse.

"They are hoping all of this will be over way before the time they graduate from school," she said.

Jimi Jovin, a Silverado senior, said he never imagined the United States would become the victim of such a severe terrorist attack.

"America has had a taste of what other countries deal with every day," he said. "We have learned a horrible lesson: that we are not invincible."

"I don't think the public has ever imagined that America is not a safe place," added Chris Boyce, also a Silverado senior.

Students at both Silverado and Basic high schools said they wanted to know how President Bush is going to proceed.

Meanwhile, officials for the Clark County School District, the nation's sixth largest, today continued to assure students and their families that schools are safe. All schools were open today, except Lomie Heard Elementary School, which is located at Nellis Air Force Base. Heard Elementary was closed because of restricted traffic going in and out of the base.

Heard Elementary students were attending classes at Manch and Lowman elementary schools.

"I'm very adamant that we have to keep the schools going," Superintendent Carlos Garcia said. "And the parents need to keep their lives going. We cannot give in to terrorists and stop everything."

Garcia said his decision to keep schools open was met with criticism by some parents, while other parents pulled their children out of schools.

"We reiterated that the safest place to be is in school," he said.

School counselors and other staff will be on hand today for students who want to discuss the events.

Garcia issued a memo Tuesday to staff members reminding teachers to maintain an academic day that is "as normal as possible."

But the terrorist attacks are likely to remain a topic of classroom discussion today and for many more days to come.

Garcia said the district realizes that "as awful as it is, history is being made."