Texas Tech professors reflect on how they teach 9/11 to students
Two professors say they address the 2001 attacks differently in their classrooms each September
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Texas Tech professors Ron Milam and Justin Hart say they set aside time each September to teach students about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Milam, executive director of the Institute of Peace and Conflict, teaches military history at Texas Tech.
“Stop everything and talk about 9/11. And talk about the impact of it then and the impact of it now,” Milam said.
On 9/11, Milam said he discusses the significance of the day in American history.
“We start talking about how that impacts how we think today, not only about war, but about peace, and about allies, and about the whole Middle East,” Milam said.
A different approach
Justin Hart, an associate professor of history at Texas Tech who teaches foreign relations, said he starts with what happened that day, then expands on the topic further.
“My goal in teaching 9/11 is to start with what they do know and then give a little bit broader context to understand maybe a little bit of the history that’s been lost in and around 9/11,” Hart said.
Hart said his lessons include what led up to 9/11 and what happened afterward.
“They don’t know the longer foreign policy story that leads up to 9/11. They don’t know very much about the way that the country responded to 9/11 beyond the coming together,” Hart said.
A personal connection
For Hart, 9/11 is not only a subject he teaches, it is an event that affected him directly.
“That is actually where I was on 9/11, was in New Jersey, about 30 miles outside of New York City, lower Manhattan,” Hart said.
Hart said that morning in 2001 started like normal. His wife had gone to work and left the television on, as she did every morning.
“And it was one of those moments where...reality sort of invades your dreams a little bit. Well, a building burning started going off in my dream. And I looked up and it was the North Tower, the World Trade Center,” Hart said.
Hart said the moment continues to define history today.
“You can see echoes of what came out of that moment into our politics at this very time today,” Hart said.
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