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Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Issue 21 I N D E P E N D E N T

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Vol. 118 S T U D E N T

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906

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U N I V E R S I T Y

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T E N N E S S E E

Sept. 11 survivor gives account of experience Jay Jonas, New York deputy fire chief, 9/11 survivor, advises students to be thankful Jamie Greig Staff Writer Deputy Fire Chief of the New York Fire Department and 9/11 survivor, Jay Jonas, told UT students on Tuesday night to make the most of their time at UT. “Seize the day,” Jonas said. “There are a lot of people who would have loved to be in your shoes. Sons who will grow up without fathers, fathers who will grow up without sons. Mothers, sisters and brothers. This was your generation’s day of infamy.” In a speech to UT students as well as local firefighters, Jonas told his emotional story of surviving the collapse of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Jonas was one of only 20 firefighters who went into the North Tower and survived to tell the tale. “We paid a horrible price for our actions that day,” Jonas said. “But from the bravery of the people I saw and heard about, I also believe it was our finest hour.” That day 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 NYPD officers, 37 port authority police officers and eight emergency medical technicians lost their lives at the World Trade Center. Jonas wants people to remember their bravery. “I saw the true spirit of altruism that day, in the stairwell of North Tower,” Jonas said. At the time he was captain of Ladder Company 6. “People were scared but they were not panicking,” Jonas said. “People were handing us water as we went up the stairs, shouting encouragements, telling us how happy they were to see us.” Of all the events of that day, the scariest moment for Jonas was when he heard, across his radio, that South Tower had collapsed. Having reached the 73rd floor, he made the call to head back down.

“The guys in my team didn’t understand why we were going back down,” he said. “I assumed they knew what I knew.” He wants people to remember the stories of the heroes of that day. “Captain Paddy Brown of Ladder Team 3, my friend, was ordered to leave the build-

ing,” Jonas said. “He refused. I was shocked. He was on the 43rd floor trying to save badly burnt civilians. He and his ladder company never made it out.” Jonas had words of advice for the firefighters present to hear his story. “There was no script for this; you’re plugging your knowledge with procedures and working as you go,” Jonas said. “Act on your instincts. They’re usually pure.” On the seventh floor, Ladder Company 6 was slowed by deciding to save the life of port authority bookkeeper Josephine Harris. She had made it down 50 flights of stairs, but due to an injury from a car acci-

dent could go no further. “I just couldn’t leave her, so we took one of the guy’s tools and he carried her down the stairs,” Jonas said. Around the fourth floor the building started to collapse. “North Tower collapsed in a pancake for-

there must be someone worse off than me. “Three and a half hours in the dark. Then a pencil thin beam of light breaks through. We thought we were covered with 100 feet of steel. I was proud of my team that day. The things they did, without being ordered, were truly heroic.” And that is when Ladder Company 6 managed to work its own way out and towards freedom. Jonas finished his speech by reminding the gathered audience to never forget the men and women who lost their lives on that day, and especially the heroics of the people of the emergency service response teams. “I saw fathers digging for sons, sons digging for fathers, brothers digging for brothers,” he said. “So please, every Sept. 11, take a moment to quietly remember them.” He finished his speech by playing a short film displaying the faces of the men, his friends, who lost their lives helping to save the innocent victims of 9/11. “I thought it was a very good event; he was a very compelling speaker,” said event • Photo courtesy of Jay Jonas organizer Robert Lumley, an Issues Committee chairperson mation, one floor after the other,” Jonas and senior in chemical engineering. “I was said. “Every time we were bounced up from pleased with the turnout of about 300. He where we sat. The noise got louder as it got was one of the best speakers we’ve had. It closer, the sound of bending steel crashing was a very interesting story, very comever closer.” pelling. It was a personal story.” And then his team was engulfed in rubStan Sharp, Fire Chief of the Knoxville ble and dust. They were trapped inside the Fire Department, was touched by the tower, not knowing how much rubble was speech. on top of them. “Firefighting is a very family orientated In the confusion of the day, despite Jonas environment, so when we heard about what telling the would-be rescue team of over a was going on in New York on Sept. 11, hundred people his company’s location mul- 2001, it felt like we were losing family tiple times, the mountains of rubble made it members,” Sharp said. “Jay did such a great almost impossible to pinpoint them. job on the day. It’s amazing to hear his “I felt humble,” Jonas said. “I thought story.”

Sig Ep chapter house opens new doors Graduate school seminar offered Members hope renovations will instill pride in fraternity, university

Wade Scofield Staff Writer

Lauren Kittrell Student Life Editor After a $2.5 million renovation and addition, the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter house is officially up to 21st-century fire safety standards, something the rest of the university’s campus is also in need of. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new chapter house was held on Saturday with support from many brothers and alumni of Sigma Phi Epsilon. As generation after generation of UT alumni were represented at the ceremony, enduring Volunteer spirit was on full display. The 44-year-old house had served several generations of fraternity members before its closing in June of 2009. Alumni President Mark Sparkman said the renovation of the chapter house is something that is important to the fraternity as an encouragement for its students to work hard and to take pride in their ability and their school. “Our students should understand that their alumni group wants them to be the best students possible while at the University of Tennessee,” Sparkman said. “We believe that by providing a first-class and safe facility, it will continue to attract the best and brightest UT students.” The same feeling applies to the university as a whole. Project manager Tim McKeehan represented the university during the renovation and said the project was a joint effort between the housing corporation and the university. “We own the property and they own the building,” McKeehan said. “We have a mutual relationship. Given that we have a fraternity system, this is a natural way to do it. You don’t want to be at odds about it.” Alumni of Sigma Phi Epsilon feel that

the renovation benefits the campus. Sparkman speaks for his fellow alumni by communicating his heart for improvement through investment. “The substantial investment that we’ve put into our house is due to the great experiences that our alumni have had over the years as UT students,” Sparkman said. “We believe you are a Sig Ep and Volunteer for life, and many of our alumni still consider the chapter house as ‘home’ and take pride in having a top notch facility at UT.” While the renovation may not directly affect the campus, many feel that improvement to any facility or house on campus is important to the university. Sparkman said he hopes the building will affect the fraternity, fraternity row and the campus as whole by encouraging students to join the Greek system. The renovations to the house will hopefully spark other necessary renovations to the area and be an attractive quality to future students. “In many instances, Greek students are the future leaders of our great country, and it’s our hope that recent upgrades to fraternity row and the addition of the new sorority village will enhance the UT campus and attract more students to consider joining a Greek letter organization,” Sparkman said. Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter president Matt Yatsula spoke at the ribbon-cutting as a student and member of the fraternity and said that keeping the fraternity together during the renovations was important to the brothers. Yatsula said the opening of the house meant much more to the brothers involved than just a house to live in. “It means everything,” Yatsula said. “Our brotherhood’s back, we’re here in a massive facility. It’s one of the biggest houses on campus. It’s great and we’re very proud.”

For many, applying to graduate school can be a daunting task. Year after year, the most prestigious graduate schools in the Untied States receive tens of thousands of applications for their programs, and for most, admittance rates are low. That is why on Wednesday evening, students have an opportunity to meet with Donald Asher, an internationally acclaimed author and speaker specializing in professional development and higher education. Asher’s website, donaldasher.com, lists that he has contributed articles to various publications, including The Wall Street Journal’s online editions, CareerJournal.com and CollegeJournal.com; college.monster.com; careerbuilder.com; wetfeet.com; jobsmart.org; MSN home page and MSN Encarta (education columnist); USAirways Magazine (career columnist); The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Francisco Examiner; The Los Angeles Times’ career development web pages; NACE Journal; and many others. From 4-5:30 p.m., Asher will present his graduate admissions seminar in the UC Auditorium for the 18th year. He covers a wide variety of topics, such as why to go to graduate school, how many graduate schools to apply to, how to better represent your grades and how to stand out in

the graduate school admissions process. “For someone who has started applying to graduate school, I think the seminar will be very helpful,” Tyler Mitchell, senior in logistics, said. “Getting into graduate school is getting more and more difficult. I’m looking for any advantage I can get.” After the general session, a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) session will follow from 6-7:30 p.m., also in the UC auditorium. “I think students of all years (even freshmen) who are considering going to graduate school should attend this session,” Stephanie Kit, associate director of Career Services, said. “It’s a great way to start figuring out what it’s going to take to successfully apply to grad school.” Last year, the Career Services department saw its largest ever turnout with over 300 students. After his presentation, Asher receives feedback from the students to improve his program. The Career Services department primarily assists with graduate school admissions, but this is just one of many services offered. The office houses individual advising available on the topic, a lengthy graduate school admissions guide, critiques of personal statements and other resources. Students can view Asher’s presentation from last year at career.utk.edu/graduate.php.

• Photo courtesy of donaldasher.com


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