UTC Faculty Support Turns Chattanooga Symposium into Smash Hit

By Kyle MacDonald
WeAreChangeTN.org

The groundbreaking event, aptly coined “The Science of 9/11”, that was held at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) on November 15, 2011, proved to be a resounding success as depicted in the local Times Free Press. The evening began with the landmark DVD from Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth called “9/11: Explosive Evidence -- Experts Speak Out”. The documentary, which assembles the startling evidence from and testimony of over 50 technical and building professionals calling for a real WTC investigation, was shown at the University Center Auditorium. Following the film, an in-depth panelist discussion was held with a lively Q&A segment.

The panelists (from left: Dr. Edwin Foster, Jim Hall, moderator Richard Winham, Dr. David Johnson, Ton Junod) provided insightful analysis of the WTC destructions. Even those who disagreed with the AE911Truth evidence acknowledged the need for accountability

The efforts of UTC and those involved can only be applauded as truly remarkable. Nearly 300 people attended the packed presentation, and many participated in the panel’s Q&A portion of the event. The students who attended left with differing world views and a much deeper scientific understanding of how the three World Trade Center towers were destroyed on September 11, 2001.

The panel was comprised of experts from various fields which allowed for informed answers and opinions. While the panelists presented differing viewpoints on the WTC catastrophe, they all supported the increased need for raising crucial questions about the structural evidence and the government report provided by the National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST) that followed the 9/11 attacks. Included in the panel were the following:

Moderator: Richard Winham, WUTC FM
Jim Hall, former National Transportation Safety Board Director
David Johnson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK)
Tom Junod, Journalist, Esquire magazine
Edwin Foster, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, UTC

Almost every seat was filled at the UTC auditorium as experts discussed the explosive 9/11 evidence live and on screen

Johnson offered tremendous information regarding the nano-thermite discovered in the dust samples taken from the area around the three WTC Towers. “I spent a good deal of time recently with Professor Niels Harrit in Toronto,” he said. “I was there in Toronto when Dr. Harrit took some of the dust from 9/11 that had been collected. In the dust, he found iron spheroids. It was pervasive in that dust and it should not have been there,” Johnson concluded. The nanothermite findings were published in the April, 2009 edition of the Bentham Open Chemical Physics Journal.

Moderator Richard Winham asked Foster, one of the defenders of the official story, why WTC 7 “self immolated” hours after the destruction of the Twin Towers. “That’s not possible, is it”? Dr. Foster replied. “As I watched the whole film, it struck me that there were a lot of half truths, and a lot of the questions I can’t answer. There would be questions that I would have. And in my philosophy of a free society, everybody ought to ask questions and they ought to keep on asking questions.” Foster’s remarks were met with applause from the audience.

However, Foster continued by claiming that heat from fires could weaken columns and bar-joists enough at the impact zone to cause a sudden collapse such as a sledgehammer dropped on to a toothpick. This phenomenon, he stated, could cause an exponential chain reaction, reaching free-fall acceleration.

An audience member and AE911Truth petition signer refuted Mr. Foster’s claim very eloquently. “There is not enough energy, there is a tremendous energy deficit, there is no jolt, and there is no deceleration,” he said. Another audience member brought up a good point: How did the bottom three-quarters of the building reduce its strength to a “toothpick” causing the entire 110 floors to fall in roughly 10 seconds? “That is ten floors per second!” she pointed out. “I can’t even clap my hands that fast. Can you guys?” Several audience members attempted, but were unable.

Like this event attendee, you can express your support for AE911Truth with an attractive and informative t-shirt from the online store

Eventually, Foster did emphasize the need for an investigation so that we could upgrade our codes, “such as was done after the 1993 WTC attack.”

Johnson followed up the question of WTC7 by calling for an investigation by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Science. He made the point that “NIST is a very politicized organization… as we know”.

A member of the audience named Harvey Howard spoke during the Q&A section regarding his personal experience with thermite in Korea. “In ranger training, I played the game of destroying what the engineers built a week before; we did it with thermite. I saw that a few of the columns at the World Trade Center were cut exactly at the angles we used to cut bridge structures to bring bridges down.”

Colin Jordan, a New York City fireman who arrived late in the afternoon at Ground Zero that day, was amazed by the amount of dust that was present. “Every fireman I know, they would take everything out in five gallon buckets, and it was all dust” he recalled. “I heard many firemen working the pile say, ‘not a desk, not a chair…’ and no matter how it happened, it was the only fire I had ever been to that was just dust.”

We Are Change Tennessee activist Tim Ramsay had a chance to interview Jordan after the presentation about his personal 9/11 story. Jordan had never seen any of the information presented in the film, and he was not expecting the information that he received. It was quite clear that he left the presentation saddened, yet empowered by his deeper understanding of 9/11. It is stories like this that breathe passion into the 9/11 Truth movement.

The idea of setting our emotions aside to deal with the scientific facts in a dispassionate manner was a common theme in both the panel and audience comments.

Jim Hall described the difficulty that this situation presents. “The hardest thing to investigate is yourself,” he explained. “If you ever allow your emotions to get involved in the investigation, you’re probably guaranteed not to do as good of a job as you need to do”.

Architects & Engineers For 9/11 Truth brought us the hard science of the three World Trade Center collapses, providing credibility in our quest for truth. Let's not forget, however, what gives us the motivation to make videos, write articles, and disseminate the evidence. While the science adds to our credibility, it is our passion for truth and justice that drives us.

Repeating the success of “The Science of 9/11” nationwide

The UTC conference was one of the most well-received 9/11 Truth events at any college campus in the United States, and the participation of distinguished faculty and technical experts made an impact that supporters have been seeking for years. How can activists at other universities learn from the success of this event and build upon it in the future? Organizer Matthew Hine described what it took to turn this idea into reality.

After Dr. Lyn Miles watched the new “Experts Speak Out” DVD, she was enthusiastic about the opportunity to organize a screening

For Hine, the first step of the process started with the academic staff. “I obtained the email addresses of the entire faculty of UTC and the UTK engineering and architecture faculty from their web sites,” he explained. “I sent every one an email with a link to an AE911Truth video, and invited them to attend the premiere of “9/11: Explosive Evidence – Experts Speak Out” at the Chattanooga Public Library.

“None of them attended, but I did get an email from a couple of UTC faculty members who asked for a private screening of the “Experts Speak Out” pre-release. After they viewed it, I had several conversations with them, and they decided they wanted to sponsor an on-campus screening.”

Dr. Lyn Miles, an anthropology professor at UTC, was one of those who joined in the effort to stage a screening at the University. She asked the Office of Diversity if they would be interested in co-sponsoring, and funds were obtained to handle the transportation of the speakers. She also arranged for Winham to serve as the moderator.

Once the symposium had been scheduled, the promotional efforts began in earnest. “I again sent an email to every member of the UTC faculty, inviting them to the event,” Hine recounted. “Posters and flyers were placed on campus, and Dr. Miles wrote an article for the student newspaper announcing the event.”

As news of the upcoming symposium spread, other faculty members joined in the outreach effort. Some professors were so supportive that they encouraged their students to attend and write a paper for extra course credit.

After the event, Dr. Miles illustrated how “The Science of 9/11” brought intelligent discussion to such a controversial issue:

“Exploring how the scientific method could be used to analyze societal events was the goal of our program. We had a fantastic event, with a total headcount of approximately 275 participants who filled the UC auditorium with signs, literature, pressing questions, and applause -- differing on the details and hypotheses, but all agreeing that we need a real scientific inquiry into the events of 9/11.”

Miles has invited a member of the UTC faculty to arrange another seminar with a keener focus on engineering and architectural considerations. It’s also possible that a UTK professor of architecture might be interested in an event at the University in Knoxville, so stay tuned for future updates.

In the end, Hine concluded that the key to a fruitful 9/11 event on campus is reaching out to the professors. “I think you need interest at the faculty level within the University to get a good turn out,” he said.

Whether you’re a current student, a college alumnus, or simply a concerned citizen interested in reaching out to your local university, the College Outreach Team at AE911Truth can use your help. With the support of volunteers like you, the accomplishments achieved in Chattanooga will lead to more triumphs for 9/11 Truth in campuses across the country.