Sept. 11, 2001 holds mixed memories for FMU’s director of multimedia services

FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University Director of Multimedia Services Larry Falck has fond and sad memories of Sept. 11, 2001.

Falck’s happy memories center on his first day of work as a production assistant at his alma mater.

When Falck was in middle school, he watched a PBS documentary about advertising and marketing. His middle school had a television studio.

Falck said he took a television production class in middle school and loved it. It set his life’s path. Falck’s high school had a television studio, but he said students weren’t allowed to use it. So, he became interested in theater and acting. He majored in acting at Francis Marion University. However, he found a job as a production tech/director at WPDE in Florence while he was a student at FMU. He eventually changed his minor to mass communications. His first job as an FMU graduate was director/production tech at WBTW in Florence.

His next stop was returning to Francis Marion University. Falck has stayed at FMU for 21 years and moved up the ladder to director of multimedia services.

Many Americans share Falck’s sad memories. Sept. 11, 2001, is the day that forever changed America. It is the day 19 militants tied to the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four jetliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States.

Two planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after the passengers on the flight fought the four hijackers.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism.

In a video interview with Managing Editor Chris Day, Falck recalled his first day on the job at FMU and the Sept. 11 attacks. Here is an abridged version of the interview. His complete recollection of Sept. 11, 2001 is available at www.scnow.com. To view the video, point your smartphone camera at the QR code that accompanies this story and tap on the link.

Q: When did you start working here?

A: So, my first day here at Francis Marion was Sept. 11, 2001. It’s a pretty unforgettable day.

Q: Run me through that day and how did you find out about the terrorist attacks?

A: I was trying to think back. I remember that day, but I don’t remember the exact details of what happened. … I remember getting up normal. Coming out here. I want to say they ask me to get here at 9 o’clock. I went straight over to human resources. Howard Stern’s radio show was still on the air down here. I was listening to that coming in. I went and started filling out the paperwork. One of the other people in human resources came in … and said one of the World Trade Center Towers had been hit by an airplane. After the first one, not many people knew what was going on, yet. … I continued filling out the paperwork. … By the time, I got back to my car, I remember … the Howard Stern Show was still on and they were talking about it. That’s when the second plane hit. I came back in here – not in this office, but another office in this building. We started turning on the video feeds we had on television or projectors … so we could see what was going on. We were just all in shock. About midday, Dr. (Fred) Carter (university president) sent out an email or made a phone call saying we could leave so people could be with their families.

Q: After you got the OK from Dr. Carter to go home, what did you do then?

A: I went home and turned on the TV, and just started watching coverage of it.

Q: Is there one thing that stands out or is most memorable?

A: Besides the overall shock of the whole situation itself, trying to find a point of levity in such tragedy. I was just thinking to myself here I was just working at a news station just a couple of days before, and then I came here. I was just wondering if they wished I was there right now to help out with the coverage. … I just remember all the TV coverage – how they were all trying to cover what was happening and figure out what was happening. …