The halls were filled with silence, recalls Jennifer Peoples.

The television sets were on in almost every classroom at Southside High School, as students sat and watched a tragedy unfold in front of their eyes.

Now a senior at Southside, Peoples recalled Sept. 11 last year at her high school.

Peoples recalled students and teachers watching television, the planes flying into the World Trade Center in New York. She remembered the sad expressions on student’s faces.

Lt. Col. Steve Ruiz, head of the Junior ROTC at Southside, spent the whole day with students watching the events unfold on television.

Ruiz recalled telling his students that Sept. 11 would be a day that would change their lives forever.

The next day, Ruiz asked his students to write down their recollections of what happened the previous day and what they thought it meant.

Today, a year later, Southside will be holding a memorial service honoring the victims of 9/11. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m., and will feature, among other things, music and a video depicting the events that happened during 9-11.

Selma High School will also hold a memorial service, beginning at 10 a.m.

Selma City School System spokeswoman Lynn Henderson said the day is not only meant to honor victims but also to inspire patriotism, acts of service, and brotherly love among students and teachers.

Wallace Community College will also be holding a 9/11 ceremony, beginning at noon, in which students will gather around the flag pole near the front entrance of the building.

College President Dr. James Mitchell said he remembered the &uot;sad feeling&uot; that passed through him, as he sat watching the tragedy unfold on television.

Mitchell said the lesson learned from 9/11 is that freedom comes with a cost, adding, &uot;To have the freedoms we have, I guess this is the price we have to pay.&uot;