I can't believe that it's been five years since 9-11. This event changed the world as we know it, and continues to affect us as our country continues to fight in the middle east, new security measures are constantly being put in place for our protection, and rebuilding has begun on the World Trade Center.
I can remember the events of that morning so clearly. It was my junior year in college, and I was living in the sorority house at the time. I was drying my hair in the bathroom that Tuesday morning when Sarah Hopkins came in and told me and one other girl that she'd just heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center. We laughed it off, not knowing how serious it was, and thinking, how do you not see the WTC? By the time I reached my 9:30 am Psychology class rumors had begun to spread and we discussed the events before our lecture began. Someone raised their hand and said that terrorism was suspected. We settled down, still not comprehending everything and class went on as usual.
By the time I got to my 11 oclock COM 252 class everyone was in shock. Rumors had spread across campus and we were able to pull up a few websites and see some images of the towers on fire and falling, and other students who knew what was going on shared with the rest of us what they knew. We talked as a class and pretty soon, we couldn't get any websites to pull up the internet was so clogged with others doing the same thing that we were doing.
Class let out early so I walked back to the DZ house, calling both of my parents on my cell phone. It was such a beatiful and warm sunny day that it felt surreal for such a terrible thing to have happened. No one quite knew what to do with themselves, so we all crowded into one of the larger bedrooms in the house and watched the news together.
9-11 was a unique part of my college experience. Over the next several days we tried to overcome feelings of helplessness by tying yellow ribbons on campus trees, attending candlelight prayer vigils, and doing what sorority girls do best- making banners to hang from our balconies. I also got to sing with the Chorale on that Friday morning National Day of Prayer service held on campus, thankful that I was able to DO something useful and sing to comfort others.
So where were you 5 years ago today? Feel free to post comments and share your stories, or just take some time to reflect on how much has changed since then.
3 comments:
Murfreesboro, TN. Asleep just past 8 am (hey, I'm on staff, living on a student schedule).
Bennett calls and wakes me up to tell me that a plane flew into the WTC, I turn on the TV, start watching for a couple minutes before waking roomie Mike - we basically sit and watch tv for a few hours before heading to campus. Tons of cops everywhere, all over the road. That's what I remember... Surreal day, surreal week.
I remember one big controversy/discussion was whether or not the college/pro football schedule would go on "as planned". That was kind of weird...
And I remember emailing my friends who were overseas with Crusade, telling them about what-we-knew-here, which, as it turns out, wasn't much. And I remember thinking about my staff friends in NYC, and my sole trip there in November of 1998...
-E-
I remember it so clearly too! It was my sophomore year at Ole Miss and I had just walked into the Student Union for coffee- everyone was crowded around a big screen tv in one of the lobbies and the were showing images of the first tower falling....then....moments later, we saw it live as the second tower fell.
-Bethany Roe
Like Amanda, I remember walking to the AOPi house and watching it with my friends...the details of the rest of the day are a blur, but it was definitely one of the biggest shocks!
It was my senior year in highschool. I was in my 2nd period computer class. The teacher always kept CNN on while we work on our assignments, I looked up and the news was talking about the WTC. I saw the second plane hit the building. Everyone was in a panic because some people had family members in NY and some had family that were flying that day. The rest of the day was a haze becuase there was just so much going on.
--laura
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