story10503.xml

story10503.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-03-27

September 11th, 2001 has gone down in history as a time in America's history we will never forget, America's darkest day. But as I got up for class just like every day of the week, dressed, and put on my heavy book bag, I had no idea how heavy America's heart would soon be. It's hard to believe that as I trudged up Bascom Hill, staring at the statue of Lincoln that stands at the top, how a country known for it's freedom was being attacked by those whom hoped to not only bring death to citizens, but to the unity that the United States prides itself in. It's funny, I didn't turn on the news like I normally did each morning, but most likely if I did the attack would have been yet to occur. I was not until I walked into my class that I heard students discussing a plane. A plane that had crashed into one of New York's Twin Towers. None of us new what was to come, and I set the disaster aside as a mere accident, not a carefully thought out plan to bring death to thousands.
I don't know how I went the whole day on campus without realizing the sheer magnitude of what was transpiring. It was not until I walked to the bookstore, that I noticed everyone quiet, everyone watching tv monitors, and it was then that I saw more than just a plane crash. I saw a terrorist attack. I rushed back to my dorm, to find my roommate in front of the tv in awe, as was I. I had lived this day knowing nothing, naively thinking that there weren't people out there that would intentionally crash a plane into a New York sky scraper. But my trust, my belief that no one could commit such an act was soon replaced by fear and anger.
The images I remember most are of those downtown, holding up pictures, frantically interviewing with reporters describing their loved ones, whom later as we would find out, most were already gone. The amount of fear and grief that spread across campus was evident. I sat up in my dorm building 9 stories in the air, and thought about how I would escape if such a terror attack would invade our campus community. I was scared and this topic, 9/11 and the fear which invaded America, but only pulled us closer was discussed in classes across campus in the next week. I will never forget my Political Science class. We postponed lecture and were instructed to write. Write a letter to be opened 20 years from 9/11, by ourselves, or a loved one if the world should be such that we pass on. I remember writing that letter, and hoping I would live to have kids, live to see this country progress. Hoping that those responsible were brought to justice, and that this country would live to see the day where peace is possible. I still have that letter, and I have lived to see this country come together in a time when we needed to do so the most.
God Bless America, and God bless the victims and their families.