story9444.xml

story9444.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-08-29

On September 11, 2001 I was less than a month into my freshman year at Penn State. I had chosen to go to Penn State because of their well-known meteorology program, and moved all the way from Mobile, Alabama. I was scared and incredibly lonely, being so far away from my family and friends. My roommate, Ali, was from Ridgefield, Connecticut and on the morning of September 11th, we had woken up, as usual, to get ready for our Calculus class at 10:10. We always watched the news in the morning. Ali turned it on, and then she walked over to breakfast as I jumped in the shower. I came back from the shower and stood in amazement in front of our TV in my towel. I couldn't believe my eyes. The first plane had hit the first WTC tower only minutes before. I stood in my towel for over 30 minutes in shock. I watched as the second plane crashed into the second WTC tower. Ali came running into the room screaming because she knew many people who worked in the city. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know anyone who worked in the WTC buildings, but I couldn't help but feeling alone with my family so far away in Alabama. Ali tried to call all of her friends and family, as I tried to call my family also. I reached my, dad who was at work, and he told me to stay calm. I tried to call my Aunt Margo who lives in Somorset County, PA where another plane had crased, to make sure she was ok. I couldn't get through because all of the phone lines were tied up. Ali and I got dressed and walked to class in the midst of many dazed and confused students and faculty. Our professor already had the tv on in the classroom, and the students who had made it to class all looked so scared. We left the classroom and walked to the HUB (the student center) where many students were crowded around the wall-sized TV screen watching equally stunned reporters. All were shocked, and many were crying. It was as if no one knew what to do, or how to react.
One of my father's fraternity brothers from Penn State's wife was on the plane that crashed into the First WTC tower, but other than that I didn't know anyone else killed. Ali, on the other hand, knew many people killed, some whom she had just graduated high school with the spring before. Penn State set up many centers for those who felt they needed to talk to someone, but after the initial craze was over, things seemed to get back to normal. That day will never be forgotten.
My boyfriend, who is from Washington, DC, and I visited the September 11th exibit at the American History Museum in DC this past summer. It was unreal to see the pictures and items in rememberance of that horrible day. It brought back the initial feelings of shock and saddness, and the longing sense of why. I am now a Junior at Penn State, and we ofter remember the events of that day. It is still unreal to imagine the events that unfolded that day actually occurred. We continue to pray for the families of those killed, and our amazing country that has been able to move past this event and come out stronger than before. God Bless America!

Haley