nmah13.xml

nmah13.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-06-11

I was in my third undergraduate year at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Classes had barely begun, and I was looking forward to my new Tuesday schedule. When my clock radio, set to a country music station, began sounding what sounded like news coverage, I knew something was wrong. I heard something about a crash at the World Trade Center, but I did not understand the event's severity .
Hurrying to my workplace before class, I gathered more snatches of the story from others in the office. The University had cancelled its classes (the University never cancels classes). The secretary likened the event to Pearl Harbor. My immediate worry was that we would go to war. The office did not have a television nor radio, so I headed to lecture anyway. The professor was standing with a small group of students, discussing what was happening. Yearning for news, I left to the computer lab to read CNN.com. I stared at the monitor for about an hour, absolutely shocked. I read as much as I could find, and watched the stomach-turning video footage of the crash. I sent an email to my friend who goes to college in the Bronx. My mind was filled with concern for our country and my male friends who would be eligible for a draft. I realized that I loved them.
Feeling very alone, I walked back to my apartment. I quietly, continuously, and tearfully prayed for Mary's protection as I walked.
Once home, I called my mother to ask about our relatives in New York and Pennsylvania. The news had simply said a plane crashed near Pittsburgh, and we have family out there. I joined my housemates in watching the television coverage. I may have had a schoolbook nearby me, under the pretense of studying, but I could not concentrate. They showed the crashes again and again. Within an hour my best friend came over too. It was good to have him around for comfort.
He and I had already planned on having dinner that night, and we did not change those plans. We ate at a nearby Irish restaurant, then we headed into campus. I had seen impromptu flyers advertising a University-community candlelight vigil on the Diag, our campus gathering place. With candles lit and flags flying, some people led an spontaneous Pledge of Allegiance. The vigil was student-organized with a number of leaders representing multiple belief systems speaking to the group. Catholic, Jew, Muslim, Protestant, atheist... we were all unified during those moments. Emotions ran strong but I would not be able to cry for days. The next day, classes were in session. Most of mine were simply discussions about the recent events. My political science professor lectured on the use of terrorism as a political mechanism; this was not on the syllabus but good to learn. I ate lunch outside with my best friend and was terrified to see fighter jets fly over campus; I had thought all airtraffic was outlawed.

Since September 11 I have tried to educate myself better about the world political scene.
I worried about attending college football games because the American-filled stadium could be a target, but I attended anyway.
I was scared to accept a summer 2002 internship in DC.
I tied a white ribbon to my backpack because, sickened by the violence of September 11, I became something of a pacifist.

The crashes affected the entire nation, whether personally or not.
In the end, I gained a greater respect for Americans.

I did fly a flag inside my living room window from September 17 until late April 2002.