And so this is where I was when the world 'stopped turning' seven years ago:
150 miles away from home. It was the fourth or fifth day of my freshmen year of college. I was feeling lonely and sad from having to say goodbye to my family and start this new journey of my life just a few days prior. I was going through what most college students do at first. I was nervous - is this really where I was supposed to be. I was sad - would I make any friends?
Tuesday morning came and I went to my education class that was being held in the Hammermill Library computer lab. As we were waiting for class to start, I checked my email on the computer like the rest of the class. The prof came in, LeAnn Roberts, and began the class. She mentioned something, "did anyone hear of the plane crashes or anything?" I had no clue what she was talking about - I thought it was just another 'normal' crash and didn't really think much about it. One of my classmates said that they had seen in on CNN and explained that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. So for the next 10 minutes we were scrambling for any information we could get on the incident.
As the class ended and more info had become available about the attack, it was about then that pandamonium struck the campus. Students were nervously running everywhere. Classes were being cancelled left and right. I ran by to my dorm in Baldwin Hall 307 to call my parents. I couldn't get through. The phone lines were jammed like crazy. I turned on the tv to watch in horror what it was that had happened 55 minutes previous. It was my only connection, plus the internet, to the outside world. It was sooo frightening not being able to get ahold of my parents.
I watched the news for the next hour or so and during the broadcast they had made comments that a third plane had hit the Pentagon and a fourth plane had gone down but they weren't sure of the location. Their speculation: Pittsburgh, PA. I cannot even describe to you the fear I felt during that moment. I still hadn't gotten a hold of my family b/c of the jammed phone lines. But all of these horrifying things ran through my head - "oh my gosh, my Dad works downtown and he works for the government ... is he dead?"
Eventually, I got a hold of my parents and found out the everyone was alright. My mom explained the chaos that had ensued at the local high school as parents were trying to pick up their children. I was glad to know everyone was safe.
I made my way outside and saw that people had assembled around the fountain for a prayer service. They had a book set up where you could write prayer requests and I remember writing, "Pray for the people who committed these atrocious acts. Pray that they would come to know the love of God." I hung around there for a while and found a few of my friends. The reports on television were saying that what they needed now, as they were treating all of the injured people, was blood. So, a small group of us to start, decided to take a trip to the blood bank to donate blood.
Thousands and thousands of people were in line to give blood by the time I left. It was really, at this point, the only way to help besides to pray. Anxiety hung over everyone the rest of the day - people making phone calls to check to see if their families were well. Classes were canceled the next day. That weekend almost all of the students from campus went home. It was just a time when people wanted to be with family. I remember church on Sunday was super packed - there was hardly anywhere to sit. People were just so afraid.
Weeks later, as the anthrax scares began, Mercyhurst received a serious one. A letter, supposedly with anthrax in it, was sent to the school and was in Old Main. Anyone who had even walked through there was to receive testing to see if they were infected. Again, the school shut down and many governments were called to the school. It was almost like the scene in E.T. where they are testing Elliot and ET and everyone is wearing those scary looking white spaceman-like suits. Hundreds of students needed to be tested. It was super frightening. Luckily, I was not one of them. I remember going to Arby's across E. 38th street for dinner b/c NO ONE wanted to eat in the cafeteria for fear of anthrax.
What a crazy first month of college!
I didn't personally know anyone who died in the 9/11 attacks, but the whole event still saddens me. It's unebelievable now to think that is even happened. Wow.
So yeah, that's where I was when the world stopped turning seven years ago ...
(disclaimer - I did not proofread this ... don't judge me!)
