Tashika Varma

The day of 9/11, I was sitting in my 5th grade math class. While I was figuring out long division, I started noticing students getting picked up by their parents. My parents worked in central Houston while we lived in the suburbs, 45 minutes away. My mother was a teacher and couldn’t get off work until 6:30. Once 4 p.m. hit, I was one of the few students left in my classroom.
I was confused and had no idea what was going on. All I knew is that I was mad that all my friends got to leave early, while I was stuck in after school care. Finally around 4:30, my grandparents came and picked me up since my mom could not.
They were silent, which was normal for my grandfather but out of the ordinary for my chatterbox grandmother. They took me to get donuts and then we went home and sat in front of the television.
Every part of it was confusing to a fifth grader, but I knew that something horrible happened. When my mom explained it to me, fear entered my mind, but I knew I was okay if my mom was still with me.
I think that 9/11 is one of those days that nobody forgets. Something that tragic will always stay in your memories, no matter the age.

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Chris

The morning of September 11th, 2001 begins in my car driving to class at SMU. I was listening to the radio and hearing all sorts of reports of attacks in New York. I thought is another “one of those” headlines where an event was getting more attention than it needed. I remember walking into morning class at 9:30 am, and listening to everyone talking about the events. It was then, I realized it was for real, and that something serious was occurring. The professor gave us the option to leave class, and when that option was offered, the entire class cleared. I made my way to a friend’s dorm and it was then that I was able to watch on live television, the second plane hit one of the towers. It was a sickening and saddening sight. That day led to varied experiences over the next few weeks that truly opened my eyes to society and human rights. As an Indian-American whose parents are immigrants from India, I experienced much backlash from the events that occurred from angry people simply because I looked as if I were from Middle Eastern descent. Racial slurs were hurled at me on many occasions and I felt just a general fear from people. This experience gave me such a different perspective on what it feels like to be treated unfairly. Being a U.S. citizen, I remember asking myself the question, “Am I not an American too?” I believe that every experience one goes through is an opportunity for learning. Although the events of 9-11 were tragic, I can genuinely say that those events have forced me to look at the world in a more accepting light. I was called into a deeper appreciation of people, regardless of the “label” that society has placed on them. God bless America for being a land where everyone can be respected as human beings!

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Taylor Lack

I was living in California at the time and I was getting ready for school in the morning. I remember walking into my mom’s bathroom and she was just sitting there crying. There are few time I had ever seen her cry which meant that something was terribly wrong, but I didn’t yet know what was happing. I kept trying to console her and say everything would be ok, when she looked at me and said, “No it won’t.” I was scared by her response and thats when she took me to the t.v. and showed me the Towers collapsing. It was surreal. I still went to school that day and during prayer my teacher began sobbing in front of the whole class. There was crying around the nation that day. There was anger, fear and a strong desire for togetherness. I was in the 5th grade and a week later I cleaned out my piggy bank and my candy stash and put them in a big envelope for a family friend to send them to New York and assist the Firefighters… because I felt they needed something sweet in their turmoil and I wanted to help in any positive way. I was glued to the news everyday to celebrate survivors found and pray for those who were not with the hope that they would be. Getting older, that day carries more weight and impact. It is a day that will never be forgotten as many innocent lives were lost and not the day our country fell apart, but the day our country truly came together in an outpouring of love and compassion for each other- for America.

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Joel

As the Lord would have it, on that day I did not have to be at work until much later after all the havoc … I was dozing on the couch watching the Today show … UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!

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Viktoriya

On September 11, 2001, I was in the 6th grade. I didn’t even make it thru first period when the entire school turned the lights off and nothing but emergency lights were on. The school turned all the televisions on showing live footage of the tragedy. I remember not really understanding what was going on and seeing crying unsure faces. I felt horrible and had a weird feeling for the entire rest of the day as I walked the halls listening to stories such as, “my father went on a flight today” or “my dad lives in New York.” I remember the day like it was yesterday and will remember it forever.

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Matt

I was sitting in my 6th grade art class when the towers were hit. We were a rowdy bunch of sixth graders so the noise level was high. Something came on the intercom as our teacher told us to shut up and listen but it was over before we all calmed down. The teacher seemed very upset and told us to go back to work and keep the noise down. Throughout the day no one ever mentioned the tragedy that had occurred. Looking back now I do recall the teachers and staff being very somber while trying to keep us busy. The seriousness of the situation became apparent before I even knew there was a situation when my mom actually got out of the car and ran to me as I got out of class and hugged me while she cried. The first thing I asked was “what’s wrong? who died?” Then on my way home she unveiled the catastrophe that the nation was facing. All afternoon we watched the progression of the rescue on television. Although I was told by my parents how much this would affect my life I didn’t believe it then. Now as time goes by I know that I will never forget this day.

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Rita Kirk

The pictures. We watched it all unfold. As a professor who studies communication, I wondered who set this up. The first images of Tower I in flames was frightening, but we all wondered if the pilot had a heart attack or the plane had a mechanical malfunction. A tragedy to be sure, but it had to be an accident. We knew instantly that it was not 20 minutes or so later. The masterminds behind this made sure that the cameras were all rolling when the second plane crashed into Tower II. It’s one thing to hear about an attack but another to witness it. That day, we all bore witness.

The images. What counters those horrific images? All the good ones: President Bush standing at ground zero with bullhorn in hand telling the exhausted first responders that America can hear them and that soon those who did this will hear from all of us; students, faculty, staff gathered at the flagpole at SMU, joining hands, singing, praying; churches, mosques, synagogues, and other houses of worship filling their pews; candlelight vigils; First Responders showing us what real heroes do daily; stories of every day Americans who stopped another plane from hitting our Capital as they sacrificed their own lives; people who started looking each other in the eye and offering a hug because it just felt right.

We became a united country again on that day. I doubt that the so-called masterminds ever thought that would be our resolve. I hope 9/11 made us kinder, more aware of how we need each other, and more thankful for the blessings of this nation. We can IF we choose to replace the pictures of terror with the images of promise.

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Erin

I was in 5th grade when the twin towers in New York were hit. I was eating breakfast with my mom and sister before school started. I remember my Dad calling my Mom in a panic and she quickly turned on the news. While I didn’t understand what those flaming buildings meant, it was undoubtedly a day that was going to change everything. In school we didn’t do any work, we simply talked and listened to the radio because the teachers were all in shock.

It wasn’t until later in the day that I was able to understand the impact of what had happened. My Dad was driving me back from the barn I rode at and we stopped at a gas station. The complete stranger at the pump next to us broke down and started crying. Now, my Dad is not a big people person, but he walked up to her and gave her a hug and tried to make her feel better. When he got back in the car he told me how the woman had just received the news that her brother didn’t make it out of the building. That moment I realized how one event could unite a nation – it was something everyone was talking about and something no one would ever forget.

And to this day, it’s apparent that no one has. God Bless America.

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Bora Laci

I was in sixth grade when 9/11 occurred, and i still remember it like it was yesterday.

We were walking in a straight line from the library to our classroom, when all of a sudden our TV screens turned on and right in front of our eyes we say Tower 1 and Tower 2 go down.

I did not have any family members at the scene, but my heart ached for my classmates who were saying my daddy, or my mommy works there. I still did not understand what was going on, and remember my parents coming early to pick me up. When I went home, my parents explained what had just happened and why. We watched the news the whole day, and were praying for the other families who lost someone dear to their life.

The impact affected everyone, and from there on in school we would have a moment of silence and remember the tragic events that shaped our country.

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Yolette Garcia

My recollections of 9/11 begin with my short drive to work. I was the news director of KERA 90.1 at the time and as was my habit, I began my day listening to KERA and NPR on the radio as soon as I awakened.

Nothing was particularly unusual until I hopped in my car and I heard the national anchor and newscaster report that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York. My immediate reaction was, “What kind of a pilot would make such a serious mistake?” I thought it must have been a small, malfunctioning plane that had gotten lost or off track. It was an accident, it seemed.

NPR had played that news carefully with minimal detail because the organization hadn’t been able to confirm what had happened, so I kept driving, but then the details started to trickle out: Two planes hit and they were large, passenger crafts; they were from American Airlines, headquartered in DFW. Suddenly the horrible reality hit me. This was no accident and I picked up my cellphone to call KERA’s anchor. What did he know, I asked? Not more than what was broadcast from Washington, but we both knew there would be implications for Dallas and Fort Worth. Although I was nearing the station, the drive couldn’t happen quickly enough.

As soon as I rushed into the newsroom, I cancelled the assignments we had for that day, and our reporting staff and I huddled. What do we need to cover, as the story unfurls? Someone was dispatched to DFW airport, another to the Earle Cabell Federal Building in downtown Dallas, and the rest of us worked the phones. I was concerned that an attack could happen here, and then what would we do? No matter what the uncertainty and chaos were, we couldn’t let it affect us. We had to be calm and think about our community of audiences first.

Aside from dealing with our own reports, I also spent my time answering calls from NPR, the BBC and Radio Netherlands, among others, all needing access to either us or our studios. We had to feed news around the world. I could see the tasks at hand, but little did I realize life in our country would never be the same.

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