BUIES CREEK – This week we asked students, alumni, staff and faculty via our Facebook site to share their memories of Sept. 11, 2001. Sunday, the nation will recognize the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, D.C. and rural Pennsylvania.
Current Campbell students were in elementary and middle school on that day and some recalled their confusion upon learning what happened while in school. Those who attended Campbell during the time, most in their late 20s and early 30s now, remember the shock and fear they felt … and how the country came together in the following days, weeks and months.
“I remember being in a fog until I reached Reardon Apartments to watch the never-ending news coverage,” wrote Suzanne Matthews, who heard about the first plane hitting while in a logic class in the Divinity Building. “I grew up in a town in New Jersey where you could see the NYC skyline. The panic for my family and friends was overwhelming.”
The following are some of the comments posted. Add your comments at our Facebook site or email [email protected]/* */.
Jennifer O’Neil: I was getting ready for my 9:30 a.m. psych class as I watched the first and second towers get hit on TV. When I arrived in class, the professor had no idea of the news. He carried on as usual. By the time class was over, CU had canceled the rest of classes for the day.
Kristin Lane: I was in the sixth grade at Southern Nash Middle School. No one knew what was happening; the principal didn’t want us scared. However, I remember going to band, and my band director said, “This is the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.” And here I am at Campbell majoring in criminal justice, hoping our homeland security minor comes through so I can get my minor in homeland security.
Johanna Schmersal: My roommate and I were asleep, both skipping our morning marketing class. Her fiance called from High Point and said, “You have to turn on the TV. Turn on the TV right now.” We watched Peter Jennings on ABC for days after that, trying to keep things humorous by counting the number of times he changed his shirt or his tie, even though none of us felt like laughing.
Jennifer Haigh: My roommate came back from her early class and switched on the television. I didn’t know what to think as the things she was saying did not even compute. I stood in a towel and watched the dust rise from Ground Zero and all the people running down the streets. I went to Environmental Science, and Dr. Larson was in his uniform. And he talked about the world, and how this had changed it forever.
Libby Green: I actually was getting ready to go to class, and for an usual reason that morning I had the news on. I watched in dismay. I never knew classes were canceled … I just did not go. I was shocked because two weeks before, I was in a plane from the same airport the planes left from.
Melissa Valenzuela: I was taking British Lit on Pope Air Force Base during that time and other classes at Liberty, so I remember it being a nightmare getting to and from class my last semester. That morning, my husband was out-processing and on lock down on Fort Liberty.
Mandi Chew: I was in middle school in science. We watched it on the news some, but then the teachers started getting really upset, because we lived in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and it was so close. My mom came and picked me up from school, but I didn’t know what was going on or what terrorism meant.
Rebekah Smith: I was getting ready for my 9:30 a.m. biochemistry class and found out via Instant Messenger. Our class still carried on as usual, so I don’t think any of us realized exactly what happened until that afternoon. It wasn’t actually until the following year (2002) that I actually had a chance to sit down and watch all the 9/11 footage.
Dustin Mobley: I initially saw the news coverage after the first plane hit. At that point, no one knew what was going on. I was glued to the TV when the second plane hit, and then the towers collapsed. I remember not being able to pay attention in class at all later that day. Marie Mobley (now my wife, then my fiance) and I lived in separate buildings in the Reardon Apartments. Soon after the attack, we worked to turn the three adjacent windows in each of our living rooms into large American flags using rolls of red, white and blue paper. My window faced Pine Cone Road, and hers faced Harmon Road. There were many other displays of patriotism all around campus.
Maureen Elias: I was heading to breakfast with my new husband of two weeks (also an alum) at Fort Huachuca when our drill sergeant came running up shouting, “They just bombed the Pentagon.” We headed to the nearest TV and watched in horror as the second plane hit, and then those mighty towers collapsed.
Kat Spradley: I was at Bank of America in Charlotte with the Trust Majors sitting in a board room when another student received a message from her brother about the first tower he was working in.
Laura Leigh Musmeci: I was a freshman at UNC-Wilmington, and I just remember being confused as to why classes were canceled and why there were so many crying. I was horrified when I realized what had happened … my heart just broke for everyone.
Suzanne Matthews: I was in logics class in the Divinity Building when we heard something about the first plane hitting. We all assumed it was a commuter plane and an accident. After class, I had to stop by the old building that all the English professors were in, and they were all gathered around a radio listening to the news reports. I remember being in a fog until I reached the Reardon Apartments to watch the never-ending news coverage. I grew up in a town in New Jersey where you could see the NYC skyline. The panic for my family and friends was overwhelming. I was in a state of denial for a long time after that. I remember finally breaking down and crying at the SGA retreat that weekend at our Sunday morning worship service.
Stephen Andrew Barton: I was 21 and heading to CEP. People were talking about planes crashing into the World Trade Center. I believe they canceled CEP, or I chose to leave to watch the horror at home. I still can remember staring at my TV in disbelief and wondering who I knew that had been affected by this act of terrorism…everyone.
Tim Prentice: I was a student at Campbell on Sept. 11, 2001, just beginning my junior year. I was getting ready for class in my Coats apartment when someone sent me a message over AIM. It was from a friend at JMU who told me a plane had just crashed into one of the twin towers. At first I thought it was a joke and tried to get on a couple of the national news websites — CNN, MSNBC, etc. — but could not get on any of them. I turned on the TV and the news coverage showed smoke billowing out of the North Tower. I was shocked and as it was being reported at that time, I thought it was a horrible accident. It was a very somber day, and I remember thinking that the world would never be the same. We could no longer ignore the terror that seemed to plague far off lands … it had hit home and would change our way of life forever.
Leslie Williams Enea: I was waiting to go to Dr. Fragedakis’ research class (psychology). I couldn’t get off the TV that morning, but I managed to make it on time. It was quite a somber class that morning, so she let us go after too much emotion took over. It was a really scary, confusing day.
Michael DeBerry: I was in logic class and someone came in and said a small plane hit one of the towers. Later someone left class and came back and said both towers had fallen. Our professor looked at her like she was crazy and continued with class.
Jessica Langdeaux: I was driving to work and heard it on the radio. At first I thought it was a joke since I had just gotten in my car, I thought, “That’s not funny at all.” Oh, how I wish it had been a distasteful radio station prank.
Lynne Church: I was turning at the intersection of Oak Grove Church Road and 55. I heard on the radio a “small private plane had clipped the WTC.” I thought “idiot.” I was driving in front of First Baptist Church of Buies Creek when I heard there was a second plane and these were commercial airliners. I parked quickly behind D. Rich and raced into the commuting student lounge screaming, “What channel is Fox News? War! War! We are at War!” We sat there stunned throughout the day, only leaving for classes as necessary. In the lounge, we compared it to Pearl Harbor. Some were canceled. I looked around and thought, “This time next year, this campus is going to look like Meredith.” God has blessed us beyond measure. That was a horrible day, but this has not been a bad decade. God be praised for that. U.S. military be thanked for that.