Numbness. Shock. Frantic phone calls. Disbelief. Prayer circles. Communities of television viewers.
These were the feelings and images shared by the Hopkins community in the wake of the worst attack America has ever seen in its history.
For the first time, members of this generation can credibly say they lived through a major traumatic historical event. Our grandparents had Pearl harbor. Our parents had Vietnam. And now we have Sept. 11. Comparisons to the Oklahoma City Bombing, the U.S.S. Cole incident and the Kenya bombing pale in stature, despite their magnitude.
Some people cried. Some quietly watched the news. Some people frantically called everyone they could think of. Hardly a soul went through the day without some concerned contact from parents or relatives.
Instead of a normal jubilation that usually stems from class cancellation, students were quiet. Large crowds gathered around radios and televisions. An ominous silence pervaded the campus. All remained silent as they watched the news or listened to the radio.
Frustration abounded. Many phones wouldn't work. Students knew that all they could do from Baltimore is watch.
The only thing many students could do was pray and give blood. Some gathered in groups to pray. Many flooded Union Memorial Hospital, only to be turned away by long waits. Some managed to be called back and make their donation wishes a reality.
The frustration developed at the outset of Tuesday only increased. Students along with the rest of the country want to know who is responsible and punish them accordingly.
As the day wore on, the magnitude of Sept. 11 became frighteningly clear. Every thought went by the wayside. School, money, homework, boyfriends, girlfriends. Nothing mattered. Only one thing did: an innocence was lost. We've never felt this unsafe. And as we watch the images of planes crashing into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, the Twin Towers collapsing, we wonder if we will ever be truly safe again.
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