On the morning of Sept. 11, acts of terrorism on America shocked our nation. At 8:45 a.m., American Air Lines Flight 11 crashed into number one World Trade Center, followed by United Air Lines Flight 175 crashing into number two World Trade Center 21 minutes later. Both towers collapsed with in an hour, trapping and killing a still undetermined number of employees and rescuers. The tragic events of the day jolted the lives of all, especially the lives of the people of the Quinnipiac community.
Jill Martin, chair of the legal studies department, said, “This is a tragedy, and a lot of people have been affected. In the United States, there has always been a balance between safety and freedom. Now it’s likely this balance will change.”
“I am deeply saddened for our nation by what happened this week. I think of those going off to work and those going to visit those fantastic towers and my heart breaks. We, as Americans, have been so insulted by this kind of violence and we have little experience to help us cope,” said Michael Miller, director of the Carl Hansen Student Center. “I am left with so many emotions. However, one thing has become clear and that is that human nature hasn’t changed very much over the centuries. When will humanity learn to live in peace?”
“It’s a terrible tragedy and a real wake up call for our nation. This is the biggest test for the United States since Pearl Harbor,” said Alan Dobson, a third-year law student at Quinnipiac.
“With my interest and what I know about our country’s intelligence services, the government has spent too much money over the past few years on high tech eavesdropping and intelligence gathering, rather than human intelligence, which doesn’t have to do with satellites and phone taps. Rather, it has more to do with spies and buying information,” said Josh Hughes, also a third-year law student. “All we would have needed is to find someone to tell us something big was going to happen in New York on Tuesday.”
Stephanie Cunha, a sophomore mass communications major said, “I felt like it was a dream, I felt sick to my stomach. I feel shocked and dismayed, I want to know who did this.”
“This is unreal, its out of a movie. It wasn’t predicted. I think it caught the U.S. off guard,” said Katie Barszcz, a public relations major. “This is a complete tragedy and it really makes you value life.”
“I’ve never been more frightened in my life. It was like watching a movie; it didn’t seem real,” said senior Stephanie Zaniboni. “I felt helpless because I didn’t know where my family and friends were and I was lucky they were safe. America will never be the same.”
Ray Basso, a law student of the Quinnipiac University School of Law said, “My initial reaction has been on shock, sorrow, and anger. Part of me wants retribution, then part of me thinks it might not be the best solution.”
Tracy Lipsky, a sophomore physical therapy major likens the tragedies to an old saying passed down in her family, “Like my mother always said, `You should make every day count because you never know what will happen tomorrow.'”
Kevin Green, a freshman journalism major said, “It was hard for me to deal with this because my aunt used to work in the World Trade Center. It was a slap in the face to all Americans; it has woken people up. This should be a time of comforting.”
“I will always remember when and where I was when I heard the terrible news. I was in the bathroom getting ready for my 9:30 a.m. class when I heard the news on the radio. Right then and there I broke down into tears,” said Jen Adams, a junior business major as she absentmindedly picked at her sandwich.
Peter Tran, a freshman business and administration major said, “I think some other countries won’t help the U.S. in a state of tragedy. Everyone should be friends and corporate with each other. Other countries should be helping us.”