70 thoughts on “Blog #146 – Oral Interviews on 9/11/01”

1. Christina J September 19, 2022 at 7:23 pm

   My mom’s name is Nicole Jones, and she was 25 when in 2001 when 9/11 occured.
   Q2: What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
   A (parapharsed): she was teaching, and a friend came in the room and told her to turn on the TV- so her and her classroom of fourth graders did so. She had never been to New York, so she didn’t know how big the world trade center was, and how big of a deal the entire thing was. She underestimated the situation- didn’t think that it was as bad as it was. The principal then came over the loudspeaker and instructed everyone to turn the televisions off. People then went insane, chaos. Teachers watched it in the teacher’s lounge, everyone was scared because they didn’t know exactly what had happened. Everyone flooded into the hallway, scared because they figured that the bombings would increase, and that the entire US was under attack. They figured we were going to war. Everyone picked up their kids, and were able to go home early.
   Q5: Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
   A (paraphrased): She knew her friend Dana. Dana lived in outside of New York City, in the suburbs. My mom called her and made sure she was okay. She wasn’t worried about Dana because my mom knew that she wasn’t in the line of fire.
   Q7:What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
   A (paraphrased): It was crazy, everyone started talking about gas, and the prices rising. They rose by that night, from a low price of about 1.50 per gallon, to 5.00 per gallon. My Uncle Christopher was in the Air Force, so she worried about him, if we were to go to war. Every News Station talked about it, you couldn’t escape it. They displayed graphic clips of people falling to their deaths, and digging through the rubble. Everyone was afraid.
   Q14: Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
   A (paraphrased): She doesn’t think that America’s changed at all. But after 9/11, there was a rise in American pride. Everyone tried to support, unifying everyone. Middle Eastern people were targeted and hated because of what some of their people had done.
   (My question): How did 9/11 impact you?
   A (paraphrased): It was a really defined experience in her mind, she remembers every moment of it. It was a terrible and crazy time. Made everyone more fearful and scared.

   My reaction: 9/11 was a terrible time, and I think I would’ve reacted the same, I woud’ve been terrified. It was a horrific event, and I feel so bad about the fact that people had to live through that. I think that more changes should have been made after the event, to keep people safer just in general. The airplane changes were good, but we could’ve gone father than that. I’ve heard a lot about the event, and I can empathize with everyone who was affected by it and lived through it. I pray that nothing like this ever happens again, because it’s truly such a scary thing to have to deal with, and I also think that it’s important that we commemorate the lives that were lost during the event.
2. Enzo Morucci September 19, 2022 at 7:57 pm

   I don’t have any family members that are American or that were here in the US when the attack on the twin towers occurred, and I thought that it would be interesting to see what was the reaction in other countries when 9/11 happened, so I talked to my mom about the event. Her name is Vanessa Morucci and she was 25 when the attack happened. She was living in Curitiba, Brazil. I asked her what was her first memory of the event taking place, and she responded saying that she was at work, at the architectural firm she was working for at the time, and she was chatting with her colleagues, when her boss runs into the room, telling everyone to check out what was happening on the internet. When she first saw the video, She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, she thought her boss was just showing her a fake movie or clip someone has made up, but he kept insisting to her that it was indeed real. I asked her how other people reacted to seeing the videos, to which she responded, recalling that everyone was terrified, because they’d always believed that control and protection in the airport was very well done, bordering on excessive, and they all couldn’t believe that someone could stow away and hijack the plane. The most vivid memory she has of the attacks was the image of the plane crashing into the tower, and that it was truly a horrifying sight. She remembers thinking about all the people that worked in that tower and their families while watching the clip. For the rest of the day and the next few days afterwards, work in the office stopped. No one could focus on the work or think about anything other than the attack. Everyone was in utter shock, wondering about how it would change their lives.

   Interviewing my mom about this really showed me that the attack not only changed the lives of people in the US, but also people everywhere else in the world, and that the entire world is connected and could go through terrible experience during and in the aftermath of this terrible event. It changed my view of the event in a very large way. I wasn’t there at 9/11, but having been at the 9/11 museum, seeing the history everywhere, and understanding what happened, provided a massive opportunity to think and changed my views on the tragedy. Thinking about all the stories, and the lives that we’re lost, and how each of those people had their own life, hopes and dreams that would never be accomplished, alters your view on everything entirely. Also, not only thinking of the ones that were lost, but the ones that remained. Each of their lives were changed irrevocably and each of them have their story to tell of the event. It saddens me to think that some people are capable of such things as taking another life.
3. Lauren M. September 19, 2022 at 8:24 pm

   Interview with Kendre Heger on 9/11

   How old were you/what was your occupation/field when 9/11 happened?

   In 2001 I was 29 and I was in my third year of Law School at U of M
   What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks?
   I remember coming out of class and everyone wondering the halls just trying to find a television of some other news sources.
   Where were you when the attacks happened? Describe the continued coverage and what you did or stopped doing.
   I was at Law school in ann arbre and in class. I dont remember, but I believe classes had been cancelled that day. I do remember just being in the hallways and talking to people because the summer before I was actually an Intern in Washington DC for three months so I also remember sending texts to friends who I worked with to make sure they were okay and then also getting replies of tanks on corners and things like that
   How did 9/11 affect your opinion of DC from when you lived there and then moved there afterwards?

   Actually I felt very safe in DC It was a little bit Disconserting because where I lived was in virginia and the metro stop was at the pentagon so that was close for awhile and there were a lot of reminders of the happenings because of when the pentagon was hit. When I was at a law firm in DC I remember my offices being on the 12th and 13th floor, and I we were given emergency packets that included thermal blankets and water, and it was understood that if something happened I would have to walk home.

   What was the media coverage like? – for how long was it at the forefront?
   I remember it being very dominant in the media coverage for months and months but I do remember the day of the attacks, going home and just sitting and watching and dozing overnight. With so much coverage. I dont remember what I watched but life just sorta stopped for a period of time.

   I found it really interesting to have a focused discussion about 9/11, and it helped my paint a more rounded image in my head. Hearing directly about the level of nationwide impact was definitely intriguing. I hadn’t know my mom had interned in DC before 9/11, but I did know she lived there afterwards, and I was really interested in how that shaped her ongoing experience. I also often forget that it was not just the twin towers, but the Pentagon as well that was attacked. Overall I’m glad I was able to discuss this with my mom and learn more from a first person account
4. Renna R September 19, 2022 at 8:37 pm

   1. Andrew Robinson, 30 years old at the time of attack.
   2. I heard that a small plane crashed into the first tower and we all thought it was an accident. We heard about the second plane and everyone realized how serious the situation was. We sent people home from work and we met in my manager’s office and watched the coverage on TV.
   3. I was at work at the time, and we were all in shock.
   4. I’ve been to both NYC and DC. Being to New York prior helped me to understand the exact location of the crash. It showed me how resilient New Yorkers are and how everyone came together to care for the people in need.
   5. I did not know anyone in the cities.
   6. I wasn’t stranded, I was in Cleveland at the time.
   7. Everyone was very upset, they were crying and still in shock from the video of people jumping from the building. The next day, a lot of people thought that up to ten thousand people may have died which was terrifying.
   8. The most vivid memory is seeing the towers collapse in real time- it felt like a dream. No one for a second thought that the buildings would collapse even after the crashes.
   9. After, there was very little travel and when we did, there were very long lines for security. It felt very different.
   10. It was nonstop for weeks. They continued to get more and more stories from first res ponders as well as them trying to find people alive in the rubble.
   11. I remember watching it but I didn’t think much of it.
   12. mainly the travel was different.
   13. The wars were based on bad evidence that was made up. It’s unfortunate that the wars occurred at all, and by entering them we have created a whole new generation of people who hate Americans, making the situation worse.
   14. The country has become much more polarized due to a lack of trust between the parties. In the last 5 years or so there is less remembrance of 9/11. I hope it is never forgotten.
5. Kiera September 19, 2022 at 9:28 pm

   Sejal Shreffler was thirty-one on September 11, 2001. She was at work conversing with her designer when a man who sat behind her said “Hey a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center”. She replied “Oh really” she wasn’t thinking much of it, thinking it was a small plane and an accident. Sejal went back to discussing things with her designer when the man behind them said another plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. She became shocked and wanted to know more about what happened. After the second crash, she had an idea that this was not an accident. Memories that she has about other people’s reaction is a lot of chaos. Many rumors were spread about what had happened. A specific rumor she heard was that a plane crashed into the capital. This surprised me how fast news can travel especially rumors. People’s reactions in the days following the attacks included lots of sadness and surprise. Something like this had never happened and no one knew what to think of it. Many people were interested in who did this and why it occurred. One thing that she mentioned to me that surprised me was she had to get on a plane a month after the attacks which caused a lot of worries. Sejal remembers there was nonstop media coverage about the attacks. She was told to leave work early the day of the attacks and once she got home, she spent the rest of her day on the couch watching the news. The media went on for many days following the attacks hoping there would be survivors found. She described America’s changing after the attacks as less trusting. Many things changed especially in airports, for example, needing to take shoes off, and going through security. Things not only changed in America but also in the Middle East, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She believes it wasn’t necessary to start a war with Iraq considering they were not responsible for what happened on 9/11.
6. Camryn J September 19, 2022 at 9:56 pm

   What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   “Jason Jones. I was 23 years old when 9/11 occurred.”
   What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
   “My first memory is that I was getting ready for work but decided to turn on the TV to catch a bit of the news and was horrified to see a plane had struck the World Trade Center. I thought it was an accident initially. A plane probably had a malfunction and this terrible tragedy was the result. Also while you always heard of terrorist attacks across the globe, it wasn’t something you’d expect here. The first bombing at the World Trade Center was so long ago and the impact was nothing like this. In just a few minutes, my thinking about the entire situation changed. When the second plane hit I was stunned and knew exactly what was going on. The country was under attack, and I was terrified.”
   Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
   “I was in my apartment in Denver and my first thoughts were to see if my extended family, in New York, was safe. Luckily they were, including my aunt who worked across the street from the World Trade Center. Everyone’s reactions were the same that I spoke with. Everyone was stunned and everyone was glued to the television and all news outlets replayed the crashes over and over and over.”
   Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?
   “I’ve been to New York City many times since that’s where my family is from. I’ve also been to DC many times as well having attended college in Virginia. I think the exposure made everything very real. I’d stood next to the World Trade Center and to see it come down was mind blowing.
   What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
   “Things shifted from fear to an odd sense of unity pretty quickly. For a short window of time the country felt like we all were on the same side. Many also quickly turned to the desire for revenge. So while an increased sense of patriotism swept the country, there was also growing Islamophobia.”
   6. Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
   “Seeing people jump out of the highest windows in that building in order to possibly have a chance at survival will be forever burned in my brain. When someone thinks I have a better chance at living if I leap from this skyscraper, you know just how scared they were. It was haunting.”

   From all of the times that I’ve personally learned about 9/11, I didn’t hear much about what people initially thought the situation was. After hearing my dad’s responses I realized the level of confusion and fear people must have been feeling that day. When we learn about 9/11 now, you immediately are told it was a malicious attack but real time people had no idea what was happening. After hearing about it I realize how shocking it would be to hear something as horrific as planes being crashed into buildings wasn’t an accident. I also thought it was an interesting point how traumatizing it could have been to see the same clip of the plane crashing played over and over in news coverage for so long.
7. Tyler C September 19, 2022 at 10:04 pm

   I interviewed my mother, Michelle Gallardo:

   Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?-

   I was working at the Ford headquarters in Dearborn, MI. We were completely shocked by the fact that there could be an attack within the borders of the country.

   Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?-

   I had a friend who routinely took one of the flights that was hijacked. He lived in lower Manhattan where the army had tanks occupying the streets protecting it and keeping guard. I contacted him to make sure he was ok. He was traumatized because he always took that flight but was just plain lucky that he wasn’t on the flight, the tanks also made him feel unsafe.

   I had a second friend who was literally in one of the towers at the time of the incident. She ran from the building and could see people literally jumping from the building to their deaths. It was profoundly traumatic for her.

   I have a third friend who lived in a building near the twin towers. She and her husband left their home that day with their dog and their baby and only returned once to her apartment with a gas mask. She had to leave everything in her apartment, move to a new home and begin anew. Her home and possessions were contaminated with the toxic dust from the burning twin towers so she had to leave everything behind. Again, it was a very traumatic experience for my friend.

   What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?-
   People were shocked. A lot of people had a strong reaction against ethically middle eastern people. There was a rise of Islamophobia, and anti-Middle Eastern rhetoric in the days and months after the attacks. There was a lot of anger, grief, and sadness over the loss of the people who were lost on 9/11. People also generally felt less safe going about life because it was the first time in a long time that people could envision an attack on the US within US borders.

   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?-

   My most vivid memory about 9/11, is that there was a TV in the office which people stared at in shock. People watched the TV waiting for updates until the office closed and we were sent home.

   What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night? (Show them the transcript here or video below.)-
   The comments from the former president in his address were appropriately sober for such a solemn day. I didn’t really like the former president, so that bias affects my view of the speech.

   Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?-

   I think that since the attack, there have been periods in which we have experienced tremendous bias in our country against people of Middle-Eastern descent, which is deeply unfair. In addition, the process of getting through security at an airport has become much more complicated.

   Reflection:
   I was surprised to hear the stories of how people’s lives were affected by the attacks. I was shocked to hear how the fumes could drive people away from the city. I think that the bias against Middle-Eastern people in the media has very bad effects. It makes it harder to relate to people in the Middle-East, which causes it to be harder to understand their struggles as a result of the wars started by the US because of the attacks. The effects of the attacks go farther than those who we lost that day; it ripples out to those who were killed in the aftermath of the attacks in New York City, and reaches those who were killed in the Middle-East, civilians and soldiers. I think that the 9/11 attacks were devastating for not just the US, but by extension many other countries, whose people were affected by the events that came after it.
8. Asher Leopold September 19, 2022 at 10:33 pm

   KEY:
   1 – What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   2 – What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
   7 – What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
   11 – What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night? (Show them the transcript here or video below.
   14 – Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
   RESPONSES:
   1. “My name is Alexandra Mckendrick and I was twelve years olf on 9/11”
   2. “I was in sixth french class and the teachers must have told each other because my french teacher turned on the television right after the first building was struck. I was so young I couldn’t comprehend what was actually going on and I didn’t think that it was on purpose I absolutely thought a plane hit the building by accident. By the time the second plane hit the second, tower the whole room knew that it was not an accident it was intentional but we didn’t know anything that was going on.”
   7. “I was only twelve years old so I can only observe my immediate family 3 actions and those who went to school with me. Everyone was in disbelief. Nothing like this has ever happened before in my lifetime or my parents lifetime. my family was extra scared in the beginning because my dad was flying that day from Florida to Detroit but we had no idea that the attacks were targeted who they were targeting was it just me or was it all domestic flights? There was a lot of questions. When we got more information, we understood the attacks were only on the World Trade Center. I feel like all of us were walking around in shock.”
   11. “My dad would fly every weekend from Florida to Detroit and then back the following weekend. After the attacks, my family had to travel less, see each other less, and we were nervous about what would happen when someone got on a flight. We would say I love you more too. Traveling itself got a lot longer because of all the restrictions put in place to keep everybody safe after the attacks. I noticed a lot of people were a lot more somber, and had an ere of sadness around them.”
   14. “Right after 9/11, America came together. People who didn’t get along because they belong to different political parties all of a sudden United to support those who were affected by 9/11. However, with that also came a lot more Prejudice to the Arab community. kids who I would go to school with who are a Muslim or Arabic descent we’re suddenly the enemy of America and bullied or picked on even though they were Americans themselves. twenty years now on I feel like the stigma still attached to a lot of the arab-american community. I also think that Americans say they’ll “never forget” whenever 9/11 comes around, don’t post Facebook and Instagram tributes for it, but they won’t vote for the politicians who can make a change and support the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund that would provide money to families who died or were injured in the World Trade Center Twin Towers terrorist attack. The fun stopped operating in 2004. now almost 20 years on there are still people today will have long-lasting effects emotionally and physically from September 11th. As a country we should be doing more to help them.”
   REACTION: I was so surprised to hear about how large scale and widespread this event was to the American experience. The fact that every child in every school in the country was watching this happen at the same time and nthe horror these children must have experienced is just very surprising. It was a turning point in modern history and nobody knew what was happening at the start. The attacks of September 11th 2001 changed everyone’s life and unfortunately paved the way for even more racism and prejudice. It was also shocking to learn that the government has yet to compensate first responders who still have lasting injuries.
9. Gillian Erickson September 20, 2022 at 7:47 am

   What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?

   My name is kristen erickson and i was 32 on 9/11

   What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?

   When I heard about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center I was listening to the radio to Drew and Mike who always told kind of crude jokes so I thought they were joking and I thought it was in extremely poor taste. I was kind of angry about it. So, at first I didn’t believe it was real and at that point I was driving to Wayne State to attend graduate classes. I heard about the second plane hitting the World Trade Center as my first class was ending and then I was in shock knowing that it was something really bad and it wasn’t a joke at all. There was a group of us outside the classroom before the next class talking about it being a terror attack most likely, and we were trying to decide whether we should stay on campus or if we should go. It felt like we better run or something could happen to us even though most likely terrorists weren’t going to attacl wayne state.

   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?

   I have a vivid memory of being in the car thinking it was a joke, and feeling frantic about leaving campus. I also have very Vivid memories of just watching the TV for the rest of the day and actually calling my job to see if we had to come to work because I just figured the world had stopped.

   Where were you when the attacks happened?

   Driving from my apartment in Royal Oak down to Detroit to go to Wayne State.

   What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?

   That it was constant all day long and things I have never thought about happened for example how they were working to protect the president and others at the White House and how they were covering other planes that they figured out were part of the same attack, going down in other places

   Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?

   That it was constant all day long and things I have never thought about happened for example how they were working to protect the president and others at the White House and how they were covering other planes that they figured out were part of the same attack, going down in other places
   Some levels I have no idea how things have changed, for example in the FBI, CIA and all of the government parts of protecting the United States and really knowing what’s out there or not is something that’s still kept very secret. traveling and flying on planes and the security has changed quite a bit. also security at large events that thousands of people attend together have also gotten very strict

   I find hearing about people’s stories about 9/11 very interesting because everyone’s world stopped that day no matter where they were or what they were doing. Everyone came together as a nation to recognize the terror put on the us. I agree with what my mom answered even though I wasn’t born yet. I have realized and heard stories about security changing after the attacks and I feel like improved security might not have been the same if the attacks never happened.
10. geoffwickersham (Post author) September 20, 2022 at 8:16 am

    I chose to interview my mom. She was 24 years of age when the 9/11 attacks occured. I asked her about her first memory of when she first heard of the attacks. At the time, she didn’t really watch the news and wasn’t as connected to what was happening in the world. She and her roommate started getting messages and calls, but they had no idea what was going on. Her roommate’s boyfriend then called, and was upset with them that they didn’t know what was happening. She said that they were extremely confused, and they finally turned on the tv hours after everything had happened.
    I asked her what people’s reactions were and how 9/11 affected her in the moment. She talks about how her sister was living in Chicago and she couldn’t get ahold of her. She said that a theory that was circulating is that there were going to be attacks in other big cities, such as Chicago. At this point in the interview she started to get emotional. The thought of her little sister being in danger is one of the most terrifying thoughts to her.
    At the time, my mom was waiting tables at a restaurant, and she said that the most odd thing about life after the attacks was that it was so quiet without planes in the sky. Like something you never notice until it’s gone. As she was saying that, I was reminded of the first day of quarantine. I remembered walking outside and just hearing absolute silence. I never realized how used to the sound I was of cars going up and down the street 24/7 until it was gone.
    A vivid memory she has of life after the attacks, is going to a library to study at her college, and there was a table of middle eastern people. She never noticed any kind of reaction to anybody that looked different, before the attacks. But in the college my mom went to, there was a flight school, and she remembers that the shift in attitude toward them was almost palpable, simply because they were middle eastern.
    We talked a lot about how middle easten people were mistreated after the attacks. We both got emotional when talking about this because we thought it was just so incredibly unfair that innocent human beings were being treated like terrorists simply for exsisting in America after 9/11. It was very emotional to listen to Chandra’s stories of how scared she was, especially for my aunt. My mom talked about how she was so scared that she may never see her sister again. My mom and I are both super close with my aunt, and imagining a world where she wasn’t in my life was a very difficult and painful thought to have.

    Jayda E.
11. Ally O. September 20, 2022 at 9:35 am

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11? My name is Laura O’Brien. I was 27, almost 28.
    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why? I was getting ready to go to work, and I was drying my hair and watching Good Morning America like I always do. And they started reporting that a plane had hit a building so I started watching more closely. I saw the second plane hit the building. After the first plane hit I thought it was possibly an accident but after I watched the second plane hit the building I thought we were under attack and I was really scared.
    What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks? My husband and all my friends and parents were very scared and uncertain as to whether we were safe.
    Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter/change your views of the cities and their inhabitants? I felt a lot of empathy for all of the people that worked there and lived there because that must have been so scary to watch that happen in the city that you live and work in.
    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like? Yes, I did. I had a friend that lived and worked in the city and I emailed him to make sure he was okay and he was fine and safe. He was in shock and couldn’t believe it had happened. He said it was very surreal to see people running through the streets in fear for their lives after the buildings were hit. He said the city was a cloud of dust and sut and looked white.
    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks? I guess right after the attacks I wanted to spend a lot of time with the people that meant the most to me. It made me realize how precious life was. I felt fear initially but was proud of how our leadership in the country dealt with it. It seemed to bring our country closer
    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks? I remember watching it nonstop and wanting to soak up every bit of information about what happened and why. I remember being moved by the tragic stories of people who lost their loved ones and the brave men on the planes who stopped the attack from happening on the fourth plane.
    What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night? (Show them the transcript here or video below.) I remember how emotional he was, how he seemed on the verge of tears. I felt proud of him and how he addressed the nation and was ready to attack anyone who was attacking us.
    What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain. I felt like they were necessary to fight back and find and stop BinLadin and his terrorists.
    Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why? Traveling via plane will never be the same, there has been a greater level of security since then. I think there is a level of trust that has gone away in places like airports. Prior to 9/11, terrorism seemed like something that only happened in other countries and it brought the fear of future terrorist attacks in our country.

    I did this interview with my mother and I learned some new things about her experience that I never knew. I never knew that she knew someone who lived in the city at that time and I can’t imagine how scary that must’ve been to not know if they were okay. When my mom talked about her reactions and instincts it reminded me of ways I feel like I may have acted if I were in a situation somewhat similar to that. It made me realize how I sometimes forget about the things she experienced before I was alive and how I will never understand some of the things she went through even though I know her so well.
12. Juno Saulson September 20, 2022 at 2:58 pm

    In this interview, I talked with my mother and what she was doing/thinking about during one of the biggest watershed moments of the past few decades. I have her permission to use her responses for this assignment. I mainly used the questions you put on the blog, but I threw in my own for the sake of originality. I hope it’s okay that I put in a few more questions than necessary.

    Where were you on 9/11? What were other people’s reactions to what was happening?

    “I was at home, I think dad told me to turn on the news because he was on a flight that hadn’t taken off yet but they were grounded and he thought something might be going on so he told me to turn the news on. It was a feeling of total shock and surreal awe – something I’ve never experienced before. To watch live on the news the burning towers and then watch in real time as the first tower came down and then the second one. Total confusion and shock. Like at first it felt like it was an accident.”

    Where were you living during the attacks?

    “I was living in Franklin, MI in our current home”

    Did you know anyone who died in the attacks?

    “I didn’t know anyone personally, but knew someone from here whose husband died in one of the towers. She grew up here and still has family here. I spoke with her a few months later. They had a very young baby.
    There were lots of stories of people who knew people. Zeyde had a former student that was supposed to go to work that day and didn’t for some reason. There were alot of stories like that.”

    Did you know anyone in the affected cities like New York and DC? Did you try to contact them after what happened?

    “I have a lot of friends in NY and so does dad. We definitely reached out to our friends. My friend Francie lived nearby at the time. They had actually just had a family wedding of a cousin in New York the weekend before and I think the attacks happened on a Monday or Tuesday. They had a cousin that died in the attack.”

    Could you describe your most vivid or surreal experience that day?

    “I think just being glued to the news for weeks after in general is my most vivid memory. Watching all of the footage of that day over and over again. The disbelief that an attack like that could be planned and carried out. We were planning our wedding for a couple months after and alot of people refused to fly to come in for the wedding. Other friends describe walking on the Brooklyn bridge to get out of the city. How quiet it was and no one was talking. People covered in white dust”

    How did your life change after 9/11? How did your view of the world change?

    “My life didn’t materially change but my worldview did. The loss of innocence and shock that people can be that evil.”

    What do you remember about the news/media coverage during the attacks?

    “I remember that they started using the ticker tape/words on the bottom of the screen for additional information at that time. Just having the news available 24/7 with so many reporters embedded in the scene. It was non stop”

    My reaction to my mom’s experience – Even though I had learned about 9/11 in school, I wasn’t expecting the kind of emotionality my mom helped me identify during this interview. I had seen news reports, been to the memorial in New York, but I had never been able to put myself in the shoes of people who had actually been through the attacks. She tells me about how horrified she was as she turned on the news that morning to see the absolute fear and shock that had gripped the entire country. This indescribable feeling of dread washed over me as I listened to her. It was so jarring to hear about how she was personally affected by the attacks on 9/11/2001.
13. Ryan C. September 20, 2022 at 3:27 pm

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    I interviewed my mother, Kristen Cifolelli. She was thirty years old when the attacks happened.

    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?

    I was very surprised when I first heard about the attacks. I was kind of confused and shocked at the same time because when you hear on the news that a plane has crashed into one of the twin towers it is a very traumatizing experience. My first conclusion was that it was an accident when the first plane crashed. Even though I thought it was an accident at first I had a little bit of doubt in my mind because I thought there was no way a plane could accidentally crash into the twin towers. Then, after the second plane hit I knew we were under attack. One plane crashing into the twin towers is very unlikely but after the second one I knew it was something far worse than an accident.

    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    I was at work when the attacks first happened at Plante Moran in Southfield. It was early morning and I had just got to work. The office was not very full. Actually my office was pretty empty with only about twenty five people there. My coworkers were very shocked when they heard about the attacks. Everyone in the office was shocked and scared when they learned that we were under attack because we had never experienced that feeling before.
    What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
    Everyone was really shocked and scared. Many people still were in disbelief in the coming days after. People did not really want to accept the truth that we were attacked because as Americans we thought that we could not get attacked. Many people were scared to even go to work because they thought that there could be more attacks to follow. Also, there was a sort of sadness to everyone. Everyone was sorrowful for the loss of loved ones and friends that were in the buildings and who had died in the attacks.

    Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
    I was at my office at Plante Moran when one of my coworkers turned the news on and immediately I saw a headline where a plane crashed into one of the twin towers. I was in disbelief but I thought it was an accident. I did not think a plane could crash into the towers unless someone intentionally did it. Then, everyone in my office was huddled around the television when the second plane crashed. We were all shocked and terrified. We didn’t know if there would be any more crashes so we closed the office for the day and all went home.
    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
    I remember watching the news and just feeling like everything was just really chaotic. No one on the news coverage knew anything about what was really going on. From what I remember, I felt like the news reporters were really confused and shocked about what was happening too. Also, they had as little information as we had at the time so they were just reporting their thoughts about the situation.
    What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night? (Show them the transcript here or video below.)
    I thought that it definitely fit the mood for what was going on around the country. I liked the address because it was uplifting and the speech was trying to bring people together. Also, I liked it because he was trying to show we are not scared and that we will not back down to the people who did this.

    My reaction:
    I was shocked to know that so many people were scared and devastated after the attacks. Personally, I think the aftermath was worse than the actual attack because of the way that fear was instilled into everyone. I was surprised that so many people were scared to go back to school and work because of the attacks. I thought that after the attacks security would be on very high alert for any more attacks so people would not have to be afraid. Though, I guess people were still afraid that anything could happen because America had never really experienced anything like this before. Also, I was surprised to learn about the amount of chaos that ensued after the attacks. I thought that after the attacks everyone knew who did it right away but after hearing this everyone was left in the dark. No one knew who was doing this or why they would want to attack.
14. Margaret Holloway September 20, 2022 at 4:40 pm

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?

    My name is Christine Goerke, and I was about 33 when 9/11 occured.

    Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?

    I had been living in NYC at the time, and my immediate reaction to the attacks was horror. I was thankfully out of town that day, or at least further away from the buildings when they collapsed (still in New York City). I lived in a not-so-great apartment– the air conditioning was often broken, so I left my windows open. I opened the door to my apartment after the attacks and everything was covered in dust and debris. Most of it was concrete I think, but there wasn’t any major damage to the apartment itself. This was, like, an even bigger contributor to my reaction of horror because it affected me. Not in a major way, but the fact that I was miles away from the attack, it still managed to creep its way into my life. That was pretty scary.
    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
    This was a while ago, so I can’t remember exactly what my dad worked in– but he did work in the World Trade Center. That day he said he was feeling sick– and had a “general bad feeling” or whatever that meant, so he stayed home in Long Island. That was the scariest part of it, honestly– until I heard about the whole suicide-jumps from the buildings, and how many people died. I was on my phone with my dad to make sure he actually didn’t end up going to work that day, and I was super relieved when he told me he was fine. I also called my friends. Everyone was clearly distressed on the phone, but none of my friends were hurt or close enough to be hurt.
    Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
    I vividly remember it being so quiet. The streets had no cars, because everything was blocked off. Everyone was so scared, and they stayed inside, or tried to leave the city. The only sounds I heard outside everyday were sirens. I had to keep practicing and doing my work for my next performance which was obviously postponed, but the silence really did a number on my mental health and also everyone else’s for the next few days.
    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
    Number one, it got a lot harder for me because of the fact that my work is focused on people coming. I’m an opera singer, and if nobody wants to come to a performance or buys tickets, I can’t get paid. It made money a little rough for a bit. That and also the fact of getting food with no cars on the roads. I didn’t own a car at the time, so I relied on public transport, which was down. Delivery was hard to get as well, so everyone in the apartment complex tried to help eachother out food-wise.
15. Jackson Mush September 20, 2022 at 4:52 pm

    1. Alison Mush, She was 26 years old.
    2. She was scared for her family in New Jersey because she had no clue what was going on at first.
    3. She was at Wayne State University teaching, her and her students were very confused. Everyone thought there was just a fire in the building at first.
    4.Being from new jersey her home felt attacked. Growing up she had always visited New York City and it was like a second home to her.
    5.Yes, She had two friends who worked in the finical district who she couldn’t contact till days later. She remembers them telling her of buildings and themselves being covered in ash while trying to escape the scene. Her brother was also working in DC at the time and feared for him because of the attacks on the Pentagon.
    6.Fourtantly she was not flying or stranded anywhere that day.
    7.She remembers everyone being fearful for their safety. Sad because this was one of the first times there was an attack on our country and we had to unite.
    8. She wasn’t able to get ahold of any family or friends for a day. She was very fearful because she couldn’t check in on her friends/families safety.
    9. She became very fearful of flying. She also mentioned a hatred forming for Muslim people at the time.
    10. She very vividly remembers seeing people jumping from the towers because they had no way else to escape.
    11. She believes Bush did a good job addressing the nation and doing whatever he could best to rally everyone together.
    12. It was very different going to the airport. She found airport security to be way stronger and remembers being able to go all the way up to a gate without going past security.
    13. She doesn’t believe in war in general but, it was necessary for the US to capture Bin Laden and the terrorists. She believes the Iraq war was for the wrong purpose and was a misguided war.
    14. The nation has been very divided ever since and there has been an everlasting mistrust towards Muslim people ever since the attacks.

    After hearing my mom’s recollection of the event it was a tough conversation. Every single American on that day tried to come together. I was interested to find out from my mom how different airports were before 9/11. It makes you almost wonder how easily the whole thing could have been prevented if their were safety measures in place. Hearing my Mom actually get emotional and serious must mean of how much an impact this day had on her and all Americans. Even though I was not alive I can try to put myself in there shoes and learn from the past.
16. Antonia Pancoast September 20, 2022 at 5:32 pm

    My dad, John Pancoast was 45 when 9/11 happened. (Q1) “I was at work and they called the managers into the conference room to watch it on television. It didn’t seem real. At first I thought it was an accident, then shortly after we saw the second plane hit and knew it was intentional at that point”. (Q3) “I was at work. About the same, in complete shock”. (Q4) “I went to New York not long after it happened. I remember flying in and the pilot telling us to look over to our right to see all the lights from ground 0. That whole area was all lit up. The security at the airport, boarding and unboarding was kinda intimidating. There was armed people at the airports. (Q8) “All the horrifying images that we were watching T.V. The people scrambling, all the chaos. We literally came in a saw footage of the one and then they panned in and said ‘Oh no another one!'”. (Q9) “There was a sense of fear that we were more vulnerable than I thought”.
    My personal reaction to the interview was to see how it impacted my dad. Knowing he was just at work, working until he and other managers get called into the office to watch the T.V. My dad had an interview in New York soon after the attacks. Personally, New York would be the last place I would want to go. I was shocked when he said that he still went. My dad has traveled for work many times, so he’s been to many airports. When he mentioned the change in the security you can tell it really was a change. I too would feel intimidated if all of a sudden there were armed people at the airport. Even not being there in person to witness 9/11 I feel many became traumatized seeing people running around, calling out for their loved ones, and jumping out of the buildings.
17. Sylvie Ball September 20, 2022 at 6:20 pm

    For my person I chose to speak with my mom. She is a deeply emotional person so the interview process itself was a little jarring. To see her half relive the overwhelming sadness she must have felt the day that it happened was horrible.

    Sylvie- What were you doing before you heard the news?
    Mom-I remember it being the sunniest most beautiful morning and I was making breakfast for me and your dad in the old house in Sterling Heights.
    Sylvie- Elaborate more on how your day was going
    Mom- Well, I was off work and this was when I worked at BCBG in the mall. Really, I was just in a good mood because I had a day off.
    Sylvie- How did you first hear of the attack?
    Mom- I was just getting up and I put on the TV in the bedroom for me and your dad and it was everywhere. We sat there for a long time just flipping through the different channels trying to find as much information as we could.
    Sylvie-How did you feel personally about the attacks?
    Mom- I was scared. The worst part was the people they had filmed and got news of jumping from the buildings. It was horrible.
    Sylvie- What was running through your brain as you were watching it all unfold?
    Mom- I was just thinking about how much this would change our country as a whole.

    I think that talking to my mom about this topic helped me realize that even when people weren’t in the middle of the madness they still felt it. Every person from every corner of the world felt the shaking that those attacks caused, whether it was physically or just in their hearts. These events changed our world forever and changed how we view things. Not just America but the world. Looking back through old papers I’ve written on 9/11 was hard because how could someone so small have to learn about something so tragic, but the truth of the matter is that their were kids younger than me that had to experience firsthand. I feel like hearing my mom’s side of the story intrigued me to hear other sides of the story. Many Middle Eastern and Muslim people faced horrible treatment after the events of 9/11 and I don’t think that side of this story gets talked about enough. People of those communities faced harsh discrimination and violence even if they weren’t affiliated with the attacks or any terrorism of any kind. People were angry so they resorted to violence and hate. That’s the side of the story I would want to learn about more from someone who faced these unfair repercussions firsthand.
18. Jacob Becker September 20, 2022 at 7:01 pm

    Name: David Becker
    Age when 9/11 occurred: 27
    Question 1 Why did bin Laden bomb the twin towers?
    To create chaos. To leave our country running in circles. Bin Laden viewed the towers as everything that was wrong with American imperialism. It was also the easiest target to hit with an airplane.

    Question 2 How would he benefit from bombing the twin towers?
    Bin Laden was hoping that the bombing of the twin towers would unite the Muslim world against the west, evidently creating a religious war. He hoped that it would help his country rise back to power again. He hoped that Saudi Arabia would come out of its crippling debt and gain the support of the U.S. again.

    Question 3 What events led up to 9/11?
    Osama bin Laden came from the Saudi royal family. His royal family kicked him out, and he sought a new group to accept him after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan. Because of this, Al-Qaeda became very poor and lonely. Bin Laden promised to help eliminate the soviets and expel them from the country. He wanted to drive them to success by starting a holy war. After years of planning with his generals, he found that the U.S. was weak. They figured out that hitting us would put us off balance. It would create chaos and hopefully leave the U.S. scratching their heads.

    Question 4
    What influence did the actions of Al-Qaeda have on other terrorist groups?
    The actions of Al-Qaeda led to the eventual formation of Isis.

    Question 5 Was 9/11 preventable, or was it inevitable
    9/11 was certainly avoidable. President Trump said in one of his speeches that Al-Qaeda would have never been able to enter this country if we had stricter immigration policies. If Clinton/Bush had more strictly enforced immigration policies, Al-Qaeda would have never been able to enter this country.

    Reflection:
    9/11 was a tragic incident. It was the first time in American history that we treated a terrorist attack with a military operation. It was a big deal. As a result, airplane security rose to almost an Israel-like level. The U.S. Overall became more Israel-like in terms of security. Immigration was stricter, and we became more alert. 9/11 was a wake-up call for the U.S. It was the catalyst that told us we needed to spend more money on military resources. 9/11 made us come to expect the worst. TSA is stricter now. You cannot bring knives or any weapon, for that matter, on airplanes.
19. Lindsay September 20, 2022 at 7:03 pm

    My name is Andrea Collins, I was 19 years old when 9/11 happened.
    My first memory is a lot of confusion. It took a couple of hours to register and understand what had happened. People had not registered what happened until days and weeks till after. After such a big tragedy people were too in shock to process it all.
    When the attack happened “I was driving to the hair salon and heard the news on the radio while driving”. When I arrived at the hair salon people were having a discussion but seemed confused and shocked.
    My aunt was in new york the time of the accident.People who her sister knew were close to the area where it occurred.My aunts friends were trying to help those affected as well.
    From the memory of the bush interview She recalls him saying “we were gonna get those terrorist” and that the united states would retaliate.
    The wars were a retaliation as a response to 9/11 and people were highly suspicious of Arabic individuals. On planes people were afraid to even go to sleep and always had their eyes on any Arabic individual especially when it was women wearing hijabs.

    During the entire interview I was very sad to hear a recollection of this tragedy. It feels like history but it was only 20 years ago. My heart goes out to all that have been discriminated against because of the tragedy, as well as the war in Afghanistan and iraq. I think both sides suffered greatly and I think it was just very sudden and people didn’t know what to do with all the emotions. This tragedy is something burned in history and the entire world was in shock.Seeing videos of 9/11 its absolute heart wrenching.
20. Teddy Abbot September 20, 2022 at 7:21 pm

    My name is Rose Abbot, I was 31 years old on the day of the attack. My husband had called me from work and told me to turn on the TV. At this time the TV was all we had to get information this was before social media and the internet took off. At 31 I was in disbelief that our freedom was attacked. I had traveled through Europe and always was confused about why they needed all this security until the attack. Before this attack security was looked at as an infringement upon American freedom. At first, we thought the first tower was an accident but by the second tower, everyone was sent home from work, and the realization set in that we had just been attacked and America was at war. The first tower had brought everyone into shock, even the reporters. Also, the media coverage made it seem to be an accident. When the second tower had been hit the reporter had said America is under attack and we are at war. Within 30 minutes every airplane in the sky had been grounded. If you could imagine how many details go into grounding every aircraft in 30 minutes it is high level and they had to protect our country. The aftermath of the attack caused security to rise and become a lot more strict. It was similar to the pandemic. There was immediate action and people thought things would go back to normal but they didn’t. 20 years later I think America is still uptight about security and I think it sadly affected foreigners and racial stereotyping. My husband had worked with international businessmen and women at Microsoft who had to go through harsh stereotyping and the things they were put through had no excuse. My most vivid memory was when everyone was sent home and was back from work and all the planes had been grounded. This was rare at this time people worked 9-5 and there was no working from home to see everyone get sent home after the second tower was shocking.

    This interview shocked me and how much 9/11 had affected America. Growing up with security all around me and seeing multiple police officers at a high school football game doesn’t confuse me or shock me. Although before 9/11 it was shocking to see a couple officers at a concert with thousands of people who could do anything or bring anything to these concerts without being searched or having to go through a metal detector to get in. Also that it happened on live TV and everyone watched the towers fall and the plane crashing into the second tower. Every time I see a disaster on the news it is never really live, it is just talked about and they show a few videos from it, but to watch the towers fall live must have been traumatizing.
21. Renna R September 20, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    My response to the interview:
    It was interesting to talk to my dad about the events of 9/11 and to get his perspective on what happened. I didn’t know that he was one of four people to stay in his entire office to watch the news covering it. I was surprised that he didn’t want to leave since everyone else was evacuating in a panic. I think that if I was in the same position I would have gone home right away. We always hear about the changes in security but it’s interesting to note that almost all of what we consider normal in airports now is due to the events that happened on that day and an attempt to prevent anything like that from happening again.
22. Ashton Denys September 20, 2022 at 7:36 pm

    WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND HOW OLD WERE YOU?
    Really? Now you need my weight to? My name is Debora Clark and I was 22 years old.

    WHERE WERE YOU DURING THE 9/11 ATTACKS?
    I was in college. We were in the middle of class. And uh, you gotta remember back then I was also in college in Mexico, where I’m originally from, so back then we did have cellphones but there was no smart phones so its not like we got twitter alerts or anything. So someone saw it on the news and literally barged into the room like; “something’s happening! there’s some lanes crashing into towers in New York.” So everyone, including the teacher stopped. And again, back then we didn’t used to have a tv and a screen in each classroom in college so we went to the film laboratory. Like I studied communications so the Tv’s were in the film lab. So I remember I was sitting with probably 100 kids my age. 100 collage kids on the floor watching the tv. Like CNN or whatever it was, and everyone was so confused. Like, “was there an accident? What’s going on?” So yah, that’s where I was.

    WHAT WAS THE AFFECT OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS IN MEXICO?
    Well, umm, at the very beginning we were all confused. I think that was going on in the US and everyone in the world. And umm, the immediate effect of course was airports were closed, right? Like every airport, every airline, no one knew what to do. All the flights were canceled. And then, umm, that was immediate and I can’t really remember how long that lasted. I mean that was probably for a few hours, maybe a day. And then of course after that there was an economical effect you know? Like stock market, the exchange currency from peso to dollar. Everyone was nervous about what was gonna happen. Like if the US would go to war and how that was gonna impact economically.

    HOW DID THE ATTACKS DIRECTLY EFFECT YOU?
    Well, I honestly don’t think there was a direct effect on my life. Umm, I remember I was very worried about some family members I had in the US. I mean they were in Texas and nothing happened over there. But um, yah I wouldn’t say I had a direct effect.

    DO YOU REMEMBER THE MEDIA COVERAGE ON THE ATTACKS?
    Yes, as I was telling you, we were in the media/film room back in college. And you gotta remember back then there were just a few channels right? And I mean there was cable and we could get some. But in Mexico we could only get 2 or 3 news channels. And we would get through cable CNN, Bloomberg, right? A couple of international news outlets. And um, everyone was covering this nonstop. So that was at the first moment. And when I got into my car to go back home everyone was covering it. Everyone was talking about it forever, right? for a week or two everyone would be talking about it.

    WHAT WAS YOU MOST VIVID MEMORY FROM THE ATTACKS?
    Huh, well I mean I guess we all saw the video footage and that was like just insane right? like a plain actually crashing was awful. And the aftermath, there were a lot of very vivid images of you know, firefighters and first responders trying to rescue people. And yah, that was pretty vivid and bloody and devastating and people crying all over and people trying to find relatives.

    WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY?
    Oh my goodness, that’s a very hard question. What is my favorite candy Ryan? do you know?

    Uhh, Sour patch

    Sour patch, lets go with that. Although it’s mango enchilado but okay

    HOW DID THE HARD PIVIT IN TOPICS MAKE YOU FEEL?
    What? What is that? Oh, how did about the candy? Uhh, confused. Uhh, yah.

    I think my favorite part of the interview was the discussion we had after the interview. Debora was asking how we (we being me and my brother Ricky) felt about 9/11. We both agreed that well we both thought it was sad and a tragedy and so on, we didn’t feel like she described herself feeling it. She compared it too world war 2, and how she could feel sad at looking at he camps and felt terrible for all the people who died, but it was just history in a way. It didn’t make her feel like 9/11 made her feel. And I’d say that about sums up my feelings on the topic. I feel sad when watching videos of “jumpers” and most recently I found a video of a woman being saved from the rubble that was falling, but she was only running because everyone else was and didn’t realize these shop keepers that took her inside her store saved her life. Anyways, I can still feel sad and grief about the topic, but I’ll never feel it the same way someone who was alive would feel it. And mango enchilado are really good.
23. Kiera September 20, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    I interviewed my mom, Sejal shreffler, who was 31 on September 11, 2001. Here are a few questions I asked and what her response was.
    Q2: She was at work conversing with her designer when a man who sat behind her said “Hey a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center”. She replied “Oh really” she wasn’t thinking much of it, thinking it was a small plane and an accident. Sejal went back to discussing things with her designer when the man behind them said another plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. She became shocked and wanted to know more about what happened. After the second crash, she had an idea that this was not an accident.
    Q3: Memories that she has about other people’s reaction is a lot of chaos. Many rumors were spread about what had happened. A specific rumor she heard was that a plane crashed into the capital.
    Q7: People’s reactions in the days following the attacks included lots of sadness and surprise. Something like this had never happened and no one knew what to think of it. Many people were interested in who did this and why it occurred. One thing that she mentioned to me that surprised me was she had to get on a plane a month after the attacks which caused a lot of worries.
    Q10: Sejal remembers there was nonstop media coverage about the attacks. She was told to leave work early the day of the attacks and once she got home, she spent the rest of her day on the couch watching the news. The media went on for many days following the attacks hoping there would be survivors found.
    Q14: She described America’s changing after the attacks as less trusting. Many things changed especially in airports, for example, needing to take shoes off, and going through security. Things not only changed in America but also in the Middle East, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
    Q13: She believes it wasn’t necessary to start a war with Iraq considering they were not responsible for what happened on 9/11.

    My reactions:
    9/11 is a truly horrific thing that happened, I don’t know how I would react if I was alive when it happened or let alone be in New York or washing D.C. One thing I think really surprised me was how much it affected not only the United States but so many other parts of the world too. Another thing my mom said that really shocked me was that my mom had to get on a plane a month after the attacks. This made me feel a lot of sympathy because this would cause me lots of nervousness. 9/11 was a tragic event and I feel sorry for everyone that lost someone or had to go through it.
24. Luci Kucab September 20, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    Jeff Kucab, 24 years old.
    2. Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    I was at my office in Troy, Michigan, mostly with a reaction of disbelief. It had been such a long time since there was any type of attack on American soil. This made it hard to believe that it was happening. It was surreal because there weren’t many social media ways to find out what was going on. I was listening to the Howard Stern show as it occurred. As they were figuring out what was happening there was more panic and no one knew what to do. They believed they could be in a direct line of fire due to the show being made in New York.
    3. What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
    Anger and sadness. We didn’t come into work for the next couple days as we tried to learn what happened, why it happened, and who did it. Once we returned to the office there were many mixed emotions. One person in my office who was an army vet. She was extremely mad and wanted to wage war instantly. We didn’t have a very big office but there was mostly confusion. We knew the towers went down and there were terrorists but not much past that point because information was so hard to get a hold of.
    4. What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
    Every single station we had for TV was solely focused on it. It was the topic of conversation and there was a swell of American pride saying don’t mess with us.
    5. Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
    Going to an airport is extremely different. Extra precautions were added to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. We view the Middle East very differently now then we have. The rules around terrorism are more defined, it’s something we are constantly more aware of.
    6. Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
    The thing I always remember is the fact that I was listening to the Howard Stern show, it’s the first thing I tell anyone about that day. It’s just the fact that something so dumb and not serious, very American was what I was listening to when something so serious and heart breaking was happening while I was listening to it.
25. Will September 20, 2022 at 8:20 pm

    1. Name and age – My father’s name is Rodger Dabish. He was 28 on the day of the attacks.
    2. Possible motive/any ideas – He thought it was probably an attack – how far off do you have to be to hit the World Trade Center? Especially after the second plane hit, he and many around him knew it had to be an attack, though nobody knew who the attack was from. After the crashes, he was trying to think about what happened and who would both have the power and the flashiness to pull off an attack like this – it takes a lot of guts to pull off an attack like this. He was also a bit confused and concerned about how people would get out, and his concerns were valid – he found out most didn’t.
    3. Where he was when the attack happened – He was at work, and he and his coworkers were shocked. In their lifetime, there hadn’t been an attack anywhere near this magnitude. He was surprised that some people or a group could hijack multiple planes and successfully crash them into both towers at the Trade Center.
    4. What were people’s reactions days after the attack – Many people, including himself, were in incredible shock from what had happened. He felt as though the people working in that building were stricken with a fate worse than death – the choice to die one way, or possibly die another. The option to jump out from a high floor, or risk your life trying to find another way out.
    5. Opinions on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – He disapproved of the wars happening in these countries – he felt as though we should have stopped worrying about it earlier, or put more focus on winning the war. He also felt as though many died in vain in these countries, on both sides – many Americans died just to lose, and many innocent Iraqis and Afghans dying or worse, living under the rule of the Taliban.

    My thoughts on the interview were pretty much what I expected – we’ve talked about 9/11 before, and it’s definitely not a new topic. His reactions lined up with his personality – calculated. As soon as the shock wore off, he thought about the “why” and the “how” and the choices that people had to make on that fateful day. I appreciated that he cared so much about the people who died so much – I feel the same sentiment. Many people who died throughout both the big attack of 9/11 and the resulting war were completely undeserving – even if we had succeeded in ousting the Taliban, so many had died on the way to that conclusion.
26. Noel Borgquist September 20, 2022 at 8:40 pm

    Today, I Interviewed my father, Dave unger, who was 27 on the day of the September 11th attacks.

    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
    He remembers that he was in a team meeting with around fifteen other people, they were just starting to have wireless technology implemented at work, allowing for them to have internet access in the conference room. Someone saw that there had been a plane that had crashed into the tower, they turned on the TV in the conference room, and turned on CNN news. The most telltale sign was that it was bright and sunny in Michigan, and in early September, conditions in Michigan were very similar to that in New York, so the likelihood of an aviation incident occuring was very unlikely. We did not think it was accidental.

    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    He was at work, and everybody was shocked, and couldnt grasp at the reality of the event. It was pretty well understood that it was a terrorist attack from the beginning, and upon the second plane hitting the towers, it erased any doubt that it had been an accident.

    Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?

    He had been to DC, but not to New York, at first we were all worried for the people in the towers, and hoping that most ofthe peoples had gotten out. Many of the people in the conference room and at my fathers work had never been to the twin towers, and didn’t have any idea how they were structured, and the experience of being in one of those buildings.

    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
    He didn’t know anyone who would frequent the World trade center, He had met a few people who were in the world trade center who had been in the towers during the attacks, and some people that had been there the day before. It was scary to think about with

    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?

    Before the attacks, My father would frequently travel 5-6 weeks out of the year. Before the attacks there was no general TSA, there was private security in the airports. There was more care taken to inspect items like fruit that were taken back from foreign countries, than actual security concerns. After the attacks, military police were placed at airports my father frequented to man security. In particular, Boston, where one of the planes that would hit the towers came from.
    What specifically in the September 11th attacks did you find amazing, fascinating or shocking?

    He found it shocking that there was not much defense around the Pentagon, or any sort of defense to prevent from a stray plane from hitting the Pentagon. He was impressed on the organization of the military. And was again shocked with the trajectory the plane took, and how it didn’t penetrate beyond the outer perimeter of the building. Which kept the casualties relatively low, considering the scale of the attack. My dad talkled about how impressive it was, with the coast guard calling for all private boats to aid in the evacuation of manhattan, specifically around the towers, and with the sheer amount of coordination and effort put forth by the Coast Guard, Millitary, First Responders, and even civilians to help get people out of the danger zone, and get them to safety.

    Overall…

    It was very interesting to hear a first person account of the emotions that many people felt during the atacks, especially since my father is usualy not a very emotional person. I am not used to seeing him cry, and it was hard to understand the depth of emotion and some level of trauma that many people, specifically my father had attained from watching a live terrorist atack that was streamed live all across America. Of course, my father beign a huge patriot, loved to talk about the rallying of the American people, and specifically the people of New York, in evacuating from Manhattan and taking care of eachother. It was very eye opening into the mind of someone who experienced it, and was qutie thought provoking at the differences between the world now, and how it was then before the attacks. Specifically with airline security, and how lax everything was prior to the attacks.
27. kaylin arthur September 20, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    My mom’s name is Gretchen Arthur, she was 26 when 9/11 occured.

    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
    I remember watching it on TV and thinking it didn’t seem real. I thought it was something worse. I remember I was at work in Detroit, and when we were all evacuated, outside of the building there was police and emergency services with riot gear.
    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    I was at work in Detroit, and almost everyone was in disbelief and shocked. I remember a woman I worked with was thinking Detroit would be the next target because of how close we are to Canada.
    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
    I started to become more aware of things happening around me and get to know the people around me better.
    Now that it has been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day?
    I think we are less kind to each other and less tolerant to differences. We seem to make assumptions about each other before we really know them.

    My reaction: I think what happened on 9/11 was a terrible time, and I would’ve probably reacted the same as so many other people did. I would have been just as scared. I feel so bad about those who had to live through this horrific event and hope that something like this will never happen again. I think the changes made to keep people safe and to prevent this from happening again.
28. Jacob Glover September 20, 2022 at 8:44 pm

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    Simon Shaykhet, 21
    What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
    People reactions in the days following the attacks, were of a surreal nature in that they struggled to process the scope of the terror attacks, the amount of people killed, and how our country become vulnerable to terrorists using airplanes to bring down the twin towers.
    Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
    Yes, waking up, turning on the news and seeing the images of the towers already badly damaged with smoke filling the sky and scenes of people running from the buildings
    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
    Classes were canceled on the campus of Michigan state university, and people began to immediately question their safety, planes were grounded, and a lot of public transit was paralyzed as the country worked to establish if there were additional attacks that were to be carried out. Another major difference that impacts every single traveler at the airport is the great lengths we must go to, to ensure weapons are not being brought onto airplanes or other explosive devices
    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
    Both the national and local news were essentially doing non-stop converge and talking with witnesses and national security experts in the days and weeks that followed there were countless stories about the people affected and how NYC became the target of the largest terror attack in U.S. history. It seemed as if all other news stories were set aside.
    What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night
    I’m not entirely able to recall the details of the address, but I do decisively remember him pledging to hold those responsible accountable and ensure the safety of all American citizens both within our borders and all over the world
    What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain.
    My current employer is a news organization for that reason and to maintain my own objectivity I’m unfortunately not at liberty to discuss personal views of foreign conflict.
    Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
    America has changed in countless ways, which include, people failing to understand how our enemies could intend to further harm us both in the United States and globally, the event brought to light the hatred terrorist organizations have for America, and the need to defend against those threats in the future.

    Personal Reflection
    I think that living through this event would be truly surreal as it was an intense change in American life that people my age just live their lives never knowing the life lived before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Looking back on the event of 9/11 and the aftermath through the last 20 years it seems almost impossible to have been asleep or even just unknowing of what had actually occurred in New York and the total world change that happened in just a couple of hours. With Simon being both a close friend of my father but also a friend of mine I would have liked to hear what he had to say about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but I understand that under his current employer he cannot speak on such topics.
29. Kaii Mitchell September 20, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    My name is Linnea Turner and I was 26 years old when the attacks happened. It all was just so sudden. I was at home and I just couldn’t believe it and was shocked. I was off work that day and asleep when I got a call from a friend, they asked if I had seen the planes that crashed into the twin tower buildings and to turn on the news quickly. After seeing what happened I left in a rush to make sure my kid was safe and to pick him up from school. My sister worked for the government at the time and she was laid off. After I got my son I went to be with my mother and sister, who worked for the government at the time and was laid off, and we just had long conversations about everything that happened as well as prayed together for the victims and that what happened that day would never happen again. Later that night we watched the address and after a while me and my son left back home. I had him sleep with me that night so that we could be close and together. I think that the president showed true sympathy and remorse but I also think that he should have been a bit more proactive that day with the entire situation. I have been to both Washington D.C. and New York before and although it didn’t alter the way I see the cities or the people that live there, it did make me become extremely nervous and a bit scared to go back onto a plane and travel again because there was a true uncertainty of when and where it could happen next. Ever since the event 20 years ago, we have seen The United States and Americans as a whole become more on guard, more aware, and more focused when it comes to the safety and security of the country and citizens. Americans shave also become a lot more judgemental and racist when some foreigners do come into the country, and although it has calmed down a bit, it is still very present within our country, which is upsetting to still see in 2022.

    I interviewed my mother and considering I was not alive during 9/11, I don’t have much to say or anything I can really react to. But of everything that we learn about 9/11, we never really get to hear much about people’s initial reaction to what it could’ve possibly have been. And the way that people who weren’t in the attack how much their lives have been impacted and I never would have thought it would impact the way they thought about the city or the people that live there. It’s also interesting and impactful to see that even if you were not directly affected by it, the entire nation’s world was flipped upside down that day, and the sense of nationality and togetherness of the entire country and to remember and recognize the event that happened. We both can agree that everything that would happen to innocent middle eastern’s after that simply because they shared the same religious name as the people who orchestrated the attack was disgusting and the attack became another excuse to be racist and Islamaphobic which was like a repeat in history since the mass xenophobia toward southeast Asian-Americans after the pearl harbor bombing.
30. Ireland K. September 20, 2022 at 8:51 pm

    I interviewed my dad, Tom Kopsch. He was 33 years old at the time of the attacks.

    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?

    At first he thought it was an accident, when he heard about the first plane hitting the tower. But when he looked at the tv screen again and saw the second plane hit, he knew it was an attack.
    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?

    My dad said that he was home alone, on his morning off from work, watching tv in bed while the attacks happened. He was watching sports on ESPN and he then noticed a strange report about a plane hitting the Twin Towers, on the alert bar at the bottom. So he flipped the channel to the news, and watched right as the second plane hit the other tower. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He thought it was crazy.

    Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?

    My dad had been to New York many times before to visit his college friends. He had even been in the twin towers before. But he has not been to the Memorials of the attacks. As an American and a friend of people who live in New York he had felt terrible for the people who had innocently died and their own families and friends.

    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
    My dad called his friend that lived in the suburbs of New York. His friend was shocked and was thankful that himself or his family and friends were in that part of New York, at the time.

    Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?

    My dad stated that he thinks the world has changed a lot as far as security, especially in airports. But he thinks that people started to realize more how fragile life is. He also mentioned how sad it is that there is so much evil in the world and that it’s a shame we all can’t get along.

    Reaction:
    I was surprised to hear the stories of how people’s lives were affected by the attacks. It was very interesting and informative to hear someone’s perspective, who actually lived through it. This event in history affected so many people. Everyone’s world stopped that day. Everyone came together as a nation. It’s sad to think how many people lost their lives that day and the grief that caused their family and friends.
31. Avery Betts September 20, 2022 at 9:05 pm

    Q: What is your name, and how old were you when 9/11 happened?
    A: Carrie Betts, 24
    Q: Where were you when you heard the news? What were you doing, and how did you hear about it?
    A: I was working in Sault Ste. Marie at Sault High School doing my student teaching. I went to the office and as I was passing through I saw the planes crashing into the towers.
    Q: What were your first thoughts/initial reaction? (Did you think it was an accident, were you in disbelief, did you immediately assume the worst, etc.)
    A: At first I thought I had missed the previous day’s news about something happening far away. Then the office worker informed me that it was happening right then. I returned to class, at that time it was a ninth grade biology class, and I let my supervising teacher know what was happening.
    Q: How did the people around you react?
    A: Some of our students were crying and in shock, we had decided that it was appropriate to watch the news coverage in our classrooms at the high school level. Some students in the building had family that was working in New York and they were concerned. Because the Soo Locks are part of the community, there was concern that another attack could happen there and so everyone was a little on edge.
    Q: Did you know anyone who was in New York at the time?
    A: I had been teaching that summer at a camp in Upstate New York and had stayed with one of my childhood friends who lived in Brooklyn. Her boyfriend works near the towers, and I did contact them as soon as I was able to check in to see if they were safe.
    Q: What is your most vivid memory of that day?
    A: I think my most vivid memory is just kind of the gut-wrenching reality that what I was seeing happening on TV that looked like something that should be happening somewhere else was actually an attack on our country. I also remember heading back into the classroom and trying to figure out, like, what we were supposed to say to our students and just the general disbelief of the moment.
    Q: What do you remember of the media coverage surrounding the attack? What were your thoughts on it?
    A: At the start of the attack when they were just monitoring what was happening and reporting back as soon as they could report any information back, the news coverage just seemed to be informative. As time went on things began to shift. Conspiracy theories began to be made about the government and how much the government knew and that was very disconcerting. One thing that was distinct in the media is that it had this idea that people were coming together and that part was refreshing like we seemed to be unified, but like I said as time went on things began to change and disunity began to grow even though we were trying to as a whole move forward.
    Q: How do you think America has changed since and because of 9/11?
    A: I think that this question is extremely complex to answer. First my reading and knowledge of the Muslim American Experience around what happened immediately following 9/11 informs me that to a degree we became more xenophobic as a country. I also think that this was the first time that I was old enough to fully understand and realize that there is a particular distrust of the government in our country or a general distrust of anything that is unfamiliar to us and I was just starting to understand that it’s an adult so it may have seemed like a change to me in America that all of a sudden something happens and we become distrustful of our government leaders or we become distrustful of certain people groups or that kind of thing at. I think it really showed me that the American people are fickle depending on the circumstances and the time period and just our situation.

    In the interview, my mom’s voice was very somber, and it gave an impression of sadness and grief that kind of rubbed off on me. Her story showed just how much everyone’s normal lives were affected, and I heard for the first time about the media’s shift between informative and conspiratory around 9/11. I hadn’t thought of the growing xenophobia as one of the ways that America had changed when I was first thinking about the question. I was thinking more along the lines of “more security” and “better plane safety and procedures”, so it was important for me to be reminded of the more negative changes America experienced as a direct result of 9/11.
32. Claire P September 20, 2022 at 9:08 pm

    Both of parents, Greg and Tiffany Pucko, were 27 when the 9/11 attack occurred. They were together at my dad’s parents house while they were on vacation. They were recently laid off due to the “tech bubble burst” and decided to leave Michigan. They went back to Ohio to stay at their parents house before going on a four to five week road trip. They were watching the Today show, which was primarily based in New York, when it suddenly changed to broadcast the attack at the twin towers. Any footage the broadcast had was shown along with a description of the events taking place in New York. They were in disbelief, shock, and confusions. They both said the entire event was extremely surreal. They got calls from many of their family members and called many others to check in. Everyone was crying. Everyone’s eyes were also glued to the tv, unsure what would happen next. They didn’t feel personally scared due to them being in Cincinnati, Ohio but they checked in on my dad’s parents who were in Hilton Head. Thankfully, his parents drove there instead of flying because all airlines were shut down across America. My mom said the event was overall very creepy and Eerie. They also recalled the famous moment where, newly, president Bush was reading to an elementary school class when he heard the news of the attack. My mom also told me she knew someone who worked at the Twin towers but didn’t go to work that day. She missed her alarm and her train into the city which led her to not be at the towers when the attack occurred. My dad’s most vivid memory was seeing the second plane hit the towers and realizing that this wasn’t some one person operation or a mistake. The second plane made the entire situation undeniably real. When I asked my dad about how he thinks America has changed, he replied, “For the good, we have become more diligent with security… On the other hand, we have become very anti Middle East becuase that’s where the terrorist were from and, we havelabeling them all as terrorist.”

    This interview gave me new insight into the 9/11 attack and my parents perspective. I had never asked my parents whereabouts on 9/11. I didn’t know they were in their hometown, at their childhood homes, and not in Michigan. It was interesting to learn about their perspectives about what they thought the attack was. They were home all day so they were able to watch the broadcast nonstop and call family. I didn’t know my mom knew someone who worked at the twin towers and especially their luck, or survivors guilt, from not going to work that day. I agree with my dad’s perspective on the incident and how we catagorize all Middle Easterns at terrorist due to a small group from there being terrorists. Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss this sensitive subject with my parents and learn about their viewpoint.
33. Sofia Marx September 20, 2022 at 9:13 pm

    I decided to interview Mr. Wickersham for this assignment.

    Question 2: What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?

    Answer: On that day, Mrs. Voigt came into my second hour Civil War class and told me that planes had crashed into the Trade Center. I don’t remember if asked if it was one or two or if it was an accident, but we turned on the TV (this is in the very old days when TVs were on carts connected to VCRs to show films to the kids on VHS). When we found a station, there was a split screen of the smoking towers in NYC on one side and on the other side was smoke rising from the Pentagon. Immediately I knew that this was no accident and that this was a deliberate attack. I had been reading up about Al-Qaeda who had orchestrated attacks on US targets overseas but nothing on the U.S. Plus, there had a truck bomb detonated in the parking structure under the WTC. I knew it was just a matter of time that we would be hit at home. And the scariest thing was, these were 3 planes that crashed into buildings. How many more were out there? Would they hit the Ren Cen?

    Question 4:Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?

    Answer: I had only been to D.C. before the attacks and I knew the capital had significance for terrorists. Since the attacks, when I was either in NYC or DC, the possibility of a new attack was always in the back of my mind. It wouldn’t come in plane-form, but likely a truck or car bomb or a lone attacker. Something as large as the 9/11 attacks would likely take lots of money and time, and hopefully would be discovered by the FBI or CIA.

    Question 5: Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?

    Answer: I didn’t know anyone in the cities. At Groves, there was one girl whose father was in NYC and hadn’t gotten ahold of him yet (in the era before widespread cell phone use by kids). We later found out he was ok.

    Question 12: How did life change for you and your family in the weeks and months immediately after 9/11?

    Answer: The attack was on a Tuesday and all air traffic was grounded for the week, so going out into the backyard in the days after the attack, it was weirdly quiet with no air traffic above our house. Plus, my wife and I wanted to watch the news but we also wanted to shield our 3 year old daughter from the news so that she wouldn’t worry. But we couldn’t completely shield her. A day or two later, she asked me, “Daddy, is a plane going to fly into our house?” That broke my heart.
    At school, there were lots of counseling sessions for kids who were stressed out and the social studies teachers at Groves were asked to try and put all of this into context and explain why this had happened. Then there was news about an anthrax attack on Congress and supposedly it was connected to the terrorist attacks in NYC and DC but I didn’t believe it. I thought it was something separate.
    The week after the attacks, the NY stock exchange crashed over 2000 points and took a long time to recover. Our retirement accounts took a big hit. And then in October, Congress passed the Patriot Act which allowed the government unprecedented powers to spy on all Americans. I thought this was overreach but I also didn’t think the government had much choice In order to protect the country from future attacks. Plus there was a rise in attacks on Muslims and Middle Eastern people in the country. My neighbors were Middle Eastern and I hate to admit but I looked at them with suspicion for no real reason. The FBI also asked Muslims to voluntarily come to their local offices to answer questions.

    Question 13: What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain.

    Answer: I thought that the war in Afghanistan was fine. That’s where Al-Qaeda was located and Osama bin Laden, but within six months, Osama escaped the US Special Forces and disappeared. And then the Army had to try and help rebuild the country with a new government.
    Iraq was a totally different ball game. Initially the Bush administration tried to tell us that the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, had orchestrated the 9/11 attacks even though a year earlier, they had said it was Al-Qaeda. Then the Bush administration told us that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction – biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons. I bought this idea because the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, a man I greatly respected, said so. But very few countries supported our attack on Iraq, and there were protests around the country and the world. And when our forces went in and took over the country within 3 weeks but ALSO couldn’t find Hussein, our occupation went sour quickly. A civil war erupted in Iraq, and our soldiers were caught in the middle. We also tried to reconstruct a new government in Iraq, and within 2 years, the people of Iraq voted in a New Democratic government. Late in 2003, US Special Forces found Hussein and the Iraqi government put on trial for war crimes against the Iraqi people. He was tried in 2005 and hanged in 2006. But the US war in Iraq was an epic mess. It was a huge stain on the Bush administration for lying to us because no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq.

    My reaction: I felt a lot of different emotions while reading these responses. One of the first things that stood out to me was that due to the level of technology at that time, when people were worried about family members in New York, there wasn’t much to do to find out if they were okay. All they could do was hope until they were able to get confirmation through someone else, or until both people had access to contact each other, but they couldn’t just pull out their phones for a list of victims, and the people in New York couldn’t just update their social media or text a family group chat to let them know they were alright. A second thing that stood out to me is how desensitized this event may have made some children (now adults) to acts of terrorism. When Mr. Wickersham talks about his THREE YEAR-OLD daughter asking if a plane would crash into their house, it just demonstrated how tragic and widespread the events were. The final main thing that stood out to me was the stereotype that had been then placed on Muslims. I mean, it ended up basically turning into a government led bias, and this led to a large increase in attacks on Muslims and Middle Eastern people in America. It caused a majority of Americans to form permanent biases that we can still see today against Muslims, and that is one extremely unfortunate consequence of 9/11 that we must remember. The Muslims and Middle Eastern people in America who died as a result of racist attacks were also victims who lost their lives due to 9/11, and we cannot forget about that.
34. Genevieve L September 20, 2022 at 9:37 pm

    For the oral interview, I interviewed my parents, Robert and Megan Lagrou, who were both 25 at the time. My dad was in medical school when the attacks happened, and said that classes stopped and everyone left their classes. He knew that the attacks were not an accident when he watched the second plane hit the towers. My mom was working at her job in a morgue, and watched the second plane hit on The Today Show on a TV in the morgue. They both talked about how everyone was so shocked because nothing like it had happened in such a long time. My dad had recently enlisted in the US National Guard when 9/11 happened. He was worried about the possibily that he would have to be deported to fight the terrorists. According to my mom, there was constant media coverage about rescue and the efforts to find those in the towers and the first responders. She remembers there being a lot of people looking for their family and friends who were in the towers. Neither of my parents remember watching President Bush’s address, but both watched a lot about the efforts to find and help the wounded people.
    One of the biggest things that my parents said was impacted was how much Americans came together to keep our country strong. People put aside their differences and political stances in order to support eachother, bonded by being Americans. Security was influenced by the attacks, especially in airports, where security used to be very relaxed and people could walk right up to the gates. My mom said that there were anti-muslim acts of violence and racism as a cause of the attacks because there were Muslim people behind the terrorism. For the most part though, they said that life went on, people continued with their lives despite the attacks of 9/11.
    I think that it was interesting to learn about more points of view about the 9/11 attacks, because everyone had different moments of when they learned about the attacks. There was a shared experience of so many people and everyone was really surprised that such a thing could even happen. The attacks on 9/11 created a bond between all the Americans, because of the shares experiences. I thought it was important how much everyone came together after the attacks in order to get through it. I talked to my parents about how during the pandemic, it created a political divide, but during the 9/11 attacks, the country came together, and how that was what allowed America to support each other and stay strong.
35. Titus Smith September 20, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    I interviewed two people. I talked to my dad Alex Simpson and my step-mom Shanelle Simpson. My dad was 17 at the time of the attacks and my step mom was 11. I first asked them What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? Shanelle said “I was 11 and confused and everyone was leaving school but I was waiting for my mom so I went to the library and they kept playing it on the tv”. My dad said “I was in class and they rolled a TV in and we started watching the news and I didn’t really understand what happened”. Next I asked What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks? My dad said “everyone was scared because they didn’t know what was going on and people were going home early and everyone was paranoid”. Next I asked What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks? Shanelle said “It was really sad and they kept playing the crashes on the news for days after, they were looking for survivors and stuff and a lot of people had loved ones in the cities and they were devastated so everyone was scared and sad for a few weeks”. After that i asked my dad What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks? He said “ News coverage was all day every day you didn’t hear about everything else, the sports stopped, other news stopped and it affected everything”. Next I asked How did life change for you and your family in the weeks and months immediately after 9/11? They both said “ Airport security is crazy different and people were racist towards Muslims and everyone was anti Taliban. At first everyone was scared of anything Middle eastern, then it turned into a racist insult and Arabs were discriminated against”. Lastly I asked Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? They both said “I haven’t been before the attacks and when they went after they visited the site”.
36. Emmanuel Scobie September 20, 2022 at 9:39 pm

    Before I go into this response I want to make something extremely clear. The person I interviewed was my mom. Now my mom was present in New Jersey at the time the planes crashed into the twin towers. The reason my answers might be kind of dry is because this experience was so traumatic for my mom. She has a borderline breakdown every single time I bring it up. Because of the fairly limited responses I do not have much to go on.

    Question number one: Her name is Stephanie Roach( that was her maiden name before she married my dad) Scobie. When 9/11 happened my mom was 22 years old. Question number two and three: Stephanie Roach first heard about the attacks on a small TV in a school in New jersey. My mom was mortified, she told me that students and teachers were crying, it was chaotic inside the new jersey school. She went on to tell me that on the TV she watched in terror as the second plane hit the tower. She saw the helicopters go to the coast to help people. She had one student who was in absolute panic because her student’s dad worked in the towers. Her name was Habiba, her dad was late that day to work and was not inside the towers when either plane hit.

    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath: when she drove into work, she took the highway. The flights coming in would go over the highway. She sees the airplanes flying by, everything was grounded anywhere in the u.s She remembers going to work and she saw a plane fly overhead and Stephanie panicked because she didn’t know flights had resumed(she thinks it was a few days after). She remembers her family and friends panicked for her safety. She says: “it was the weirdest thing ever to go to school the next morning and talk to the kids about”.

    My mom says she remembers driving over with her friend and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and having notes of encouragement and they drove juice boxes and they walked down as far as they could and they gave the officers the snacks.

    I have learned so much about the nine eleven attacks on the world trade center in much recent years. Overall as a whole community we can share and bond as human beings and hold that pain and share it with other people.
37. Andrew September 20, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    Hello, I am Kelli Ann Robinson, I was 22 on the day of 9/11. I was in my classroom, my second year of teaching early childhood special education in Atlanta. I was just getting my students settled in for the day when out of nowhere the principal made an unexpected announcement over the loudspeaker, “teachers, I need you to check your emails. Right now.” Naturally I was startled and immediately concerned. I had no idea what I was about to read. “Teachers, please remain calm an plane has hit the World Trade Center in New York City. Please continue your day and we will keep you informed as we find out more information.” I remember wanting to cry and having a horrible suspicion that it wasn’t just an accident, but having to keep my composure in front of my students. Immediately I thought of my family- my father, sister, and best friends traveled a lot for work at the time. I can’t quite remember but I somehow got ahold of my parents and best friend over the next few hours to confirm they were okay. The next thing I know, my colleague is in my classroom. Her dad worked in the first tower and she was obviously incredibly upset. For some reason I had a TV in the closet of my classroom so everyone ended up in my closet watching the news as the second plane hit. We were crying and knowing that our country was under some kind of attack. The rest of the next 24 hours is a blur. Later the next evening I was in the grocery store with my boyfriend and my college roommate called. We were fresh out of college and had friends living and working all over the country. I hadn’t heard from her in a while so I knew something was wrong. When I answered the phone she was crying. Our friend from college Kelly was on the first flight. For the next few days I spent hours crying nonstop, trying to get ahold of as many friends as I could. I couldn’t pull myself away from the news coverage, as much as it hurt to watch.

    A few years ago my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) and I were finally able to visit the WTC Memorial in NYC. It was a very special and profound experience finding my friend’s name and laying my hand on her name and praying for her family.

    I personally (Me Andrew) felt really bad for everyone who went through the chaos and loss of family that 9/11 caused. I really want there to be more memorials, and make 9-11 a day off school because it’s very important for US history, world history even. It made me realize how big a deal 9/11 is and how all the jokes about it aren’t that funny. Almost 3000 people lost their lives, thinking it would be another normal day. It hurt me how scared everyone was when the 2nd plane hit, and how people were risking their lives to save people from the smoke and collapsing buildings.
38. Titus Smith September 20, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    I interviewed two people. I talked to my dad Alex Simpson and my step-mom Shanelle Simpson. My dad was 17 at the time of the attacks and my step mom was 11. I first asked them What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? Shanelle said “I was 11 and confused and everyone was leaving school but I was waiting for my mom so I went to the library and they kept playing it on the tv”. My dad said “I was in class and they rolled a TV in and we started watching the news and I didn’t really understand what happened”. Next I asked What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks? My dad said “everyone was scared because they didn’t know what was going on and people were going home early and everyone was paranoid”. Next I asked What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks? Shanelle said “It was really sad and they kept playing the crashes on the news for days after, they were looking for survivors and stuff and a lot of people had loved ones in the cities and they were devastated so everyone was scared and sad for a few weeks”. After that i asked my dad What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks? He said “ News coverage was all day every day you didn’t hear about everything else, the sports stopped, other news stopped and it affected everything”. Next I asked How did life change for you and your family in the weeks and months immediately after 9/11? They both said “ Airport security is crazy different and people were racist towards Muslims and everyone was anti Taliban. At first everyone was scared of anything Middle eastern, then it turned into a racist insult and Arabs were discriminated against”. Lastly I asked Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? They both said “I haven’t been before the attacks and when they went after they visited the site”.

    Personally reading their responses I didn’t really feel that much. 9/11 was a long time ago so I never really got to experience any of the direct consequences of the attacks. My dad said that it made him sad and confused but it didn’t really affect much of anything in his life since he didn’t have any family or friends in New York at the time. My stepmom also wasn’t too affected by the attacks. She was a little kid so it kind of scared her but she didn’t really think about it a month or so later. In conclusion 9/11 was a horrible attack but it didn’t really affect my parents that much.
39. Zackary Norwood September 20, 2022 at 9:45 pm

    I interviewed my mom, her name is Devin Norwood, and she was a student at groves when 9/11 occurred.
    Q1: How old were you when 9/11 occurred? Where were you in life?
    A: I was 18 during 9/11, and it happened near the beginning of my senior year at Groves.
    Q2: What is your first memory of when you first heard of the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you reach about the planes crashing into the buildings? Did you believe is was a intentional terrorist attack, or an accident?
    A: I{ was in class when I found out. The teacher showed the news on the tv. It showed live footage of the second plane followed by the destruction in streets. Out of fear, a lot of parents began to pick up their kids. When I got home the world was the most silent it has ever been.
    Q3: So what conclusions did you come to?
    A: I immediately knew it was a terrorist attach, news was fast, we watched the attack live so when I saw the second plane, I knew it was not an accident.
    Q4: What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night?
    A: I loved bush as a president. He made you feel like it would be ok and you were safe because he had it handled. It felt like back then your president actually talked to you as person. It was uplifting, and comforting.
    Q5: What were people’s reactions in the days or weeks following 9/11?
    A: We all just kind of came together. It was like comfort in the chaos. You would just connect with and comfort each other, whether it be your family, your friends, or even complete strangers. It was strangely uniting.
    Q6: How was the media coverage following 9/11?
    A: Media coverage of the attach was all over. You could not avoid it if you tried to. New details about who was behind it and possible motives came out. There was fear of new conflicts that might arise overseas but that’s all I can remember.

    This interview gave me a insight on the perspective of someone who actually watch the events of 9/11 unfold, and how it changed not only her life, but also was a bit of a wake up call for the nation. that tragedy could always happen and we need to care for one another. All in all, my view is that 9/11 was a tragedy that will forever impact our nation, and effected the lives of thousands of people. It was really interesting to see the view of people who saw firsthand not only the event itself, but they are also able to compare life before the incident to life today.
40. Flynn O'Connor September 20, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    I interviewed my Aunt who was visiting from Chicago.
    Q: What is your name and how old are you?
    A: My name is Suzan Johns, and I am 38.
    Q: When is your first memory about first hearing about the attacks? What conclusion did you come up with about the first plane?
    A: Well when I first heard about the attack I was in gym class. We were doing our activity, I think we were about to start a dodgeball game. When a teacher came into to the gym and told my gym teacher “One of the world trade center towers got hit by a plane!” My gym teacher immediately turned on the crappy tv to the news and we watched. At first I thought it was some kind of freak accident, but then the second plane hit.
    Q: Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C? If you have then did it change your outlook at all on the events?
    A: I actually went to New York a few years ago and visited the memorial there. As I looked at some of the names and took in the scenery, it really just made me relive the moment I heard of the attacks and what followed afterword. It also made me very sad, to think these lives were taken for no reason.
    Q: What was your or other people’s reactions like in the following days?
    A: The following days were just complete sadness fueled chaos. More information about the attackers and victims just kept coming. People were shocked, scared, worried, and angry. My parents or siblings didn’t talk much about it but it defiantly effected everyone’s mental state for a week or two.
    Q: What did you think about President Bush’s address to the nation that night?
    A: I thought the first part of it was meaningful, short and sweet. What he said really tapped into the emotion of the American people at the moment. And what follows was purely about America. He talks about how the terrorists couldn’t shake the foundation of America, and even though lives were taken, America would not back down. It was truly a patriotic moment.
    Q: It’s been 21 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed in that time?
    A: Well there’s the obvious changes. Airport security has improved exponentially and flying is much safer. We did the whole “war on terror” in the middle east that is still ongoing and effecting many nations. America is still a very proud and strong country, and I love how every 9/11, no matter what side you’re on in the political spectrum, it’s a day to be proud to be American.
41. Giovanni Baldini September 20, 2022 at 9:50 pm

    My Name is Katherine Baldini(my mom), and I was 31 when 9/11 happened.

    3. I was in Italy when it happened. We were at my husband’s family vacation home in Sardinia. We had just had lunch at a restaurant, with a big group of people, because we were on vacation. We returned to our vacation home, and my husband’s grandmother came running down the path from her house towards the street where we had parked, and she said “Hurry, hurry, come quickly!” She couldn’t tell me much because she is a native Italian, and doesn’t speak English well. We came into her house where she had the TV on, and we saw that one of the twin towers had collapsed, and I believe that we watched the TV as the second tower was hit by a plane. That’s how I remember it anyway. Everyone was shocked, and extremely sad, knowing that people inside those buildings were trapped or killed, and worried for those who were in New York City at the time. There was some confusion too, about what was happening and why.

    I didn’t even know that my mom was in Italy when 9/11 happened, which makes her story more interesting. I also found it interesting how at first everyone was confused.

    4. I lived in New York City for about 16 months, from 1992 to 1993. I could absolutely imagine New Yorkers on their way to work, and arriving at work, and experiencing such a chaotic and horrible situation. I used to take the subway to work from the upper west side to midtown, and I could only imagine coming up on the street and not knowing what was going on, and being afraid.

    My mom’s relationship with N.Y.C. makes the attack impact her more, and her stories about what she imagined it was like for the people who were there at the time really makes me see things differently for those who were there.

    6. We were stuck in Italy, as there were no flights back home for about a week after the attack. I was with my husband and my baby daughter; she was only 9 months old. When we left Sardinia, we took a boat to Genoa, where my in-laws live. We stayed at their apartment for about another week, with my sister, her husband, and their baby daughter, until we could arrange new flights back to the U.S.

    The fact that they were stuck in Italy really gives anxiety to her story, as she doesn’t know exactly what’s going on over there, and she had to change plans and stay in Italy for a longer period.

    7. I went into a shop in Italy a few days after it happened, and the lady who worked there said “I’m really sorry for what happened,” in Italian. At first, I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I realized she knew I was American. The Italians were very shocked and felt sorry for the Americans.

    I find it interesting how Italians felt sorry particularly for Americans, because, after all, everyone was affected, and only those who were in New York City when it happened and those connected to them were more impacted.

    12. The airport, and in particular the area for international departures, was on high alert. The Italian military had a strong presence with machine guns. Another thing is that I was obsessed with BBC radio while we stayed in Italy, as it was the only English-language news source I could get. Also, we were all jumpy after the attack. My brother-in-law, for example, heard thunder in the distance and thought it was a bombing. When we got back to the U.S., my husband had to go to Chicago for a business meeting and I remember being kind of nervous that he was going to a big city where there could be another terrorist attack.

    I didn’t know that even at this smaller airport in Italy had military with heavy weaponry on standby. It also didn’t occur to me that in general airports closed for quite a few days.
42. Nate Hidalgo September 20, 2022 at 10:11 pm

    What is Your Name and How Old were You?

    My Name is Ellen Hidalgo and I was 33 years young.

    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?

    I was at home taking care of my baby when I turned on the today show, and saw the first plane hit. I immediately thought something had gone terribly wrong on the plane. I didn’t know, and I don’t really think anybody knew, that it was an attack.

    Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?

    My most vivid memory is easily the second first plane hitting. It was a very surreal experience seeing the plane hit the tower and explode. I remember calling my husband and telling him how there was a terrible accident at the World Trade Center. Of course a bit later in that call I was telling him how a second plane had hit the second World Trade Center.

    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?

    My best friend Marissa’s husband worked and still works in New York. He took the train everyday, but for some reason he was late that day. Because he was late, his office wasn’t sure where he was. There were no cell phones or anything at that time, so no one knew where he was. I just remember Marissa freaking out really bad before he just randomly showed up at their door saying “New York is completely shut down”.

    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?

    Like I said, I saw the first plane hit while watching the today show. I completely thought it was an accident. I think nobody either wanted to believe or even considered the idea of a terrorist attack. I know for me, terrorism never even crossed my mind until the second plane hit.

    What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain.

    There was so much misinformation going around at that time. We were all just so scared. First we had 9/11, but you probably don’t remember the whole thing about Saddam Hussein having “weapons of mass destruction”. Let me tell you something funny, they didn’t find a single one. They also said he was making these bio weapons that he was gonna use on us. They never found evidence of those either. I really do think we were just taking advantage of the situation to get oil fields. I mean, if all you care about is getting the terrorists, then only go after the terrorists. Osama Bin Laden was from Saudi Arabia, not Iraq. Being in Iraq made zero sense, but everybody thought it was a good idea because we were all so angry. We needed somebody to blame.

    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?

    The media coverage was non stop. I know you can guess that it wasn’t just a thing that was on the news for a night, but you just can’t understand how long it was talked about. I’d say there wasn’t anything else on TV for about a week. I mean there technically was, but most channels were discussing 9/11. For the remainder of the year, all the news wanted to talk about was the clean up effort, or searching for the people who were responsible for the attacks.
43. Zack S September 20, 2022 at 10:18 pm

    Q1 “My name is William Salloum. I was 41 years old when 9/11 happened”

    Q2 “My first memory of the attacks was witnessing it happen or the aftermath as reported on tv in an attorney’s office and at the time, my immediate reaction was just being amazed that these planes could have been anywhere near the buildings, that there wouldn’t have been any response. You know, downtown Manhattan is a congested area, and planes coming that close to the top of some of the tallest buildings in Manhattan…you just would never think that would be possible. You would think that there would have been some sort of response preventing that from happening. I guess I initially didn’t know if it was an accident or not. I was mainly thinking that it wasn’t an accident, and we later found out that it was, in fact, a terrorist attack”

    Q3 “I was in an attorney’s office, and people around me had the same kind of response as I did. Just amazed it was happening. That it was something that occurred.”

    Q7 “In the days after the attacks, the main reaction was that our response against terrorism is going to have to be heightened, improved. We’re going to have to, you know, prevent this type of a planned attack from happening ever again”

    Q8 “My most vivid memory is just watching it all unfold as they showed the plane going into the building. Just staring at the television. It felt sort of surreal.”

    Q10 “It was like any media coverage of any main event. I mean, you have the reporters, you know, asking the same questions over and over again, showing the same devastating footage endlessly, just whatever time you might be tuning in, it’s all the same.”

    Q13 “The Afghanistan war seemed necessary to try to disrupt the training ground for these terrorist groups. Iraq was a much different situation. You know, I guess I don’t understand Iraq. I don’t think there’s any way to really understand that. You know, obviously, there are unstable governments throughout the world, but what gives us the right to intervene? Without being privy to the knowledge that the president would have, there’s really no way to fully understand the necessity for that type of a war”

    This interview made me think much more deeply about 9/11 as a whole. Hearing what that day was like for someone close to me helped me envision the absolute terror and uncertainty that swept the nation on that fateful day. The interview also led me to think about the aftermath of 9/11, specifically the Afghanistan War and the invasion of Iraq. My dad’s insightful perspective on Iraq inspired me to do some research on the subject. 9/11 truly was a catalyst for many events in modern history, and its effects can be felt in more ways than just heightened security.
44. Parker M September 20, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    “Brian Scott Mingus, 21”
    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
    “I was working, and I had just finished a delivery. I went back to the bakery to pick up more deliveries, when the shop owner began murmuring about towers falling. I had found out after both had already been hit, so I assumed they had been done on purpose.”
    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    “I was most likely driving to work when the attacks happened, I called my friends telling them to turn on the tv, they initially were in disbelief.”
    Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?
    “Yes, I have been to both D.C. and New York, however I went to D.C. before the attacks, and New York after. D.C. didn’t play much of a role in my thinking, but New York after the attacks was very interesting. We got to go near the towers, and that allowed me to envision the ash covered streets and skies as I walked along the side. Along with the towers we went to a nearby fire station where we saw memorials for the fallen firemen. This really put me in the perspective of the people who had to witness the event in person, and showed the true horror of that day.”

    9. How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
    “Nothing much changed personally, aside from everything closing down.”
    I think it’s terrifying what happened, and how many horrible stories have come out of the event. Every single person has a story, no matter how near or far from the event they were. The effects it had on those close to me is something that I find fascinating, since none were even nearby. The fact that the attack had the nation so united, yet so separated just confuses me, and I learned that not only was my dad in broadcasting school with my mom at the time, but he also worked at a bakery. Overall, this interview put a lot of new ideas in my head, both about the attacks of 9/11, and my parents before I was born.
45. Jenna Rivera September 20, 2022 at 10:48 pm

    “I will NEVER forget September 11, 2001. I was thirty-one years old and working at Hull Elementary School where I had been teaching for several years. I had just finished teaching classes that morning and sat down on an upholstered bench just outside of our main office when our Principal, Mr. Braun, silently sat down next to me and placed his hand on my leg.” My mother (Jennifer Rivera) goes on to say how she was concerned and found it unusual for her principal to be acting in that manner. She say that she could tell something was wrong. “He patted my leg and said, ‘You should go home (for lunch) and turn on the t.v.’” So, she did.

    She retells how when she was driving home every radio channel seemed to be interrupted by the news feed and when she arrived home and turned on the t.v she, “could not believe my eyes!”. It was only a little after 11:00 a.m. Every network had news coverage non-stop. She talks about how words cannot describe my sorrow on that dreadful day. At this point my mother was tearing up. “ I wanted it to be all a colossal mistake. When I watched the footage, I thought of our students. Some of them would be going home after school and they would turn on the t.v. and see this! People. Real people free falling to their death as they jumped out of windows. Horrible! She spoke about how she was so concerned about her students going home and seeing what was happening on the tv. She also mentioned that at the time she didn’t think they actually fully understood the gravity of the situation just yet. She had to return to work after lunch and says that vivid memory of hers was that some parents came to get their kids early that day.

    “Well, I drove home as fast as I could and turned on the television once again. I cannot explain to you the consuming sorrow I felt for many weeks after that day. I never cried that much, that many days in a row. ” As my mom retold the story, she was clear about one thing, she had never been that sad before in her life. She does recall when being asked if she knew anyone in the city that although, we do have relatives that are policemen and firefighters in New York they live and work in Buffalo, N.Y., and relatives in and around the D.C. area.

    She reported that she and my Aunt and their parents just spent many nights together watching the news as details emerged and the days dragged on that September after 9/11. She would not comment on President Bush’s address because she was taught that “if you can’t say something nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all.” She thinks that the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq are criminal acts.
    She mentioned that she was not certain how America has changed after 9/11. In the immediate aftermath, many Americans seemed to stand together. For example, New York became “safer” than it had been in her memory and when the flights stopped and travelers became stranded, she wanted to let strangers stay in our house (but my Dad said NO). Some procedures have changed like when you go to an airport, you have to take off your shoes and go through a more rigorous security check. When apparently before, you could approach the gate to see your loved ones fly away. My mom reported that she felt like the world had gotten smaller after that day, “We are all one group and we share the same planet. So, we had better learn to figure out ways to disagree that don’t include cro magnon man concepts of smashing each other’s heads in with whatever primitive (or advanced) methods we can concoct”.

    After interviewing my mother I was astonished, to say the least, at how it must have been to live through such a horrible thing as 9/11. It was a horrific event that changed the course of history and to know someone who lived during the time it took place feels almost surreal. I honestly believe that I would have reacted the same as my mom and I think that the changes in security and airplane changes were good and necessary but it also makes me think could this attack have been preventable. I know you can’t change the past but it doesn’t stop me from coming up with all the possible what-ifs. I also feel there could have been more done to help with the aftermath to help the affected people. I just sincerely hope that something like this never happens again.
46. Brock Kusiak September 20, 2022 at 11:01 pm

    What is your name and how old were you on 9/11?
    Michele Kusiak, I was 32
    Explain the situation you were in. How did you react? How did others react? How did you feel?
    I was in the GM office building that I had worked at at the time. Everyone had just clocked in and started working when one of my co-workers had said to the section that I was in that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. The event was being broadcasted on every news channel. My entire floor was huddled trying to see what was happening on a single TV screen. I was shocked seeing the damaged building and confused about what had happened, I’m sure many other people felt the same. When the second plane hit, everyone gasped then panicked. We realized that it might have been an attack in New York city. Me and everyone else were scared
    Did you think it was an accident at first?
    Yes, when the first plane hit, I was taken aback but I still was pretty sure that it was an accident. When the second plane hit, I knew something was wrong. There really wasn’t enough information until a while after the attacks.
    How did your family react to the attacks?
    My mom was scared for a while after it had happened. My sisters were shaken up but they got over it pretty quickly. Everyone was just scared.
    What changed immediately after the attacks?
    Everything seemed to go into lockdown, all flights were canceled, security at my office was top notch, everything was searched everywhere.
    What changes are in place today that were different from pre 9/11?
    Airports have greatly heightened security obviously. Many places that didn’t require searches or metal detectors have them today, even amusement parks and sports stadiums. Everything seems to have more enforced security.
    What was your biggest fear right after the attacks?
    Mine and many others’ biggest fear was that something worse was planned to happen next. A lot of people thought that another attack would happen someplace else. Luckily, the initial attacks were the end of it.

    Even though I wasn’t alive to experience it, 9/11 was one of if not the greatest tragedy in American history. It will surely stand the test of time and the sacrifices made by the people that day will never be forgotten. I can only imagine the shock, horror, and sorrow people felt that day. It’s heart wrenching to think about the workers in the tower, praying for their lives and hoping they would make it out of there. 9/11 should always be remembered as a day of recognizing the bravery of firefighters, police men and women, the people working in or near the buildings, and all of the people that had to suffer that day.
47. Sabrina September 20, 2022 at 11:11 pm

    1. Q: What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    A: Robert Schlotterer, I was 26.

    2: Q: What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
    A: I was at a training seminar in Southfield to learn Microsoft access and we had just taken a morning break for the bathrooms and to get water. It had just happened and they had it on the televisions in the bar/restaurant of the hotel. Everyone was watching it and when the first plane hit we thought it was an accident. Nobody was expecting it; it was a normal morning, not like we were fighting with somebody and something happened.

    7: Q: What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
    A: Everybody was shocked, a lot of people were very angry and they didn’t know who to be mad at. Nobody knew who or where or whatever, but everybody immediately wanted to hurt them.

    9. Q: How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
    A: I was supposed to go on a business trip to England two and a half weeks later but it was canceled because of the attacks.

    13. Q: What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain.
    A: Initially, I was very pro-war like most Americans, upset and mad and wanted to find the reason why and fight back and stuff. As I have matured I don’t disagree with part of our response to what we did with the war, but none of this had anything to do with Iraq. Then we pushed the leader out of power with no plan b, like we did what we were set on, but then what’s next? We were in Afghanistan way too long. We never should’ve invaded Afghanistan. All we’ve done is kill an entire generation of people. We went over to fight under the ideas of defending democracy and freedom, but war messes with people’s heads and they can’t adjust.

    14: Q: Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
    A: I think we’re much more vigilant against domestic acts of terrorism and more suspecting of others. There’s more Islamophobia too. Now we’re in a massive deficit, and we spent trillions of dollars to go over and to fight.

    I think my father’s account of this was very interesting. For some reason, I had never pictured the attacks on September 11th having an effect on him. I still get surprised even when I hear my teachers talking about 9/11. I think this is all because, for some reason, I can only imagine this attack affecting New York, Washington D.C, and Pennsylvania when really, it affected everyone. Not just in America too, especially since this led to an onslaught of Islamaphobia and racism towards people from countries like Afghanistan, which also led to the wars there and in Iraq. This was all just because people in the United States wanted someone to blame for 9/11, understandably, but that doesn’t change the fact that reacting like this and prosecuting a whole group of people is wrong.
48. Helena H September 20, 2022 at 11:14 pm

    My dad Robert Hewer was 27 at the time of the attacks.
    Q2. I saw CNN right after the first plane hit. We thought it was an accident. Q3. I was at my house in Clifton, Ohio. We had just finished architecture school. My house mates and I watched the second plane hit and new instantly it was terrorism. Q4. I have been to New York and DC both before and after. It was part of our architecture tour. It was very solemn to return after the attack.
    Q5. I did not know anyone in the cities.

    My mom Penelope Christianson Hewer was at the time of the attacks. Q2. I heard about it from another teacher in the school that I was teaching in at the time. And then several students asked if we could turn on the TV in the classroom while they worked on their classwork assignment. At first, there was a question about whether it would be appropriate to watch TV in class but we did end up turning it on. We turned it on and watched the second plane hit. We knew that it was more than an accident, that it was an intentional act. We were shocked. Q3. I was in my classroom at the time in Grosse Pointe, MI. I was with a group of high school students and we were doing some class activities together. Everyone was shocked. We didn’t really know what to think. Some students were scared. Everyone was glued to the classroom TV screen. Q4. I have been to both these cities. I did not have any close friends in DC at the time but did have friends in NYC. I was worried for their safety. And also for the destruction of this amazing city. Q5. Yes. I knew some people I went to college with. I was not able to contact anyone. One of my sister’s friend’s sister died in the attacks. It was a devastating and unbelievable moment.

    My Reaction: These interviews surprised me because I have learned about it in school but what we have been taught in school is mostly just black and white facts. I didn’t realize how much everyone was affected. Both my parents described to me the feeling of not knowing whether you were safe or not even though neither of them were anywhere near the sights of the attacks. They said it felt like if it was that easy for someone to do something so devastating what else could they do. The feelings of uncertainty were overwhelming. I think if I had been alive I would’ve reacted quite similarly.
49. Sebastian Forberg September 20, 2022 at 11:14 pm

    1. What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    “My name is Paul Forberg and I was 31 on 9/11.”
    3. Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    “I was in a barber shop in Nijmegen, Netherlands so I really got to experience it from being overseas and seeing the international support for America. While I was getting my haircut I was watching CNN which was on a TV in the barber shop and I see breaking news come up and the footage of the first plane hitting the north tower and everyone in the barber shop jaws’ dropped”
    5. Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
    No, but I know a couple of people who had lost friends for example one guy, Hank, he went to georgetown and one of his friends worked as an investment banker and worked in one of the towers. Another guy, Ludwig, runs the conference I was just at for business, he doesn’t know that I know this but his dad died on 9/11. I did not contact anyone that was in or close to the attack.”
    7. What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
    “I remember one specific thing that one man said to me in a bar in the netherlands a week or so after the attacks. His name was Ruud and he was in medschool to become a doctor, so a very smart guy, and he said something along the lines of, “ how are you surprised that this attack happened with all of the things America has done to the middle east and the things they have caused.” I thought this was crazy that he would even think that but most people in the Netherlands were just watchers and thought it was sad that all these people died.”
    12. How did life change for you and your family in the weeks and months immediately after 9/11?
    “I would say because I traveled so much internationally that the security levels got extremely high but it was more of an inconvenience than it was a problem. It didn’t stop business, it didn’t stop social. life just kept going on.”
    My thoughts: I thought it was really fascinating hearing what my dad experienced from the Netherlands and how it affected the people and things around him. He also told me that being an american in the Netherlands almost made him almost a celebrity for a few days with all his dutch friends asking him about it. I asked my mom what she experienced as of 9/11 and she said she just watched it happen and talked about it for a bit then just went on with her life but she was also in the Netherlands so it was less of an experience. Overall it was cool to see how my parents experienced it and it gave me another perspective from people overseas.
50. Arianna Shuboni-Ullmann September 20, 2022 at 11:16 pm

    I interviewed my grandmother, Doina Shuboni, for this assignment. She was forty-four at the time the towers fell, and it was her husband’s forty-fourth birthday. She had guessed that this would happen since ‘93, and was not surprised, but was nonetheless devastated when it happened. She believes that hatred can sometimes motivate people more than love and that you should never let hate into your heart.
    At the time the twin towers went down, she and my grandfather were getting their back porch installed. They were both in grief, but were more worried for my mother and aunts who were in school at the time. She knew people in New York, but did not talk to them until later. The same day the towers went down she had to go to work in the tallest building in Detroit, saying that everyone was uneasy and there were rumors about more planes, but she was not too worried about the building.
    The towers falling reminded her of her time in medical school in Bucharest, when there was a huge earthquake. For two days she would not hear anything outside of the city. She was on the fifth floor when it happened. The city was filled with blood, the dead, and fallen buildings. She helped to pick bodies out of the rubble and slept under the stars that night, unsure of what would happen next, but still calm and collected as always. During her time as a doctor in Yugoslavia and Ceaușescu’s Romania, she saw many things, but I had not heard this story yet.
    My grandmother thought that Bush’s speech was very good, and believes that it united America as a nation to mourn together and get through this loss, not denying that he made poor choices during his presidency. One thing that she did not like about the aftermath was the Islamophobia that followed. You should not judge a large group of people for a few extremists, and should look for the best in each group of people and religion, then repeating her sentiment that you should not let hate into your heart. She held similar ideals about war, seeing so much of it in her lifetime, being firmly anti-war. It destroys all nations, and history is there to prove it. The scars of war will plague the participants and their future generations to come.
    Being born in Yugoslavia, she saw it fall apart through power grabbing and fighting amongst themselves. She does not want to see what happened there happen here, saying to embrace diversity, look at all viewpoints, and take charge of our future. The past belongs to the older generations, and the future is ours. We must be the ones to decide what to do with it.

    I thought that what my grandmother said was very insightful, and was a very sentimental addition to our daily face time. I think that I sprinkled my comments on what she said throughout her recollection, but would probably say that I look up to her a lot, and enjoy her stories, because however dark they end up being, she will always leave hope for the future. This was a very interesting assignment to complete, because I got to see her perspective and life from a different viewpoint than just, “bunica mea”.