It has been 25 years since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington rocked our nation. It has been 25 years since a plane carrying 40 passengers crashed into a field less than an hour’s drive from the WVU Potomac State College campus. It has been 25 years since September 11, 2001, and yet, for many of us, the event seems like it happened only yesterday. For others, it may feel like a lifetime ago. Yet the impact of that day continues to ripple. We asked our faculty and staff at PSC one question. “Where were you on September 11, 2001?” The College will host a Day of Remembrance Moment of Silence at 8:40 am on September at the Quad flagpole.
“I vividly remember the thought crossing my mind that the world would never be the same again. Life as I had always known it would change forever. Innocence was lost. Then I felt just a feeling of overwhelming sadness and helplessness. I believe that those of us who experienced the day have an obligation to share the experience with generations to come.” -Molly Alvaro, Assistant Professor of Psychology
“The first time I heard about the planes hitting New York City was when I was walking into the cafeteria in what is now the Davis Conference Center. The cafeteria had TV sets playing the news report. I remember seeing all the shocked looks on the students’ faces. Then, soon after, another report about the plane taken down in a field in Pennsylvania by heroic passengers who wrestled control from the terrorists. I remember feeling this was a turning point in the security of our nation.” -Dr. Jay Badenhoop, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry
“I was living in southern Virginia with my husband, four-year-old daughter, and two-month-old son. I had turned on the TV and was on the phone with my mom. I watched ‘live’ as the second plane went into the second tower. I couldn’t believe that I was watching it happen. We didn’t have cell phones then, so we were not used to seeing things the way we see things today. I remember going into my bathroom so my daughter wouldn’t see me upset. My first thought was, where is my family? We didn’t know what was happening or how widespread this was. After several phone calls, I was able to locate my family. I was able to confirm that my brother, who was a pilot for a major airline at the time, was not flying that day. I remember the feeling of shock, fear, and then unity and gratitude. There was a unity you felt even with people you did not know. It truly felt like we were all in this together. There was gratitude to those risking their safety to help those still trapped in the rubble. Everyone was watching the TV day after day, getting updates concerning cleanup and recovery. Our hearts were so saddened by the loss of life and those who were still being searched for. Even though it was 25 years ago, the feelings, emotions, and images of that day are still so fresh and real in my mind. We said that we would never forget, and I hope that we do not forget what happened that day, the unity we felt with others, and the gratitude to those who worked so hard to help those in need.” -Krista Campbell, Executive Assistant to the Campus President
“On September 11, I was in my second grade classroom at West Side Elementary School. I remember the PA system was constantly going off, calling tons of students to the office for early dismissal. All I remember thinking was, ‘I wish my mom would come get us?’ and ‘Why does everyone else get to leave early?’ My mom did end up coming to get my younger brother and me, and we had to wait for my dad to get home that evening before they would explain to us what was going on. At seven and five years old, we didn’t really conceptualize what it meant to experience a terrorist attack, but my dad basically framed it as being prepared for the U.S.A. to enter World War III, and I can remember feeling sick to my stomach thinking about my family having to go off to war if that were to happen. I can also remember being scared of something happening to us in Cumberland, since we were so close to the Flight 93 attack in PA., and my solution to that was to pack an emergency bag so we could run in case of emergency.” -Kara Hotchkiss, Director of Residence Life and Coordinator of Student Engagement
“I was at work when we got the news the World Trade Center had been hit. We immediately turned on the TV to see what was happening, thinking there had been an accident. We let out early, not long after the second tower attack, when folks began to realize this was no accident, but rather an orchestrated attack. I called to make sure my stepson had gotten home from kindergarten safely. I had a friend whose brother worked in Tower 1. This was his second time experiencing an attack, the previous one in 1993. She was so worried until he finally called to say he made it safely across the Brooklyn Bridge. I went straight home not knowing what was happening, exactly. My husband also got out of work and came home. After watching the news, he went outside to ‘work it out’ through yard work. I stayed glued to the TV and watched in horror all night long. I couldn’t believe the people jumping from the buildings, thinking that was a better fate than burning up. I couldn’t imagine ever having to make a decision like that. I remember watching the dust and smoke and people collapsing and people screaming and sirens, etc. The images are burned in my mind forever, just like they are, I’m sure, for everyone who saw those scenes. Our world changed entirely that day, and I don’t think it’s ever gone back. My heart aches for everyone affected by loss during that time. Simply horrible.” -Michelle House, Behavioral Health Therapist
“It was a typical sophomore high school morning. We had started social studies/history class. A teacher from another room hurried into our class and quietly said something to our teacher. He told all of us something was happening and turned on our classroom TV. The first plane had struck, and the whole class was a little excited but confused. We just thought it was some type of disaster. Then we watched as the second one hit. I automatically thought that either there was a malfunction affecting planes, or that it was intentional, but I didn't say that out loud. I was kind of hoping that it was a freak thing. We changed classrooms for our next class and continued watching the news in that one as well. We listened each minute as news reporters told us exactly what they were hearing. Other planes were not responding to air controllers, and all air traffic was being ordered out of the sky. The President had been moved from a classroom where he was reading to little kids and put on a plane headed back to D.C. Then the Pentagon was hit; at that point we knew we were under attack. We realized that someone wanted to kill us. WAR. While sitting in math class, we saw people running for their lives as the towers fell. One of the girls in my class told us that her dad worked there. I was hoping that she hadn’t lost him. Looking back at that day, I don’t know if I ever saw her in school again after that. We watched live as soldiers patrolled the top of the White House ready to shoot down the next plane. Everyone on the news seemed to think that maybe the next plane was headed for the Capitol building where Congress was meeting. We learned that the passengers on that plane downed their flight on purpose to save everyone else. It was kind of creepy that it was only an hour north of here. At lunch, that was the only topic of discussion in the cafeteria. Our school leadership held a prayer session for worried students. I should clarify that we were invited but not required to attend. There was a quiet, nervous feeling that carried itself over the rest of the day. The following days were just as important. We weren’t allowed to watch anymore in school, but I did at home as much as I could. I listened to Congress sing on the Capitol steps, watched firefighters and search dogs digging through rubble, and witnessed videos of large numbers of people showing up at blood banks to donate for those who were injured and trying to survive. I also appreciated the President showing up at Ground Zero and speaking to all of those hurting and searching for the ‘lost.’ We all waited to see what would happen next. It affected everyone. Our church on Sunday was packed more than normal. This experience led some of my classmates to enlist in the military as soon as they were old enough. I think our teachers felt extremely responsible for helping us navigate all of it. We knew that the world had changed. We were no longer ‘safe.’ It imprinted on me that I needed to stay close to my family, as I would never know when it might be my last day.” -April Jones, Library Technical Assistant
“I was sitting in my high school library in eastern Pennsylvania during an independent study class on sports medicine. The televisions throughout the library were tuned to news stations, and very quickly, everyone was glued to the small monitors, trying to comprehend what was happening in New York City. New York was only about two and a half hours directly east of where we lived, and many of us visited the city frequently, making the events feel especially close to home. Not long after the attacks began, our school district sent everyone home. Our community was home to the largest aluminum extrusion facility in North America. Because the facility produced aluminum that could be used in military aircraft and other defense-related products, it had long been viewed as a potential target for terrorism. As reports continued to come in and aircraft were still unaccounted for, there were growing concerns that another plane could be somewhere over Pennsylvania. Given our proximity to New York City and the possibility that an aircraft could be traveling in that direction, people in our area were placed on high alert. When I got home, I remember being completely glued to the television. Watching the towers collapse was surreal. I remember feeling almost disconnected from reality, struggling to comprehend that what I was watching was actually happening. That evening, my mother told me that September 11th would be the defining event of my generation. She compared it to the way she had felt about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy—the kind of moment where you always remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the news.” -Mandi Larkin, Director of Athletics
“I was working at Sight and Sound in Lancaster at the time. I was getting ready for work, and for some reason, my roommate was still home and was watching The Today Show. This is the only time I ever remember her being home at that time. We never had the TV on in the morning. We stood and watched, as they were reporting on the first tower, when the second tower was hit. Like everyone, we just stood there in shock. The theatre was closed on Monday, so we were all coming back from our weekend that morning. Several of the cast and crew had spent Monday in “The City.” One of our stage managers just walked around like a zombie, saying “But I had dinner there last night.” She’d been at Windows on the World. Putting on two shows that day felt so wrong. I don’t know how we got through it. Stage management kept checking the news and giving us updates over the headset, which we would relay to the actors as they came off stage between scenes. Nothing like helping someone change their wig while weeping, and they fight off tears so they can go back out there. Of course, afterward, I heard news from friends in New York, letting me know they were safe. One who had cut through the Trade Center to get to their office because they were running late but made it to safety just minutes later. My aunt, who had a ticket for Flight 93, but changed it last minute. The friend who had been temping there the week prior but had an audition that day. I still can’t believe our current students weren’t even alive then." -Michele Labar, Title III Professional Advisor
“I will never forget the day, September 11, 2001, when our Nation was attacked by terrorists. I was fast asleep in our home on Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base, Hawaii, when we received a call from my mother-in-law to get up and turn on the news. With the six-hour time difference in the middle of the night, we had no clue what had happened and what else was about to happen. I was in total shock watching the replays on TV the rest of the day. My husband, who was a Navy Petty Officer, got dressed and headed to work. The base went immediately on lockdown. No one was allowed on or off. Since we were on an island, all the military bases on Oahu prepared for the worst. They didn’t want another Pearl Harbor. I was on pins and needles until he returned home. All personnel were on high alert that they might be called to do whatever was needed depending on how the remainder of the day or week played out. No one knew what was going to happen next. All military members were asked to update their wills, and my husband, who never had to carry, was issued a gun. I remember being scared to death and feeling absolutely helpless. It was horrible being all the way in Hawaii when my family and friends in MD, PA, NY, NJ, and VA were in the thick of it all. I spent the day calling back and forth to make sure everyone I knew was safe, while everyone was asking me if my husband was being sent somewhere. I couldn’t do anything to help. What made it worse was that the American Red Cross was pleading for donations of blood, and I couldn’t give because I was pregnant with our second child. The days that followed were not much better. To get on and off base was a lengthy process. Fortunately, we lived on base, so that helped. However, when I would go to the Exchange or Commissary, there were heavily armed guards at all entrances and outside around the premises. My son was too young to understand why there were men and women in uniform going around with big guns. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, to go grocery shopping. I felt safe but also felt like I was in prison. As weeks went by and the threat lessened, the tension and strict requirements eased up. This past July, my husband and I were in New York and visited the Ground Zero Memorial and the Museum. It is an absolutely beautiful, solemn place. We could not hold back the tears as we spent over two hours walking around the museum, listening to the stories of that day and seeing the remains of the two towers as well as demolished fire trucks that were on the scene first. Physically standing there and knowing what happened that day all around us, to all those unfortunate people who were trapped and those who gave up their lives to try and save others, was surreal! I will never forget that feeling, and I will never forget 9-11. I can’t believe it has been 25 years. I hope to never experience anything like it again. We should never forget!” -Bonnie Lawson, Academic Advisor
“On September 11, 2001, I was at my desk in the Housing Office in Lyon Tower on the Evansdale campus in Morgantown. A staff member from an office down the hall came to our office and said, ‘A plane crashed into the World Trade Center.’ She came back a little later and said, ‘A second plane crashed into the other tower.’ Then we heard about the Pentagon and then Shanksville. Scary times after that. One thing that has always stuck with me was the silence in the sky after the attacks. I lived a few miles from the Morgantown airport, and Pittsburgh International Airport was an hour and a half north. I was accustomed to hearing and seeing planes of different types flying overhead. Immediately after the attacks, air travel stopped. It was eerie being outside and not hearing planes heading to or from the Morgantown airport or Pittsburgh International. Also, my niece was three days old when the attacks happened. My brother was an over-the-road truck driver at that time, and my older sister was living in Greenville, SC. Being from a close-knit family, I worried about their safety. At work, a co-worker brought a radio in so that we could listen to news reports. The attacks were a daily discussion for weeks. I also remember that a few residence hall students had withdrawn to join the military. Each anniversary of the attacks brings back memories.” -Marie Post, Program Assistant II - Housing Assignments Coordinator
“I was working in a newsroom at a newspaper in northeast Ohio, and I was supposed to go in at noon that day because I had a council meeting to cover that night. As soon as I saw the coverage on TV, I headed into work because I knew it would change the day. And the world. And from the moment I arrived at my desk, I was in ‘triage’ mode as a reporter. We were covering a national crisis on a local level (especially when Flight 93 changed course in the Ohio sky near where I worked at the time). What we did and talked about and wrote about was a blur. I remember the paper won an award in 2002 for breaking news coverage in our division for news related to September 11, but I don’t remember all the details. I remember the team in the newsroom working as a machine. I recall the reporters working together cohesively to do what needed to be done as a response – much the same way the nation was responding, really. Our office was near the Akron/Canton Airport, and we sent reporters and photographers there to interview people who were part of the order that all aircraft should land at the nearest airport. Little did anyone know those passengers would remain either at the airport or in area hotels for the next week. I remember the faces who worked with me that day and how tired we were by the end of that week. I remember one reporter named Olivia. This was her first-ever journalism job out of college. She said, ‘I know as a reporter, I am supposed to be impartial. But I am going from sad to scared to angry every minute.’ And as her editor, I turned to her and said, ‘It’s okay. Journalists are human too.’ At one point that afternoon, I suggested the newsroom staff get some fresh air, and a few of us took a break and walked outside, only to see and hear ominous military jets soaring overhead. I will never forget the strange vibration in the wind as those jets flew above us, close enough to see the military personnel seated inside, and then continuing to stand in that parking lot in a shocked stillness as those wings of war sped off into the sky.” -Shane Riggs, Assistant Director, Strategic Communications and Marketing
“I was born on 9/11. It was my 33rd birthday. It was the first birthday I remember ever taking off work. Prior to that day, I always worked and celebrated with my family in the evening. I turned the news on about 9 a.m., and soon, shock, panic, and disbelief set in, like it was a movie. It couldn't be real. For the next 10 years, I cried on my birthday as I watched families and their stories. My aunt worked the switchboard for many years at the Pentagon, and thankfully, she had just retired. My cousin worked there, and he had just walked through where the plane hit. The impact threw him down the hall, and he had injuries from it. Another relative worked across the street from the Pentagon. It is my belief that every American lost a part of their heart that day. Now, I try not to watch the news but choose to get out and remember so many that I never knew and pray for the families that survive them. Life is a gift that should never be taken for granted.” -Terrie L. Rogers, Service/Information Office
“I was in my ninth grade homeroom class. Every day we’d watch the news and the teacher would quiz us on it. The day before, the teacher said, ‘Man, nothing good ever happens in the news! Maybe we won’t have a quiz tomorrow.’ The next morning, we get in there and 9/11 happened! He felt horrible.” -Amanda Williamson, Graphic Arts Designer
“I graduated from college in May 2001 and had a fellowship in Germany for the 2001-2002 AY. The semester starts later there, and I was scheduled to leave on September 13. The weekend before the 11th, I had just returned from New York City, where I had gone to visit my friend before I went to Germany for the year. While I was there, my car was broken into, and everything was stolen from the trunk. I had filed a police report on Monday, and they were supposed to follow up with me on Tuesday. Needless to say, they never did. Maybe they never would have. There was nothing of great value in the trunk, but they certainly had bigger issues after the attack. On the day of the attack, my mom called from work and told my sister and me that a plane flew into the World Trade Center. There is a building in Boston with the same name, so we were all a little confused as to which one. My sister and I turned on the TV to watch for updates in time to see the second plane hit. We watched for a long while, but eventually had to turn it off; it was too difficult to take. Every American in the program (about 15 of us) was late getting there. I was the last one to get there, as I was flying out of Logan in Boston. Logan was closed for quite a while, so I was a week late, missing the orientation entirely. The security for the flight was insane. Having flown all of my life internationally, from a variety of airports, this was the strictest I had ever seen. When I was living in Germany, it was in a small college town, pretty similar to Keyser. There were a few Mormon missionaries who were living there. They were not allowed to seek out news of their home when on their mission trips, but they were very interested in what was happening in the U.S. They would frequently stop by my apartment, and 'politely’ listen as I talked about what was happening in America. Apparently that was in the rules, but they couldn't ask directly. My memories aren’t just of the day, but how my life was affected after the day.” -Joan Vogtman, Professor, STEM
“On September 11, 2001, I was a sophomore in high school. I remember leaving my third period Algebra class and hearing chatter in the hallways that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I thought, ‘Wow! What a horrific accident!’ There was a lot of speculation amongst my peers in that moment about what had happened. Being the ever-optimist I am, I was sure it was a fluke. As I entered my fourth-period World History class, my teacher already had the TV tuned to the news. Instead of our regular lesson, we all sat in silence as we watched the second plane crash into the tower. It was then that I think we all realized something more was going on. The rest of the day was filled with terror and uncertainty as we received more news about the crash at the Pentagon and in Shanksville. When I arrived home and waited for my parents to get home from work, I turned on the TV. I typically watched Total Request Live, which was filmed in New York’s Times Square, on MTV after school. When I turned it on, that channel and many others, displayed a black screen with white text saying that day’s programming was cancelled due to the attacks. I turned over to the news briefly, but turned it off after feeling too scared to hear more about the horrors. I don’t remember what my parents said when they finally got home. I don’t remember details from the days after. But I’ll always remember the patriotism and unity that arose from adversity. The first responders who risked their lives to help others. The New Yorkers who pitched in to clean up the rubble for months afterward. I was never so proud to be an American as I was during that time.” -Emily A. Zumbrun, Rural Entrepreneurship Librarian, Mary F. Shipper Library