Campus Speak

    Remembering 9/11

"Where were you?"

During the early morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the security of the United States was threatened as terrorists used three jetliners to crash into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

A fourth jetliner was diverted by
heroic passengers and crashed into
a field in Pennsylvania.

The tragedy of that day sent a country into

mourning as the number of casualties climbed.

That day many citizens realized that America was not infallible.

In a series of hours, more than
3,000 people lost their lives.

“I will not forget the wound to our

country and those who inflicted it.
I will not yield, I will not rest, I will
not relent in waging this struggle
for freedom and security
for the American people.”

-President George W. Bush
September 20, 2001

“I was back at home in India watching the news.
I always knew America was good, so it was a
shock that something like that could happen.”

Barjinder Samra
graduate student

“I was just waking up. I remember thinking we’re

not indestructible anymore. I was planning to go

into the Marines but I changed my mind after that. ”

Cody Johnson
undeclared,
sophomore

“I was working in Santa Maria. When I got
home I watched the news. I was scared. ”

Ambar Alvarez
evaluations staff

“I was just getting out of bed. Turning on the
radio it didn’t sound real.”

Chris Robinson
accounting staff

“I was in San Diego, getting ready to go to work.

I was in disbelief, I didn’t think the towers were

going to collapse. I was glued to the TV. ”

Rosalind Lates
accounting staff

“When it happened I had just woke up and was

having my coffee. It was just devastating to watch. ”

Joanne Johnson
payroll staff

“I was a student here. In my first class we were told to

go home and that everyone had to leave. We were

all frustrated trying to get our famlies home. ”

Sieumuoi Taing
payroll staff

“I was getting ready for work and I saw both buildings on fire.

I was absolutely amazed, I didn’t even know what was going on. ”

Kevin McCully
financial aid staff

“I was in high school in Orange County. In class we watched

the news all day. We didn’t even go from period to period.

I remember thinking that our country is out of control. ”

Ed Lantz
business, senior

“When I first heard about it I was getting ready for school.

I remember the media playing the pictures of the

towers burning over and over. That really stuck with me. ”

Luke Foster
business, senior

“I was in San Jose. I was taking a shower and my

dad knocked on the door and told me something

very bad had happened. It was crazy. ”

Dean Lorenzo
biology, junior

“I was in science class at Tracy high. I had friends

flying out of New York that day and I thought it

was them but it wasn’t. They made it safely.”

Melissa Springer
linguistics, freshman

“I was at my parent’s house. I remember

I was pregnant with my son Jared.

I didn’t think it was real, just like the hurricane. ”

Pamela Booth
nursing, senior

“I actually set my TV to wake me up to the news,

so I woke up to it. I was real proud of Americans and how the

world encouraged and supported us.”

Rachel VanNoy
nursing, senior

“I was here at work. I didn’t hear about it until my wife called me.

My only question is how could it have happened. ”

David Garibay
grounds work staff

“I was at school. To think it was so close and not in a

country far away had a big impact on me. ”

LaToya White
journalism, senior

“My dad woke me up. I thought it was a movie about simple fate.

I felt sorry because everyone suffered. ”

Jeremy Hudson
criminology, senior

“I was in Japan watching TV. I went to New York

the next week, working as a counselor. ”

John Dussich
criminology professor

“I was in Virginia and told to watch CNN.
I didn’t think violence and death was the solution.”

Margaret Gonsoulin
sociology professor

“I was in Sunnyvale. First thing I asked was who did it.

I wondered if a war was starting.”

Shailesh Rana
graduate student