12 years

I cannot wrap my head around the fact that tomorrow is September 11th. It has been 12 years since our lives changed. How has it been 12 years? Wasn't this just a few years ago?

I will never forget that day. I was in my Foundations of Inquiry class in the basement of Milner Library at ISU when the first plane hit. I found out about it in my algebra class immediately following. We had a test that day. By the time I made it to my political science class the second plane hit.

I don't know why I continued going to class, I think it was just habit at that point and we really didn't know what was going on. In my political science class, our professor educated gave us an entire lesson on Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban. It was terrifying and something I just couldn't wrap my mind around.

When I returned to my dorm, my roommate Jamie and I sat glued in front of CNN. Then we watched in sheer terror as the towers fell. We watched thousands of people die in an instant and there was nothing anybody could do. I felt helpless. I felt hopeless. I felt numb.

Then the rumors started that it wasn't just going to be New York and D.C., that the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was meant for Chicago. Chicago...my hometown. The city where my sister was currently working. I remember calling her in tears. I wanted to know that she was okay.

Being 18 and trying to comprehend everything that was going on was just too much.

A few days later I went to the prayer vigil on campus. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of us on the quad with candles. It was such an amazing sight.

Fast forward 12 years and it's still fresh.

Tonight as a part of honoring the people of 9/11 we flagged the lawn in front of our building. We are actually doing an entire week of service projects, but tonight was the main event that we had. We chose to honor photojournalist Bill Biggart. I didn't choose him randomly, I was pretty deliberate in my decision. I do not even think I offered any other options.

So why Bill? Well, this summer my sister (yes, the same sister I called in tears on 9/11) and I went to D.C. and visited the Newseum. Inside they have an exhibit on 9/11 with a piece of one of the towers and coverage from that day. There are interviews with people moments after it happened that play on loop and then there is a glass case with a camera, press passes and film canisters. That glass case is everything they found from Bill Biggart four days after 9/11.

Bill was a photojournalist and was simply walking his dog with his wife when the first plane hit. Being the journalist that he was he ran home for his press passes and cameras. He was going to capture the story.

He was there when the first tower fell. He came out from the dust cloud, called his wife and said, "I'm safe.

I'm with the firemen." He told her he'd be home in 20 minutes. 20 minutes later the second tower fell.

What Bill did that day is something that our faculty strive to teach our students. He had a passion and commitment to his craft that cannot be taught in the classroom, rather it can only be experienced.  Teaching our students about Bill and his contribution will hopefully give them some perspective on their field.

On this 9/11 I urge you to learn about someone that fell in either New York, Pennsylvania or D.C. If you see a first responder tomorrow, smile, say thank you. Above all, remember, honor and live. Live for those who are no longer with us. Live for those that are overseas fighting to give us each day that we have.

Just live.

We will never forget

It's been 10 years but it still feels like yesterday. I've spent the better part of the past two days looking for footage to put on Multiples and More and watching it again was like watching it the first time. The sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach was still there. All I could think was I am so glad my kids weren't here to see this as it happened. I mean I know they are going to study it in school, and they will come home and ask me where I was and what I felt, much like I did with my parents and the assassination of JFK.


I've already spent most of my morning reflecting on what happened. How it's changed me. How it's shaped me. I remember that day being terrified they would target Chicago. My sister works downtown and I couldn't get to a phone fast enough to see if she was ok. I remember standing on the quad at ISU for a prayer service the day after. I think the majority of the students were there. I've never seen that many people on the quad at one time, it was amazing.

9/11 still lives with me everyday. Scott is in security and teaches terrorism classes. Naturally, he discusses this stuff with me and it's absolutely terrifying. I cannot believe there are people with that much hate in their heart that they are willing to do this to innocent people. It's something I will never understand, all I can do is pray that they stop and find some peace.

Today is a day of reflection and remembrance. Remembrance of those who lost their lives, those who ran in while others ran out, and those who fight everyday to keep us free. We will always remember, we will never forget.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh" ~Luke 6:21

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

It is so hard to believe that it has been 8 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the fields of Pennsylvania. I will never ever forget that day as long as I live. I was in my Foundations of Inquiry class in the basement of Milner Library at Illinois State and had no idea what was going on, I didn't find out until my math class the next hour. It was pure chaos, at that point only one of the towers had been hit. I went to my political science class next (I have no idea why I didn't just go back to the dorms) and my professor was keeping us posted on everything and teaching us everything we needed to know about Bin Laden (remember he did this not Saddam) and the Taliban, during this time the second tower was hit. I didn't go to anymore classes that day and just sat in front of the TV watching CNN with my roomate. Then rumors started that the next attack would be on the Sears Tower and I freaked out. My sister's office was relatively close to the Sears Tower so I was freaked out about her. Thankfully nothing happened in Chicago, but the same couldn't be said for DC and Pennsylvania. I remember a day later standing on the quad with almost the entire student body to pray and reflect on the situation. It was amazing how united we all were at that time, it didn't matter who you were, what color, religion, sexual preference anything, we were all Americans and we stood united. Today needs to be a reminder of that, our enemy is not the person across from us it is the sick people that did this to us. We need to stay united and remember all of those that lost their lives, and continue to lose their lives for us. Never forget today.