The images are clear for many. Barrels of smoke clouded the morning skies. People overcome with fear ran for their lives. The twin towers crumbled to the ground.
As many people have said, Sept. 11, 2001 was "the day the world changed."
Few Ball State University students can forget where they were and what they were doing, five short years ago, when they heard of the tragedies in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania the day terrorist-hijacked planes attacked America.
Ball State graduate student Francine Melia lived her whole life in New York City before attending Ball State. She said she remembered the day vividly and looked back at the horrible time in the city she called her home.
"[New York City] was truly a world gone mad with stopped traffic and transportation, dust from the falling towers making it hard to breathe and lots of panic," Melia said.
Many Ball State alumni recall the day as if it were yesterday. Adam Barras, who graduated in 2004, said he remembered his problems that day were nothing compared to what was happening in New York City and Washington, D.C.
"I woke up late for my English class, and the only concern on my mind at the moment was trying to find a ride to class," he said. "It was quickly brought to my attention that a plane had crashed into one of the [twin towers]."
The campus, like the rest of the country, was very different after the terrorist attacks, alumnus Mat Coe, who graduated in 2004, said.
"Everyone got together in places with TVs to watch the news on every channel," Coe said. "Families were calling students, students were calling families, people were buying gas thinking the attacks had something to do with gas."
Ball State professor Dale Hahn said he worried about his students, and he remembered how frantic they were that day.
"I remember a couple of students said they knew people who worked in NYC and 'might' be in the buildings and that they would have to find out about that ASAP," he said. "Some students said they were relieved to be in Muncie and not living in a major city, since there was no assurance that other cities - Chicago, Indy - were safe.-á I think students worried about their families and friends outside of Muncie."
Despite the chaos, Lauren Birdwell, 2004 graduate, said she remembered many people at Ball State tried their best to keep life moving normally. Not surprisingly, though, it was almost impossible, she said.
"Life attempted to go on," she said. "Classes were not cancelled; people went to work. It was sort of a joke though; there was only one topic on [everyone's] mind."
Ball State could not ignore the change that had occurred in the country, Coe said.
"Socially, Ball State changed a little," he said. "There were more American flags, there were columns in the Daily News about Arabs that bordered anti-Semitism, and people were scared. It was just like the rest of the nation."
About 3,000 people lost their lives during the attacks. Many were never found. People all over the world lost friends and family in a matter of hours.
As time went on, however, Ball State joined the rest of America by resuming old customs and returning things to the way they used to be, Birdwell said.
"The daily things occurring on campus - the construction of Shafer Tower, the new journalism building, the fraternities going dry, classes, organizations - these slowly started taking over our main thoughts again," she said.
Sept. 11 and homeland security are political issues discussed today. Ball State professor Gerald Waite said he is not satisfied with the way the government handled situation.
"I don't think we have addressed the issues that caused the attacks," he said. "I believe that we have been vengeful but not just."
As the 5th-year anniversary of Sept. 11 approaches, the disaster is not far from the hearts of Ball State students, Melia said.
"We still mourn the loss of the people we loved who died that day as if no time has passed at all," she said. "I do have to say that I harbor no hatred for the people responsible, just grief for the loss of life."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
