9/11/01: a nation changed

By JOHN VOGEL
UP NEXT COLUMNIST
It all began as an ordinary interruption of government class.
I thought it was something regarding the condition of the baseball field.
Then, the teacher returned to the room and turned on the television.
That's when all of our lives changed; I will remember that moment forever.
My second-period government class was taking notes when Mineral Ridge High School Principal Mike Hanshaw called teacher Randy Cameron into the hall.
The class began talking and thought it was just a friendly discussion among co-workers.
When Cameron came back into class he said, "An airplane just hit the World Trade Center."
My first reaction was, "What kind of moron flies a plane into a building," thinking that a private plane hit the tower and simply exploded.
When I saw the smoke and enormous hole in the first tower, I started to realize the seriousness of the situation. Then, another plane hit the second tower, and I realized that we were dealing with intentional acts instead of accidents.
Discussions of the attack and terrorism erupted in the classroom, but we still didn't know the magnitude of the tragedy.
School day continues: The school bell rang, and we proceeded to third period. The halls were the quietest they have ever been in the four years I had walked through them.
I entered the library and went straight to the television in the back. There were almost 10 people, teachers and students alike, crammed around it.
We were discussing the latest events and giving our opinions of who was responsible. That's when the newscaster said the Pentagon was hit. A short time later, like a scene out of the movie "Independence Day," the second tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.
Up close: I visited New York in April and remembered that I almost fell over backward looking toward the top due to its extreme height. Now, I saw it fall to the ground in front of me. A few minutes later, the tower that was struck first fell to the ground.
The remainder of the day was filled with reflection and sorrow as students watched the latest breaking news on the television. All extra-curricular activities were canceled. Students went home to be with their families. Businesses closed, meetings were canceled and sports were postponed.
I think that is what I will remember most about Sept. 11, 2001.
Not that it was my 17th birthday, not the sights of the towers falling or the videotapes of the impact, but rather how the attacks affected not only those in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., but every American.
Hardly anybody did anything that night. The country shut down. The day turned to night; the news stayed on; and the country went to sleep.
We woke up and began a day that will personify life for an indefinite time. People bonded together, joined their efforts to aid those in need, and began one of the largest displays of patriotism in history. Flags of both cloth and paper were hung, flown and even worn as a statement of loyalty and assurance that America would not be defeated.
Expectations: It started out as a day I looked forward to for weeks. I planned on enjoying school, going to the big volleyball game, eating some birthday cake, and even watching that long-awaited first R-rated movie.
Unfortunately, my day was ruined. The school was filled with tears; the volleyball game was canceled; and the movie theaters closed.
Not only was my day ruined, the entire population experienced absolute tragedy.
I fear, however, the worst is yet to come.
XJohn is a senior at Mineral Ridge High School, where he is editor of the school newspaper and a member of the National Honor Society.