From staff reports
- Paul Wong
- About 15,000 people filled the Diag last night to mourn the victims of yesterday”s terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C. and New York City.<br><br>ABBY ROSENBAUM/Daily
The number of University students with ties to New York and Washington was particularly evident yesterday as many apprehensively anticipated news of friends and relatives.
“I”m still waiting to hear from my best friend. She goes to school at NYC Lincoln Center,” said LSA sophomore Molly Spooner, a New York resident. “I”m calling her dorm room, her cell phone.”
The worry was not reserved solely for those from the attacked cities.
“My sister works for the government in D.C. I e-mailed her a little bit ago, I don”t know if she is at home or not, I”m trying to call her,” said LSA junior Kasey Boike. “This is completely unbelievable, I”m in shock. I can”t even imagine, I can”t even imagine.”
Overtaxed telephone lines in both cities forced most students to wait until friends and relatives contacted them.
“One of my mom”s friends works in the Pentagon. I”m very concerned right now, he goes there everyday,” said Todd Moulton, an LSA junior. “I tried to call my mom to get his number but all the phones lines out there are busy. Hopefully he is at a different agency today.”
Those who did get in touch with family members were quick to get first-hand accounts of the events swarming television and radio stations.
“My grandpa works right in midtown and the streets are all closed, the tunnels are all closed, so he has to sleep in his office tonight,” said LSA freshman Amanda Plisner. “It”s crazy right now.”
Witnesses of the carnage in New York told of unparalleled pandemonium.
“The streets were packed with people,” said George Oka, a junior at New York University, in a phone interview yesterday. “There aren”t any cars going through the streets right now because everyone is on the streets. They are just frantic, they want to know what”s going on.
“I started to walk to the Washington Square Park where there is an incredible view, or there was, of the World Trade Center,” Oka said. “There was nothing but smoke. You just saw people crying in tears because of all the people that had passed away.”
As the news of the attacks spread across campus, many students reacted with shock and panic.
“It sickens me,” said LSA freshman Richard Lo, who is from New York. “All my friends live in New York City, they go to school there. I feel sick to my stomach. I can”t get in contact with any of them. I don”t know what to say or how to react. I”m worried about my friends and family. I just feel like I”m left in the dark despite news reports.”
Many students appeared to still be in disbelief last night.
“Just from the pictures, it”s like out of a movie, I really don”t believe it,” said LSA senior Clint Mansour. “It”s going to take a while to recover from this.”