I was a sophmore in college when 9/11 happened. Taking a shower in my dorm room with the local radio station on, I heard the announcement. He said it over and over until I realized that he wasn’t kidding. I think it took him just as long to realize the impact of what had happened. I got out, dried myself off and saw that my rommate was already in front of the tv, hand over her mouth. I came out in a towel and sat beside her for what seemed like 3 minutes, when in actuality, I sat shivering in that towel for and hour and a half.

As members of our hall wondered into our common area, we had about 10 girls in the room when the second tower was hit. I was still in the towel. 10 sophmore girls in one dorm room all cried together. We made due with the absence of our parents, brothers, sisters and family. We were all we had at that moment and we hugged, cried, held and covered our faces together.

Girls came in and out, but my three roommates and I sat on that couch in front of the TV for 2 hours. In the midwest, everyone knows someone in the military. Each one of us ran to our computers and sent emails to anyone we knew in any branch of the military. I had a close family friend, one had a brother, another knew someone who worked across the street from the first tower. No one’s loss or worry was less than anothers. We were all scared.

No one went to class that day. The college (which was private, small and catholic) held an impromtu mass outside complete with candles and prayer. Profesors, staff, students and friends visiting were all there to, somehow, tell those we were worried about that we loved them. If we prayed enough, then we could believe that they’d live. And for some it worked, for others it did not. As the weeks went on, we were still there when the phone calls and emails came that either reassured or devistated. Our little Iowa campus survived together and each of us that was there that day found a little support in a situation that not one of us could hava handled alone.