Many students were just getting out of the shower or brushing their teeth. Some tuned into their televisions looking for the weather report, but instead what they saw was a surreal event that will affect their lives forever.
“I’m in shock,” said Becky Watkins, a junior. “I hope this doesn’t happen anywhere else.”
Feelings of asylum and refuge normally felt in Maine -“the way life should be”-were tainted with reports that the terrorists involved in Tuesday’s attacks had been nearby. Some had entered the United States through Jackman and purchased cell phones in Bangor. Two terrorists may have spent the night in South Portland’s Comfort Inn and flew from the Portland International Jetport to Boston’s Logan Airport, according to authorities Friday, authorities said that a USM student identified Atta.
Some students said they felt safe in Maine, a state removed from the complications of larger cities such as New York. Many believed Portland to be one of the safest cities in the United States.
But after Tuesday’s attacks, some of those feelings altered.
“It seems like I don’t feel safe anywhere anymore,” said Stacia Stambaugh, an undeclared freshman.
There was a somber mood on campus last week as students tried to go about their daily routine. Some chose not to attend class after learning about the horrific events of Tuesday.
“I didn’t feel right going,” said Kris Lamb, a sophomore business major.
Students faced a choice early Tuesday on whether to attend class. Many expressed concern that classes should have been canceled as soon as the tragic events happened.
“I think the whole school should have been shut down,” said Jaime Flaig, a junior sociology major. “I’m assuming a lot of people have families in New York.”
“[Tuesday] was a time we should have been extremely careful of congregating,” said Tanya Hyler, a senior chemistry major. “The rest of the state was.”
Classes were eventually closed at 4 p.m.
Many students were concerned about family and friends who lived in New York City and Washington, D.C. They spent Tuesday trying to contact their loved ones in and near the ill-fated cities. Some students reassured their frightened parents by telling them everything was all right.
The future safety of other students remains unclear. The possibility of being called into military service is creating feelings of anxiety among the campus population. Despite their uneasiness, some students with military backgrounds feel honor bound to return.
“I would do it. No question in my mind,” said Andy Hanson, a senior information technology major and former member of the Coast Guard.
For students such as Jamie Dube, a junior computer science major, Tuesday’s scenes will replay in the mind for some time.
“The World Trade Center is gone,” he said.
Contributing writer Jennifer Thomas can be contacted at [email protected]
Writer Erin Zwirn can be contacted at [email protected]