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TRAGEDY’S AFTERMATH: STUDENT REACTIONS AND RESPONSES Students gather near the Russell House Theater to watch the coverage of Tuesday’s events, photo by josh skidmore s: OCKWAVE Students react to Tuesday's attacks BY DAVE CONGER THE CAROLINA REPORTER Many students crowded around televisions at USC’s Grand Marketplace to watch coverage of Tuesday’s attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Others gathered in the campus movie theater, which broadcasted live reports of Tuesday’s disaster. For most of the students, the disaster was a time of fear and shock. “It’s scary,” first-year student Jada Hill said. “Now it's like we’re going to war. We’ve never really had anything like this happen.” Not everyone was surprised by the attack, though. First year student Joe Tomlin had feared an event like this for some time. “I expected it because stuff has been going on for a while,” Tomlin said. "It’s sad because the planes were carrying people, and all those people died, plus the people in the World Trade Center. It’s just a sad situation.” The situation was even more distressing for those with family or friends in New York. Frank Dardis, a doctoral student, has a friend who works close to the city’s Wall Street area. “I have no idea,” Dardis said about his friend’s condition. “There’s no way to get in contact or anything.” A former resident of Manhattan, Dardis expressed disbelief that this had happened. “This is very unnerving. New York was my favorite place in the world. It’s kind of crazy that such an icon is gone,” he said of the World Trade Center. Some have already begun to speculate about military reper cussions. Phillip Kent, a fourth year ROTC ?tudent, said he is looking forward to going into ac tive duty in the Army after he graduates in May. “America has been pierced by terrorist forces. If the Pentagon is on fire, you can bet there’s go ing to be war. We’re the future leaders of America, so it’s our duty first and foremost to serve our country,” Kent said. BY MARTHA WRIGHT THE GAMECOCK After a day of terrorism and conftision for the United States, members of USC’s Muslim Students Association fear reper cussions from people who aren’t familiar with or don’t under stand Islam. “Of course, I was shocked,” said Sheima Salam, vice presi dent of the MSA, about Tuesday’s events. “I thought it was a horri ble, evil act, and then I thought about impact on the Muslim com munity. I was really praying it would not be connected to a Muslim terrorist group. “I know there’s not 100 percent evidence that it was a Muslim terrorist, but people are going to think that,” said Salam, a third year student in the Honors College. Such stereotyping of culprits has had an impact on Muslim students’ lives in the past, said Ali Syed, president of the MSA. Syed, a third-year student in mechanical engineering, said he remembers the flurry of accusa tions toward Arab-Americans during the Oklahoma City Bombing. As he sat in his seventh-grade science class watching coverage, news anchors were quick to as sign blame to foreigners and Islamic fundamentalists. “The rest of the whole day, all the kids in school thought a Middle Eastern person did it. And my teacher said, ‘surely no American could do such a thing.’ And as it turned out, Timothy McVeigh did that,” Syed said. McVeigh was executed this past summer after being convicted in the 1995 bombing. Shereef El-Ibiary, treasurer of the MSA, said his mother warned him not to go out today because she worried he’d be attacked be cause of his religious beliefs. He said his sister had seen hate speech against Muslims spouted in Internet chat rooms. And El Ibiary was surprised when he Instant Messaged a friend Tuesday and saw that his away message said “Kill all Arabs.” “If the people who did it hap pen to be Muslim extremists, they’re not true Muslims. The re ligion does not call for that in any way, form or fashion. It’s a reli gion of peace, not destruction,” said El-Ibiary, a third-year chem istry student. Salam said she didn’t feel peo ple were treating her differently today, but she did worry about reactions to her wearing hijab, the traditional head scarf of Muslim women. “I was afraid to even go to class because I’ve chosen to cover my hair now, and that’s kind of an open sign I’m a Muslim. I know people are going to be an gry,” Salam said. Syed said he was also warned by a family member to stay out oi puDiic places. “My mom called me and she said don’t go out. I was like, Mom, it’ll be OK. But I do feel a little insecure, but... I feel like this is my country, I was born here. But at the same time, I’m Muslim, and people are accusing Muslims of terrorists attacks. It’s a mixture of feelings.” Dr. Hal French, a professor of Religious Studies who has been with USC since 1972, cautioned against the public’s projecting anger about Tuesday’s terrorist attack on Muslims. “There will be stereotyping, and I think we have to resist that,” French said. “People use the terms Muslim, Arab and ter rorist all together, and that would be very unfair if that hap pens." Salam also described a disso nance between a common asso ciation of the words. “The juxtaposition of ‘Muslim’ and terrorist is so wrong. It just doesn’t fit. Islam is a religion that preserves human rights and the right to life,” Salam said. Syed said other faiths are equally prone to developing fringe groups that taint their worldwide reputation. “Every religion has extrem ists, like people bombing abor tion clinics. Every group has a bad crowd,” he said. El-Ibiary said he wants people to avoid painting all Muslims with a broad brush, and that inci dents of terrorists attacks are far from mainstream Islamic beliefs. “The true believers in Islam, the true Muslims, are very peace ful people,” El-Ibiary said. “When Muslims greet each other, they say, ‘peace be upon you,’ ‘Assalamu-alaikum.’ Before the religion, that greeting didn’t ex ist. It’s a religion of peace.” For more information about Islam, the MSA recommends www.islam.org. "If the people who did It happen to be Muslim extremists, they’re not true Muslims.... It’s a religion of peace, not destruction.” SHEREEF EL-IBIARY TREASURER OF MUSLIM STUDENTS ASSOCIATION Wednesday religious services: ST. THOMAS MOORE CENTER (CATHOLIC CHURCH), GREENE STREET Mass at 12:15 p.m. PALM CENTER, PICKENS STREET Prayer service and “time of reflection” at 5:30 p.m. RUTLEDGE CHAPEL, ON THE HORSESHOE Service from noon-12:45 p.m. ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 3600 DEVINE ST., 254-7646 Mass at 7:30 a.m., noon and 5:30 p.m., open all day for prayer. WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1715 BROAD RIVER ROAD, 772-1338 Prayer service at 6 p.m. EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1301 RICHLAND ST., 765-9430 Extended morning prayer service at 7:15 a.m. ST. PETER’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1529 ASSEMBLY ST., 779-0036 Mass at noon KOREAN COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1412 RICHLAND ST., 765-2500 Prayer service at 7:30 p.m. ST. ANDREW’S BAPTIST CHURCH, 230 BUSH RIVER ROAD, 772-6666 Sanctuary be open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. for prayer WASHINGTON STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1401 WASHINGTON ST., 256-2417 Community prayer service at noon, Gov. Jim Hodges will be in attendance ST. DAVID’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, 132 ST. DAVID’S CHURCH ROAD, 356-3035 Prayer service at 2 p.m. SPRING VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 125 SPARKLEBERRY LANE, 788-3589 Open until 9 p.m. for prayer TRENHOLM ROAD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 3401 TRENHOLM ROAD, 254-6695 Open until 9 p.m. for prayer CAYCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 160012TH ST., 794-3200 Prayer service at 6 p.m. International students express concern over American tragedies BY JESSICA FOY THE GAMECOCK Across USC’s campus yester day, students, faculty and staff could be seen talking about the recent tragedies in New York City and Washington, D.C. Many people expressed concern for USC’s international students. “It is a very emotional time, and people are grieving here in the United States. We hope that won’t result in any negative feel ings towards international stu dents that are here,” said Patricia Willard, International Programs’ director. Each person has his or her own opinion and way of dealing with what happened, and many people are looking for someone to blame for this tragic event. “I heard about it from a friend, but basically I felt it through a lot of people’s looks. People are in fear and worried because they really don’t know what to expect in terms of the near future,” said Ahmed El Saddawy, a native of Egypt and Student Government’s International Student Affairs’ di rector. Saddawy expressed concern that some people will be quick to point fingers at others. “Do not use history as an excuse to throw blame on other people, countries and governments for a huge, vi olent, terrorist act that has not been researched in terms of who did it,” he said. “Wait patiently and don’t blame people until you see the proof.” Willard also said American students aren’t the only ones feel ing pain from this tragedy. “In talking with many students from many different countries, there is great shock and sadness amongst them.” Rohit Bhatia, a second-year student from Zambia, spent the morning trying to reach a friend, a former international student now employed at the World Trade Center. “It took me about four hours to find him,” Bhatia said. His friend had been on his way to work when he saw the horror un fold from a car window. When Bhatia spoke to him, the friend still hadn’t contacted all of his co workers. “I could feel the pain in his voice,” Bhatia said. Kanika Kaura, a second-year student from Nigeria, said she was stunned when she heard the news as she walked into class this morning. She had visited the World Trade Center a month ago. “I love New York City,” she said. "If you haven’t seen New York, then you haven’t seen the main part of America." As an R.A., she has heard many opin ions from her residents, some whom she disagreed with and others whom she understood. She thinks it’s important for everyone to realize that the re cent events “will effect the whole world in general.” As an international student, Chris Hill of Toronto, Ontario, hopes he can help his fellow American students. He has lived in the United States for four years and is working on his sec ond master’s degree. “I’m not glad that this hap pened, but I’m glad that I’m here while this is happening.” Hill said. “I can give Americans my perspective as someone not from here so that Americans don’t think us versus them.” None of the students whom The Gamecock spoke with said they had felt alienated in any way in light of recent events. Though they are international students, they’re affected by Tuesday’s at tack. “I’m not from here,” Hill said, “but I am here.” Bush President urges prayer for victims CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 At the first reports of attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, Bush told his Sarasota el ementary school audience that he was going back to Washington. All of that changed immedi ately — and he was diverted to Louisiana — when a plane slammed into the Pentagon, and Washington, too, was under at tack. On Capitol Hill, first lady Laura Bush, who was supposed to make her debut testifying be fore the Senate on education, tried to soothe a horrified na tion. “Parents need to reassure their children everywhere in our country that they’re safe,” she said, grim-faced, as she and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., an nounced their hearing was post poned. Mrs. Bush and a handful of aides were whisked by motor cade to a secret location away from the White House, which had been evacuated except for the small corps of foreign policy advisers who staffed the base ment Situation Room. Fleischer said Bush’s 19-year old daughters, Barbara at Yale University and Jenna at the University of Texas, were also moved to secure locations. Associated Press writer Sonya Ross contributed to this report from Air Force One. Penn. Crash Plane goes down near Pittsburgh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 parently intended for Camp David. Reporters were taken to the top of a hill overlooking the scene. The crash left a V-shaped gouge in a grassy field surrounded by thick woods, just below a hilltop strip mine. The gouge is 8- to 10-feet deep and 15- to 20-feet long, said Capt. Frank Monaco of the Pennsylvania State Police. Investigators believe the plane crashed there and disintegrated, sending debris into thick trees nearby, Monaco said. “There’s nothing in the ground you can see,” Monaco said of the crash site. "It just looks like tiny pieces of debris.” Michael R. Merringer was out on a mountain bike ride with his wife, Amy, about two miles away from the crash site. “I heard the engine gun two dif ferent times and then I heard a loud bang and the windows of the houses all around rattled,” Merringer said. “I looked up and I saw the smoke coming up.” The couple rushed home and drove near the scene. “Everything was on fire and there was trees knocked down and there was a big hole in the ground,” he said. In Chicago, United CEO James Goodwin said the airline was send ing a team to Pennsylvania to as sist in the investigation and to pro vide assistance to family members. “Today’s events are a tragedy, and our prayers are with every one at this time,” Goodwin said. Without citing a death toll. United said Tuesday afternoon that it had identified all passen gers and crew members on board the two planes and was notifying family members. No names were released immediately. In Pennsylvania’s Richland Township, police Chief Jim Mock said air traffic control coordina tors reported Tuesday morning that a large aircraft was heading toward John Murtha Johnstown Cambria County Municipal Airport in the township, about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh. The air traffic controllers said the aircraft would not identify it self, according to Mock, who is also the airport’s emergency coordina tor. Shortly after talking to the con trollers, Mock said, a plane crashed north of the Somerset County air port about 20 miles away. “It shook the whole station,” said Bruce Grine, owner of Grine’s Service Center in Shanksville, about 21/2 miles from the crash. “Everybody ran outside, and by that time the fire whistle was blowing.” “It’s just devastating. It’s really shocking right now.” JAMEL BRADLEY FOURTH-YEAR ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT STUDENT It’s unreal. It’s like something out of a movie. 1 just think it’s sad someone could do something like this.” KATHERINE HELLER SECOND-YEAR MATH STUDENT “It’s absolutely one of the most tragic days in our nation’s history. Our generation has nothing to compare to this. I’m sure our nation will respond. I feel extremely sorry for the families in New York and Washington.’’ COREY FORD STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT “The incident that occurred In New York - everything Is surreal. It’s hard to imagine we could be attacked In our backyard.” TIMISHA PORCHER FOURTH-YEAR FINANCE MARKETING STUDENT “It's crazy, but I expected it, but not this bad. I’m wondering what else Is going to happen.” ROBERT LONG FOURTH-YEAR GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENT ALL PHOTOS BY JOSH SKIDMORE