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Opinions Sept. 20,2001
Editorial
Students use The Pendulum as a medium for
expressing their views and coping with tragedy
Some would say that no
words could be found to de
scribe what America felt last
Tuesday. However, many Elon
students chose 10 try. This
week The Pendulum received
many letters and articles from
students trying to come to
terms with and make sense out
of the tragic events that shook
our nation.
It was an honor to read
these feelings and stories - to
take a glimpse into the heart of
Elon. We hope you take advan
tage of the opportunity to read
how your fellow classmates are
dealing with this tragedy. The
only way we will ever under
stand what happened is if we
continue to talk about it, read
about it and write about it. Si
lence will only breed hate and
confusion. Apparently there is
enough of both in this world.
We hope you take the oppor-^
tunity to express your feelings
through writing as well. The
Pendulum accepts articles and
letters to the editor each week,
As a community, it is impor
tant that we remain linked. The
newspaper is a common
ground, a marketplace for
ideas, feelings and informa
tion.
America has united in im
measurable amounts over the
past week. We have comforted
each other, relied on each
other and most important,
shared our darkest fears and
deepest feelings. We at The
Pendulum are honored to be a
part of this unity.
LETTERS
The views and ideas expressed in Opinions are not necessarily those of
The Pendulum, its staff, or Elon University.
Campus political
group urges United
States to hold back
To the Editor:
Just like almost every other
American, the news has been
constantly on in my house since
last week.
The fact that our own Presi
dent has vowed repeatedly that
he will hunt “these people”
down and punish them and
whoever is harboring them is
unfair. If violent action similar
to those acts committed last
week is taken, even more inno
cent people will be affected.
There are plenty of people in
Afghanistan that want nothing
to do with the situation who
will be hurt if war is waged on
their country. We do not need
to repeat the same mistake that
these terrorists made.
Only once the guilty party is
pinpointed should we even be
gin taking action and planning
the best strategy to punish those
responsible.
I urge anyone who feels we
need to protect the innocent to
phone or write the president and
your congressmen.
Sincerely,
Lauren Farrell
The Elon Greens
Elon University
Taresa LaRock, Editor in Chief
Jennifer Guarino, Managing Editor
Elizabeth Sudduth, News Editor
Josh Davis, Opinions Editor
Jason Chick, A & E Editor
Katie Bonebrake, Focus Editor
Justin Mazzola, Sports Editor
Jessica Vitak, Chief Copy Editor
Lauren Vilis, Business Manager
7012 Campus Box
Eion, NC 27244
Newsroom: 278-7247
Fax; 278-7246
E-maii; pendulum@elon.edu
The Pendulum is published each Thurs
day of the academic year. The adver
tising and editorial copy deadline is 5
p.m. the Monday before publication.
Letters to the editor and guest columns
are welcome and should be typed,
double-spaced, signed and include tele
phone number for verification. Submis
sions are also accepted as Word docu
ments on disk or by e-mail. The Pendu
lum reserves the right to edit obscene
or potentially libelous material. Lengthy
letters or columns may have to be
trimmed to fit. Ail submissions become
the property of The Pendulum and will
not be returned.
Student recalls the day that changed
us and brought our nation together
Kevin Burrows
Columnist
I was alone in my room, moments
after waking up and turning my tele
vision on. That is how I will answer
the question of where I was when I
heard. As I watched in shock and
awe on that terrible Tuesday mom-
ing I could not believe what I was
seeing.
This had to be a scene from a
movie or some computer generated
effect. There is no way a plane just
smashed into the side of the World
Trade Center, I thought. As confu
sion and anger ran through me I felt
a huge void in my chest and a swell
in my throat. I felt helpless as two
symbols of freedom collapsed before
my eyes, taking With it the rescue
workers and innocent people
stranded inside them.
That moment was the end of the
world as I knew it. My reality would
be forever altered. In an instant I re
evaluated everything I had known to
be true in my 22 years of life, and
like a child witnessing his parents
being murdered I was forced into
adulthood prematurely. Nothing
would ever be the same.
As I walked across campus that
day my body and heart felt numb.
School seemed pointless and futile.
How could I think about studying in
a time like this? Concentrating about
things such as art history were not
possible, evidenced by the blank,
somber faces of the students in my
classes. My world looked different
now. I do not recognize the face in
die mirror. There was a shadow per
manently cast on everything and ev
eryone I saw.
The grass was not quite as green
and the sky was not quite as blue. I
found myself deeply depressed ask
ing myself why? Why did this hap
pen? Seeing smiling faces angered
me. I thought, how could anyone
smile in a time like this? There are
still innocent people unaccounted for.
Like many, I am now desensi
tized to the infamous footage. The
constant replay of the explosion and
collapse is bumt into memory, yet
somehow affects me differently ev
ery time it is broadcast. Since Tues
day I have been in need of news cov
erage, sitting in front of the TV for
hours on end, waiting anxiously for
the latest rescue or late breaking de
tail. At night I found myself unable
to sleep, so I tumed on CNN, and
during the day I retreated to the couch
and watch Peter Jennings because
going outside was too unbearable.
However, on Friday, the national
day of mouming, when my spirit and
faith in humanity seemed to be at its
lowest, I attended the prayer service
and the candlelight vigil that were
offered on Elon’s campus. I am not
by any means a religious person, but
I felt compelled to attend both of
them. As I stood there alongside my
fellow members of the Elon commu
nity I began to have a new feeling
come over me. It was one of hope. I
looked around at the crowd of people
and thought of how the petty differ
ences dividing us only a week ago
disappeared as we stood together as
Americans!
The letters on our chests or the
color of our skin did not matter. To
day we were not from different states,
of opposing faiths, or in different so
cial group. We were neighbors who
were hurting and in need of answers.
Then as a beautiful rendition of
Amazing Grace echoed over
Fonville Fountain, tears ran dovm my
face and I felt an overwhelming feel
ing of togethemess.
Friday was a day of-tears for
many, but it was also a day for a new
beginning, a rebirth even, for our na
tion to begin picking up the pieces
and wiping away the tears. It was our
day to hold our heads up high and
set out on an unknown path. We are
the same yet we are forever changed.
Our innocence has been stolen and
is scattered among the debris in New
York and Washington DC, but we
will move forward and 1 overcome.
I challenge everyone to take this
time to be thankful for life and cher
ish those who are closest to us. Sep
tember 11,2000 was the-day our na
tion had its innocence taken away,
but in spite of those! who committed
this horrific crime, it was also the day
that our nation rallied together as one.