Feature
Sept.
8
Where Were You?
by The Weekly Staff
Ten years later, the festering wound that is 9/11 has been bandaged, but not yet healed.
Though we don’t all walk past Ground Zero during daily commutes in Manhattan, stare at the Pentagon’s vulnerable wall from an office window or drive by that field in Pennsylvania that tells the tale of American heroism at its finest hour, we are reminded daily that our nation stands tall, especially when others threaten to tear her down.
Whether it’s the latest report from an embedded correspondent in the Middle East, or the heartwarming image of a furry comrade paying its final respects at the foot of a flag-draped casket, we continue to experience the effects of what happened a decade ago on that ordinary September day.
“Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?” singer Alan Jackson asks in a lyric he wrote in response to the tragic events. We may not remember where we were on Sept. 11, 2000, but nearly all of us can remember where we were on that same day just a year later.
As the 10-year anniversary nears, our office staff took a few moments to remember where we were on that September day. Most of us were at school. Some of us were on our way to work or at home with loved ones. No matter the location, we, like all other Americans, stared at the TV screen and couldn’t believe what we were seeing. The series of events that unfolded that day will forever remain etched in our memories as we relive those uncertain hours in flashbacks both now and in years to come.
Debbie Rushing, publisher
“I was at a coffee shop before going into work. I was devastated—couldn’t believe it! It was a dismal day.”
Brian Rushing, vice president
“I was at LSU. I didn’t find out about it until I went to class.”
Matt Chauvin, marketing consultant
“I was in school at Nicholls. I woke up that morning and turned on the TV. I thought it was a World Trade Center bombing. Both towers had already been hit by the time I got up. I watched for a little while, went to school, but most people skipped class. Teachers canceled class because of it.”
Erica Seely, marketing consultant
“I was at Houma Junior High School in the ninth grade in one of the portable buildings. I was in my French class, and it was one of the only classrooms that didn’t have a TV, so we stopped class and all gathered around the little radio that my teacher had. We just sat and listened––didn’t even have class that day.”
Gavin Stevens, creative director
“I was at 812 Harrison St., Thibodaux, La. I was in college, and I was living with some friends. We were all very poor, so we did not have cable. When the first building was attacked, I had no clue. I went to school, and I went to the BCM. One of my friends there said, ‘Hey, did you hear? There was some kind of attack in New York. I think a jet shot a missile at one of the buildings.’ I didn’t know what was going on. Throughout the day, I started to hear more and more. I did not get to see it until that afternoon when I went to my grandma’s house to pick up my little brother after school.”
Lesley Bonvillain, marketing consultant
“I was in my seventh grade classroom at St. Genevieve. The principal came on the PA system, and we had to have a moment of silence and prayer.”
Ashley Comeaux-Foret, graphic designer
“I was at Central Lafourche High School. It was my senior year. I was in my third period psychology class, and I was switching to my fourth period class. I heard in the hallways that something happened—an airplane crashed in Washington, D.C. and New York. My English teacher canceled class, but put on the news on the TV and on the Internet, and we watched it the whole period.”
Ingrid Chiasson, sales manager
“I was on my way to work, and the only thing I heard was that an airplane had crashed into the Twin Towers. They didn’t know it was a terrorist attack at the time. It was almost 9 a.m. before I even found out it was a terrorist attack.”
Darlene Mott, customer service representative
“I was getting dressed for work and was watching it on the news and started freaking out. I thought, ‘Oh my God, we’re at war!’”
Linda Pontiff, marketing consultant
“I was at The Weekly when I found out about 9/11. Wayne Rushing was our boss then. He set up a TV so we could see what was going on at the time.”
Stephanie Cunningham, marketing consultant
“I was in the ninth grade at Vandebilt Catholic High School, and we had these old TVs set up in the corner of the classroom. The whole class stopped for almost the full day to watch.”
Lacey Bergeron, customer service representative
“I was at home feeding my 6-month-old and watching TV. I saw what had happened and wrote it in his baby book.”
Ashley Boquet, customer service representative
“I was in my American history class in college. Someone came to the room and said that a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center. I didn’t see anything on the news—I just heard about it. They canceled class, and then I went to work at a mall in Georgia. They closed the mall.”
Linda Dupre, marketing consultant
“I was getting dressed to go to work when I heard about the first plane crashing into the tower. I thought, ‘Oh my God, what a horrible plane crash!’ A few minutes later, I heard the reporter saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s a second plane!’ My first instinct or feeling was: ‘Oh my God, we’re being attacked!’ It was a very frightening feeling. It’s like you didn’t know where to go. It was a somber day.”
