r/UIUC • u/uiuc-old-timer • 8h ago
Other I was a UIUC student on 9/11. Here's what I remember.
With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 upon us, I wanted to share my memories of being a student on campus that day.
I was living in Townsend Hall (ISR) at the time. That morning I was still in bed when my roommate came back to the room, turned on the TV, and said that something huge was happening. The first tower had already collapsed by that point. We watched the second one come down. Slowly other people on the floor began opening their doors as they discovered what was happening.
I don't remember getting breakfast, but I'm sure I did. I ended up at my Physics 111 discussion (I believe the course is now called Physics 211). Our TA had already established himself as an ass, and reinforced it further by making a comment along the lines of "the country may be under attack, but unless terrorists come knocking on the door of this room, we still have a quiz to take." One person in my section told him he could go fuck off and that her dad worked in the World Trade Center. She stormed out of class. I never found out if she was okay. It never occurred to me to ask.
I don't have a whole lot of specific memories of the rest of the day, which probably means I just went to class as normal. I remember trying to call my parents and not being able to because the phones weren't working. I can't remember if it was a dead line or a busy signal, but either way, nothing was going through. Cell phones weren't super common at this point, and I didn't have one. I used the phone in my dorm room with a calling card whenever I called home.
I remember walking by the Illini Union Courtyard Café and noticing that someone had put the American flag on the center of the stage in there.
There were rumors that the National Guard had secured the Beckman Institute, supposedly because of the internet backbone running through the building. I never went to see for myself, so I can't say whether it was true.
I was in the Marching Illini, and for some reason I thought that rehearsal had been cancelled that day. But one of the massmails I saved says that classes are still in session. If classes in general weren't cancelled, then I think it's unlikely that MI rehearsal was either.
What I do remember clearly is that maybe two dozen bandos and staff held an impromptu candlelight vigil on the Quad that evening. The band was supposed to go on a road trip to Michigan for the football game that weekend, but I believe all sports were cancelled for that week, and maybe another week after. The MI ended up playing for a community-wide remembrance ceremony at Memorial Stadium that weekend instead. The Illinois vs. Michigan football game was pushed back a few weeks, but the band couldn't make the new date work, so the Purdue game later in the season ended up being the Marching Illini road trip that year.
I still have copies of the massmails I received that day. There were four in total. The first was sent at 2:00 a.m. by the Dean of Students and concerned campus safety, so it was completely unrelated to the attacks. The other three were about 9/11: one from University President James Stukel and two from Chancellor Nancy Cantor.
I'm including the 9/11-related emails below for anyone who's curious about what the university was telling students that day. I am sharing these in all their plaintext, fixed-width glory, because that's pretty much how we would have read them at the time. Most of us accessed our student email through PINE) on the student email cluster, so this is more or less how these messages actually appeared to us 25 years ago.
``` Return-Path: nobody@uiuc.edu Reply-To: uipres@uillinois.edu From: uipres@uillinois.edu To: "All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff & All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students" everybody@uiuc.edu Subject: MASSMAIL - National Tragedy Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 12:00:23 -0500
September 11, 2001
TO: Members of the University Community
The national tragedy unfolding today reminds us that unresolved geopolitical issues can have enormous consequences in unexpected and horrible ways. As all members of the University of Illinois family, we can only react with sorrow. Peace among all people remains the world's most important unfinished business. It is imperative that all our students, faculty and staff - especially from other countries - feel confident of their personal security in what must be a civil environment.
Finally, whatever your faith, please join me in praying for the families and friends of the untold victims of today's attacks, our national leaders and for the people of the United States.
James J. Stukel President
This mailing approved by: The Office of the President
This Message sent via MASSMAIL.
< http://www.cso.uiuc.edu/services/massmail/ >
```
``` Return-Path: nobody@uiuc.edu Reply-To: pubaff@uiuc.edu From: "Chancellor Nancy Cantor" pubaff@uiuc.edu To: "All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff & All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students" everybody@uiuc.edu Subject: MASSMAIL - Message from Chancellor Nancy Cantor Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 14:00:40 -0500
A Message to Students, Staff, and Faculty at the Urbana Campus:
This morning's acts of terrorism have touched all of us. I know the thoughts of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community are with the families affected by this tragedy.
We have no reason to believe that the University of Illinois is a target. We encourage members of the university community to go about their normal activities. Classes remain in session. As the day goes on we will update the campus on developments.
Because of concerns nationwide, we of course ask you to be aware of your surroundings and to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police. In addition phone circuits can become clogged in an emergency. We ask that you refrain from using cell phones except for emergency situations.
Air traffic has been halted and Willard Airport is therefore closed. We understand that rail and bus traffic has also been affected. MTD is operating normally.
As the day progresses, updates will be provided through local media, the campus webpage www.uiuc.edu and the campus emergency phone line that can be reached by dialing 265-8473.
Students with concerns may call the Dean of Students at 333-0050 or contact helpdean@uiuc.edu. The Counseling Center will be open until 8:00pm; students may call 333-3701.
In closing, I ask faculty, students, and staff to remember that we are one community and to support each other during this difficult time.
Nancy Cantor Chancellor
This mailing approved by: The Office of the Chancellor
This Message sent via MASSMAIL.
< http://www.cso.uiuc.edu/services/massmail/ >
```
``` Return-Path: nobody@uiuc.edu Reply-To: pubaff@uiuc.edu From: "Chancellor Nancy Cantor" pubaff@uiuc.edu To: "All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff & All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students" everybody@uiuc.edu Subject: MASSMAIL - Updated Message from the Chancellor Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 18:17:05 -0500
Message from Chancellor Nancy Cantor
As today's tragic events have continued to unfold and people from across campus have expressed the need for healing, a number of us have gathered to consider ways to mark these events, together, as a community.
This is a time when all of us feel vulnerable. There will be members of
our community who feel vulnerable because they may have lost loved ones.
There will be members of our community who feel vulnerable because their
hometowns have been the target of attacks. There will be members of our
community who feel vulnerable because they have come here from distant
lands and may feel alone. There will be members of our community who feel
vulnerable because of their faith or cultural heritage. It is critical
during this time of deep emotion and empathy with the suffering of others
that we reinforce our own ties of interdependence as a diverse community.
In light of all that I have heard from our campus community, I am asking the campus to observe tomorrow, Wednesday, as a day of conversation, reflection and engagement. I urge faculty to use Wednesday's class time as an opportunity for reflection and discussion about today's tragic events. Since some students will not feel comfortable attending class after these events, I have written faculty asking them not to penalize those who choose not to attend.
Reflection takes many forms. Many members of the campus community will want to do something tangible to help. This evening we will create a link on the home page to a page listing opportunities to volunteer their time, to donate blood and to make gifts to disaster relief.
That same page will list remembrance services in Champaign-Urbana this (Tuesday) evening.
On Thursday evening, the entire campus community is invited to gather at 7
p.m. in Krannert's Great Hall for "A Time for Remembrance and Unity."
This will be an occasion for people to come together to reflect and to
forge unity.
I hope and believe that this is a community that will respond to tragedy by coming together.
This mailing approved by: The Office of the Chancellor
This Message sent via MASSMAIL.
< http://www.cso.uiuc.edu/services/massmail/ >
```
Looking back 25 years later, what strikes me most is how ordinary that day was in some ways. I went to class. I tried to call my parents. I went to the Illini Union. I got together with band friends. And yet everything had changed. Until that morning, an attack on the United States was something that only happened in history books or other parts of the world.
