www.thevistaonline.com
Sept. 11, 2008
Remembering the day that must never be forgotten By Chase Dearinger
Copy Editor
.1 ,Of
...I W.
Your syllabus tells you that you have a test or a paper due on Sept. 11. You can't help but think about it. The date lingers in your mind; if you live within 10 city blocks of a radio, television or newspaper stand you see or hear it everyday: September 11. You hear it in political debates. You hear it from news analysts. You hear it in your history and political science classes. But something has changed — something is gone from the recognition. Another year has passed and the date has begun to sound more and more like "Labor Day" or the "Teapot Dome Scandal," a piece of political rhetoric or a chapter heading in a text book. Seven years have passed since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Seven years have passed since President Bush stood atop the rubble of the World Trade Center and told America through a bullhorn that "the people who knocked these buildings down" would hear all of us soon. Most college freshmen were only 10 years old when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon and another crashed in Western Pennsylvania. But Americans are working to make sure t4fitdoeg not slide any further into the margirt# of national memory. According to an article by the Associated Press, Joe Daniels, president of the project to create a national memorial, has promised a memorial to those who died in the attacks by the year 2011. The president believes it is "possible and essential" for the memorial to be complete by the ten year anniversary of the event. Over $350 million have been raised to commemorate the 2,976 lives that were lost when the twin towers collapsed. According to Daniels, the first steel installations went in the ground last week. Further work depends on a
Photo illustration by Chris Albers zero. "The recovery of Lower Manhattan continues to be one of the most remarkable episodes of recovery in the history of this great city. It may not be as fast as we would like, but it is in fact taking place." Whether the memorial is effective in burning the events of September 11 into our national consciousness cannot be foreseen. It will, however, do its best to keep the memory of those that died that day alive. Behind the staggering statistics that almost 3,000 died that day is a sea of individuals. Individuals that died and individuals that still live with not just a national tragedy, but a family tragedy.
"Seven years ago this week, the eyes of the world turned to look at Lower Manhattan in horror." -Joe Daniels report by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which will take place on Sept. 30. "Seven years ago this week, the eyes of the world turned to look at Lower Manhattan in horror," Daniels said at a press conference overlooking ground
Survey aimed to cure the freshmen freak and having no way to deal with the stress of By Laura Hoffert being overwhelmed. These are the students Senior Reporter who are most at risk of becoming depressed and anxious and who are more likely to stop going to class or finding the help they need," Being new to any school is tough; there Grellner said. are different91,asses, schedules, people and The program is broken down into 3 areas, all expectations. the first tirne,lreshmen with different goals to be achieved. students hav :lieen given the opportunity The first step is surveying students and to overcome their fears with a new campus seeing what issues the class has difficulty with. program, "How to Survive the Freshmen The survey was conducted through the week, Freak." ending today, but Grellner said she hoped to The College of Educational and Professional have a survey for the spring semester too. The Studies started the prOject beCaUse of the Freshman..,Satisfa9pary Survey findings from growing concern that mental health was not this week will be provided to various offices being cared for properly. and organizations a ground campus. The Office In 2006 the American Colle e lth of ,-StUdent Affairs; the Office of First Year Association released a study that s foed- ExPerilence,t4C0 St pt Association and the w 94,806 students felt while att rid* Office of'AiliViseme Ore among the official co . More than halfitreft sad, hopele list that will have tbct results. Although, early overwhelmed. Nearly 110ercent re rt in the academic yeaiAtudents tend to become depression, 32 percent suffered from 6s, ovAwI lle4Arci quickty which continues 23.9 percent ad difficulty sleeting, 18 lArce t rotighOrkuthesemester. had concerns ala ir fa or friends a "It is early in* semester, but there probably .12 percent fited an is a fair amour6p.f distress associated with all "There ar no doubt, studJitts who are the transitionkand nev*estyles the students moody a nd ti 9,x, o lei r workload. e experiencing," GrellrVsaid. f these stud '71 e psychological 4fh,e , s eco.nd step is to proVide °upemotional age the strep counselArsessions to students at ri k for froin their . y fe nirfOr having destructive behaviors. The meetings roblem anel e,Grellner, a socia to will Ipt, advertiked on campus and in the ()lessor y 'ology said. try_ Fresh en Satisfactioit4uvey to offer a safe Since suicide is the second lea cause or haven to students. EacPkgroup consisting of death for c ege stucknts, The 'LIM versi ty of eight to ten students will meet 90 minutes once Central 0 eMa Student Coungeling Center a week for eight to 12 weeks. recognized neec by outreach program. "Those who indicated they were interested "There are, howevet; some who find the will be contacted. They will then have the multiple stressor‘of college life to be too much chance to meet with me and I'll determine if to cope with throughout the semester or during they will be appropriate for the group [and) the years they are in school. They are dealing the groups are free," Grellner said. with being away from home and support, see FREAK, page 10 coping by using unhealthy coping mechanisms
By the time the memorial is complete, 10 years will have passed since the events of that tragic day. Some college students will not even be able to remember where they were or what they were doing when the twin towers collapsed. And no amount of media coverage or Internet buzz be ableto preserve these memories. The personal side of our nation's memory once burned brightly and intensely, but will eventually fade like the filament of a light bulb. The memory is fresh for now, however, and the push for the completion of a national memorial is well timed. Manhattan is not the only community recovering; America at large is in the process of unpacking the vast changes the event has brought with it. We will definitely never forget, but will we always remember?
Now that it's almost Friday, are you ready to answer the weekend's call? Here are the best for local entertainment this weekend.
2008 Oklahoma State Fair [his year's state thir features concerts ranging from Gavin DeGraw to Nliranda Lambert and e\ cuts ranging from professional bull-riding and monster truck rallies to Disney on Ice ;Ind carpi\ al rides. knits 9,'1 I through 9'21.
2
UCO vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Come 5111)1)011 the Bronchos as the) take on the Ja‘c.linas. Kickoff is 'atiirda1 at 2 p.m. inside Wantland Stadium. Free for facult) and students.
3 Steve Tyrell at the Jazz Lab Jazz vocal legend will make a special appearance at the tiC0 Jazz Lab. 190 Fast 5th Street. at 77 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday night. -rickets cost S50. Be\ erages and food o11neLl by Rideakk aN Pizza.