Although UW-Madison students couldn’t see the fire or smell the smoke, the impact from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks fractured normal life on campus ? for a while.
Although the university decided not to officially cancel classes after the news hit the airwaves, most professors either sent their students home or held discussions about the attacks.
Many people remained glued to television sets scattered throughout campus, scanning the scrolling CNN and MSNBC text with unprecedented intensity.
Disbelief colored many students’ reactions that day, including UW graduate Brett Turner’s.
“I thought it was a joke,” he said. “I’m still in a daze ? it’s unreal.”
After the shock subsided, the campus leapt into action. Candlelight vigils illuminated the night, while Islam teach-in announcements popped up everywhere. State Street stores ran out of American flags, which soon blossomed from balconies and dorm windows. Blood drives kicked into high gear, and money poured into newly created relief funds. On Sept. 14, an estimated 20,000 people flooded Library Mall to hear speakers and singers commemorate the victims in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
“Remember that we are a community united by loss, by our strength, by our condemnation of violence and by our hope to see a better day,” said then-UW interim provost Gary Sandefur, filling in for Chancellor John Wiley, who was stranded in California when the airports were closed. However, underneath the new hyper-patriotic frenzy, a darker undercurrent swirled through campus. Although harassment reports against Muslim and Arab-American students were few, many remained concerned about a violent backlash.
“I don’t go by myself anywhere anymore,” UW student Hiba Bashir, who routinely covers herself out of religious custom, said in the week after the attacks.
After concerns surfaced, UW offered numerous opportunities for students to provide feedback about campus climate issues. Furthermore, at Counseling and Consultation Services, counselors dealt with overflowing appointment books.
Still, while a somber mood pervaded campus in the weeks following Sept. 11, most of Madison remained fairly insulated from the tragedy. Classes continued, bars remained packed and spirits rose once again. Nevertheless, today, it’s still not the same.
