Anywhere there was a television, people in Albert Lea were gathered around Tuesday, their faces filled with disbelief and concern.

Wednesday, September 12, 2001

Anywhere there was a television, people in Albert Lea were gathered around Tuesday, their faces filled with disbelief and concern.

The TV lounge at Riverland Community College was crowded with students, all glued to the screen as details of the horrific terrorists attacks in New York and Washington D.C. continued to shock the nation.

&uot;It’s so sad and sickening,&uot; said student Joellyn Madden. &uot;It’s very hard to imagine what kind of people would plan something like this.&uot;

Madden and her fellow student, Brandi Cheeseman, were unaware of the terrorist attacks until they arrived at the Riverland campus. They weren’t listening to the radio during their morning drive.

&uot;I walked by the lunchroom and saw that the lounge was full. Everybody was staring at the TV – that’s when I knew something terrible was happening,&uot; Madden said.

&uot;My first thoughts were about people traveling by the airlines. I was trying to think of anyone I might know who might be on one of those planes or in New York,&uot; Cheeseman said.

Madden said she has a relative who works in the Pentagon, but doesn’t know what section or floor.

&uot;It’s scary, but I’m sure we’ll hear something,&uot; she said.

Student Nicholas Rowe said the description of the events when he first heard them seemed too outlandish to be true.

&uot;Then I saw the TV,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m afraid this is the kind of event that could start another world war.&uot;

Rowe said he finds some comfort in knowing that God is in control of the situation.

&uot;If I didn’t know that the Lord was in control, then I would be very afraid right now,&uot; he said.

Edward Hubbard stopped at Philly’s over the lunch hour to watch some of the breaking news. His thoughts were with his nephew who lives in Manhattan.

&uot;Everybody is connected to this terrible thing in some way,&uot; he said.

Hubbard hopes President Bush and the administration take a calm, calculated approach to the aftermath, particularly in assigning blame.

&uot;I’m worried about the nation jumping to conclusions on this situation,&uot; he said. &uot;This whole idea of going to war and retaliation is just spooky. I really hope that cool heads prevail.&uot;

The television was on at the North Side Mobil gas station, where Linda Kuiper was keeping one eye out for customers and the other on the screen.

&uot;I was watching this morning when the second plane flew into the picture and hit the second tower,&uot; she said. &uot;I’ve never seen anything like that before.&uot;

Kuiper said she always believed terrorists would eventually find a way to inflict severe damage on the country.

&uot;I’m not surprised by this, not one bit,&uot; she said. &uot;Maybe the way it happened, with the planes crashing into the buildings, is hard to believe. But the fact that we were hit this bad by terrorists is no big shock.&uot;

Madden and Cheeseman planned to spend the rest of the day soaking in the events of the terrible destruction in New York and the nation’s capitol.

&uot;This is one of those events that we’ll never forget. Our whole lives we’ll remember this day,&uot; Madden said.