As if living with a complete stranger, choosing classes, and figuring out the difference between Pearson and Bromfield-Pearson weren't enough, this year's freshmen also had to deal with the shock of last Tuesday's terrorist attacks in only their first month away from home.
Peter Kracke, a freshman from Chicago, IL, found that simultaneously coping with the Sept. 11 incidents and settling into the college routine were next to impossible.
"There was so much going on at once," Kracke said. "It was hard to get to know people and do work when all I wanted to do was watch CNN. It definitely disrupted getting into the swing of classes."
Most of Kracke's professors went right back to the scheduled course material soon after the attack. "Most of my professors said that it was important to continue and get on with life, because the terrorists' goal was to interrupt daily activity. In other words, the professors just wanted to stick to their lesson plans," he said.
On the morning of the 11th, Kracke sat through an entire Calculus class before he heard anything about the attacks. However, he did say that his English 1 professor facilitated a "very good discussion" in the all-freshman class.
Becca Schnitt of Guilford, Connecticut, appreciated President Bacow's email and the University's attention to students' "individual concerns" and found her professors "understanding." Schnitt, like many freshmen, also reached out to new friends in order to cope with the tragic events.
"It hit so hard that I didn't even think about being homesick. Being able to discuss [the attacks] with peers was helpful. It was good to be here," she said. "We all brought ourselves together to get through it."
New York residents were especially shaken by the attacks. Rochester, NY native Ben Katz was "shocked and in disbelief." As soon as he heard the news, Katz left his early morning English class to check on family. He couldn't reach anyone for a few hours as the phone lines were clogged with calls to the New York area.
"I knew my family was in New York City. I was really worried," Katz said. "I was all right with not seeing them in person, but I wanted to talk to them. As soon as I talked to them, being here was okay," Katz said.
He later learned that his parents were staying at a hotel near the World Trade Center and had been in one of the WTC buildings just a day before the attacks.
Unlike Schnitt, Katz didn't find professors especially sympathetic. "My 'Modern Middle East' professor talked [about the attacks] for about ten minutes, then went back to the syllabus [on the day of the attacks]." However, like most freshmen, he thought that students came together and that "everyone was on the same page."
International students were no less troubled by the crisis than Americans. Valerie Chung has lived all over the world, and her family currently resides in Hong Kong. Chung said that her parents were not concerned about her immediate safety, but did worry about violence on campus in the wake of the tragedy.
"In Hong Kong, the attacks would have been very distant. I realized that this hit home for a lot of people here, even if it didn't affect me directly."
While students' personal and emotional proximity to the devastation of September 11 varied, it is clear that support was available if needed. Freshmen rallied together to mourn and discuss.
"People realized that they needed to care more about those around them," Katz said.
