New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has urged New Yorkers to resume their everyday activities, national airports have reopened, and television programming is back on schedule. Last Thursday, President George W. Bush expressed hope that "in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal."
But for the millions of Americans traumatized by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "normal" is an elusive concept. The unprecedented event changed the world politically, economically, and socially overnight. With the casualty count rapidly rising and threats of war looming, Americans feel overwhelmed and uncertain about their future.
Immersed in this suburban collegiate bubble, seeing the smoke and ashes only through television and newspapers, Tufts students say their lives have nonetheless changed in both short-term and long-term ways. Students' perceptions of the future in the wake of the attacks vary. In their daily lives, many have implemented a range of precautions.
Some, for example, say they are hesitant to venture into any crowded area, at least for the time being. Junior Kristin Sternowski had plans to go shopping last week with her friends but cancelled the trip after the attacks. "We didn't want to be in a mall, or in public places like Downtown Crossing," Sternowski said.
Wary of bomb threat rumors, and generally reluctant to use public transportation, Sternowski and her friends say they prefer to play it safe. Others feel similarly anxious, but are carrying on as usual.
"People's sense of security will be altered, at least for the short term," said Krista Linstroth, a senior. Though she said she is more aware of the dangers of public transport because of the tragedies, Linstroth insists she will not be more cautious when traveling. Young people, Linstroth said, have the attitude that they are invincible, and the terrorist attacks probably won't change that.
Some students prefer confronting their anxieties head on. "There's a general sense of foreboding, an apprehension in everyday life," senior Chris Mitchell said.
But nervousness has not caused Mitchell to cancel travel plans that some might call ominous in light of the recent terrorist activity. Mitchell will be traveling from Boston to Los Angeles on either United or American airlines - riding one of the hijacked airlines on the route the first plane traveled before it crashed into the World Trade Center.
Mitchell says he is unfazed by the coincidence and is adamant that his trip will proceed as planned. To rearrange his life around the tragedies would be "a victory for the terrorists," he said.
The terrorist attacks also shaped students' perception of the media. Many students say they are regularly keeping up with current events for the first time, while others have adopted a a media diet. Opinions on media coverage of the attack are mixed, with students expressing everything from approval to disgust.
Linstroth said she is impressed with the media coverage as well as with TV commercials advising people not to watch the news if they were having difficulty coping with the attacks.
Senior Nick Bolt, however, said the media was irresponsible and that news reports were exploiting the human tragedy by "pulling heartstrings rather than reporting something substantial."
Freshman Maxwell Newlands said he has switched to international newspapers after finding the American news coverage "slanted... making stories where there weren't stories."
Students also say that the Sept. 11 events will drastically change their political perspectives. Many foresee a future wrought with racial hostility. Freshman Dimitri Tsoup said that if he met someone from Afghanistan, he would not feel unbiased. "Unfortunately, sometimes race is reality," Tsoup said.
Mitchell, however, said in interacting with Arab Americans, he would overcompensate for the racial tension. Because of the rise in Arab-directed hate crimes, Mitchell said he was almost more conscientious of being a good neighbor to Arab Americans and that he feels obliged to go out of his way to smile and be friendly.
As a result of the attacks, some Tufts students say they see themselves as more likely to be politically active in the future. Until recently, Newlands said he was not compelled to act on his political views. But the terrorist attacks have strengthened his political commitment to non-violence. "Now I have a cause," he said. "I have the need to fight going to war."
Others, such as Bolt, see themselves as less likely to speak out politically in the future. "I have a brother in the Marines. I believe in this form of government," he said. But Bolt says he feels the need to assess national politics with added skepticism. "Democracy reaching too much of a political pitch can be used for bad ends," Bolt said.
In the long term, Bolt said the attacks might point to a fault within the government that America will recognize and address. It will make people in America think about their way of life, he said.
Overall, though students could pinpoint the severe emotional effects of the tragedy, most say the attacks will not significantly impact their behavior. "Right now, I don't want to fly anywhere," said Beth Dolsky, a senior. "But after the emotions wear off, things will go back to how they were."
Generally, students seem confident in their ability to recover from the tragedy, with many, like Mitchell, saying the best retaliation against the terrorist crimes is to live their lives as normal as possible. They say the attacks will change their perspectives, but won't cripple their everyday decisions. "The way I'll see things will change, but the way I act won't," Linstroth said.
