Students reflect on Sept. 11, safety of nation

By Shannon Milliken
The Collegian

Fresno State student Priscila Villanueva remembers the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 like it was yesterday.

“I had just finished getting dressed for PE,” she said. “There was a TV in the gym and everyone was standing there in shock.”

Fresno State Political Science Professor Kurt Cline said he believes Americans tend to feel much less secure these days. “I think that was heightened by the foiled terror plots with the planes coming out of London this summer and the 2004 bombings in trains in Europe,” Cline said. “Having those kind of events as follow-ups make people more concerned.”

However, Cline said he doesn’t feel any different since Sept. 11.

“These terrorist acts have been going on for a long time, and it doesn’t even have to be terrorism to threaten your personal security,” Cline said with regards to the attempted bank robbery and its aftermath that took place near Fresno State two weeks ago.

Fresno State freshman Ricky Vang agrees with Cline. He said he feels the same since Sept. 11, but not for the same reason. “All the action was happening over there on the East Coast so we didn’t feel the impact,” Vang said. “But all of the color-coded airport security warnings make it scarier.”

Sophomore Whitney Coleman said those security warnings make her feel safer than ever. “We sacrifice our privacy in airports now,” Coleman said. “But if it keeps us safer then I say do it.”

Cline said people should feel safer about that aspect, since the government has federalized airport security since 2001. He said the government really has made an effort, creating new departments such as the Federal Transit Administration in response to Sept. 11.

However, new agencies won’t help America feel any safer, said Fresno State sophomore Jose Marticorena.

“I blame the media,” Marticorena said. “Hearing that so many people died, and hearing it over and over again, made people much more anxious about it.

“I don’t sleep anymore,” he jokes. “Just kidding, but the media made it a really scarring experience.”

President Bush will speak about America’s security with regards to terror since Sept. 11 and also remember the lives that were lost when he addresses the nation this evening.

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