[KSUViolet06]

I was a senior in HS and I was going from AP English to my Civics and Law class for 3rd period.

On my way to class, kidss were saying stuff like "OMG did you hear the world trade center just blew up?!" I remember thinking that they were making it up.

When I got to class, the teacher (who was really big on current events as a history teacher) turned on the TV. Just as he turned it on, the second plane hit. We were pretty much glued to the coverage for the next two period until lunch, when the principal came over the PA and told us that we needed to resume our regular schedule.

I also remember going to class after lunch, and having the teacher tell us that some students and teachers had been saying some things about another teacher, who is Arab, that had hurt her feelings and made her cry.

I remember him practically SLAMMING the door and looking so upset. He wasn't yelling, but he very sternly said that no matter what has happened today, that there is NO EXCUSE for us to treat teachers and classmates in a hateful manner. Most of us were pretty shocked by this (he was typically the "funny" teacher who was NEVER mad).

I have never forgotten that, and kept it in mind everytime I traveled and overheard people saying certain things about Arabs on planes.