Post (Athens, Ohio) September 12 2001

              THE POST Ohio University leaders are encouraging community members to wear white ribbons in support and memory of victims and families of yesterday's tragedies. I Ann \<, OHIO T WEDNESDAY, SKITKMBKR 12, 2001 http://thepost.baker.ohiou.vdu Attacks rock U.S. by The Associated Press and reports compiled by Erik Carlson A pair of towers that once dominated the New York City skyline lie in a five-story heap of rubble, part of a day that included four hijacked planes and thousands dead. Two planes heading across country smashed into the World Trade Center's twin towers yesterday, another plane crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth hijacked plane crashed outside Pittsburgh - the largest attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor. Groups of three to five terrorists toting knives and claiming they had bombs took control of the four planes before noon yesterday. About 8:45 a.m. a hijacked Boeing 767, American Airlines Flight 11, with 92 people on board, hit New York City's World Trade Center's north tower. Then United Airlines Flight 175 with 65 people aboard hit the World Trade Center's south tower just after 9 a.m. The planes, bound for Los Angeles, left Boston's Logan Airport 15 minutes apart. About 9:50, the north tower collapsed, with the south tower following at 10:30 a.m. Another 47-story building in the World Trade Center complex, Building 7, fell just before nightfall. Reports are unclear as to how many of the 50,000 people who work in the center had arrived when the planes crashed. Death tolls could reach in the tens of thousands. A New York firefighter's union official said an estimated 300 firefighters have died. Dozens of police officers were believed missing as well. About 9:30 a.m. a plane hit the Pentagon, the U.S. military's headquarters. The American Airlines 757 was on its way from ▲. Smoke, flames and debris erupt from one of the World Trade Center towers as a plane strikes it yesterday. The first tower already was burning following a terror attack minutes earlier. Terrorists crashed planes into the two buildings and collapsed both towers. About 50,000 people worked in the building, but casualty numbers are unknown. Kamneko Pajic/ The Associated Press Rescue workers look at damage yesterday at the Pentagon, a portion of which collapsed after being hit by an aircraft in an apparent terrorist attack. ELIZABETH KANE/ Design Editor Map of Manhattan where the World Trade Center Towers stood. T Location of the Pentagon in Washington D.C. OU resilient after tragedy by Hillary Copsey Senior City Writer Campus opens chapel for students, but classes continue most importantly - kept classes on schedule, said Leesa Brown, OU director of news services. "I think it's better for students to be in class and engaged," OU President Robert Glidden said. "We don't want anyone to panic." Ohio University Interim Provost Gary Schumacher and several administrative officials made the morning's decision while Glidden was out of town. Some students remained in class and discussed events, but others skipped or were released by their professors. "If students want to go home they can," Brown said. "The university isn't going to hold people accountable if they feel they can't be in class now." Some students and professors took advantage of this leniency. "Everyone was so upset, the professor said everyone who wanted (to) could leave," OU senior Cassie Creehan said. "I don't think anyone knows what to do right now." Creehan chose to visit Officially, Ohio University was open yesterday, despite tragic national events. But that did not stop instructors from stopping classes or prevent students from not attending. To help students deal with the bombings, OU opened Galbreath Chapel for worship and meditation; offered free long-distance, emergency calls and counseling in the residence halls; and Athens officials unfazed after strikes by Lauren McDowell Staff Writer As the nation watched the events unfold yesterday morning, local leaders increased security but tried to keep it business as usual. All Athens government agencies were open yesterday and will run as usual, but extra security measures are being taken, Mayor Ric Abel said. The offices have been quiet, and people are still in shock. Throughout the day, there were false rumors of a countywide lockdown for county and Athens city schools, said Doug Bentley, director of the Athens County Emergency Management Agency. The Athens County Sheriff's Office advised all local law enforcement agencies to operate under suspicion, acting upon impulse immediately if there was reasonable doubt about a person's character, Bentley said. Overall, the police force is not doing anything out of the ordinary, said Athens Police Chief Richard Mayer. But the police are making sure they are fully staffed as a precaution. Local schools remained in session yesterday and will operate as usual, including after-school activities, according to a news release from Carl Martin, superintendent of Athens City Schools. "It is business as usual as far as we are concerned," said William White, superintendent of Trimble Local Schools. The effects of yesterday morning's tragedy hit Ohio University tailors plan for ethnic backlash by Laura Arenschield Culture Editor In Athens, the question of how people will react following yesterday's World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks especially is important to the international students who now face, in addition to language and cultural barriers, the possibility of prejudices of some citizens. "In the past, the university has handled events such as this quite well. However, this goes beyond proportions of prior incidents," said Charlie Mickelson, director of the Ohio Program of Intensive English. OPIE typically includes students from more than 90 countries. The main goal of the program is to help students learn English so they can complete their education here. "There certainly is a potential for a totally irrational reaction," Mickelson said. See ATTACK page 5 See CLOSING page 5 See SECURITY page 5 See OPIE page 5 I ):3U a m. 9:40 a.m. 9:43 a.m. llgjtidv i■ t Busfgiß* The Ff cferal ;ij »Ait airclaft crasi hi ntago Source: http://www.cnn.com feUA- 10:10« HdSfie ]■ A porta ss<.uth tower i 10:28 a.ny •The Vl/ (■s north MICHAEL CANAN/Editor ALLISON MARTIN/Assist. Graphics Editor