Tuesday, September 11, 2001

TCU interns unhurt in D.C. attack
By Angie Chang
Features Editor

Eleven TCU students participating in internship programs in the Washington D.C. area are safe and accounted for following Tuesday’s attack.

The Skiff confirmed TCU had 10 students at The Washington Center and one at American University. Officials at Campus Life would not say whether TCU had more interns in Washington, nor would they confirm or deny if there were any interns in the New York City area.

Gene Alpert, senior vice president of The Washington Center, said all 10 TCU students had returned to their housing in Randolph Towers in Arlington, Va.

At approximately 9:30 EDT, a hijacked American Airlines 757 crashed into the Pentagon, less than one hour after similar attacks rocked the World Trade Center Towers in New York City.

Following the attack, Alpert said evacuation notices were sent to interns urging a return to their apartments. Room checks and head counts were also performed by resident assistants throughout the day, he said.

Alpert confirmed that TCU Washington Center students Hemi Ahluwalia, Anita Boeninger, Brian Casebolt, Kanako Hayakawa, Laura Hunter, Rebecca Johannsen, Lauren Melhart, Courtney Miller, Sally Spencer and Emily Wann were accounted for.

Melissa DeLoach, a senior news-editorial journalism major, directly contaced the TCU Daily Skiff early Tuesday to confirm her safety. DeLoach, an intern with American University in Washington this semester, said she was in her dorm room at the time of the attacks. Officials have told her not to leave campus, she said
Alpert said the Washington Center interns will return to their internships Wednesday.

If they choose, they may resume on Monday. DeLoach said American University officials gave her the option of returning today or Monday.

Ahluwalia, a senior news-editorial journalism major, said after the Pentagon attack at approximately 9 a.m. she was told not to evacuate her building near the Capitol even though surrounding federal buildings had been cleared.

Both Ahluwalia and DeLoach said they were unsure when they would return.

“I have to take the Metro to get there, and right now it just doesn’t feel safe,” Ahluwalia said. Casebolt, a junior political science and advertising/public relations major, said with all the crowds on the street, he felt safer to stay in his office in Lafayette Center, three blocks from the White House.

“Washington is locked down and the fastest way of getting around is by foot,” Casebolt said. “People feel safer sitting in their office for now. We’re just hanging loose and watching (the news).”

DeLoach said students at American University initially had trouble contacting their families as phone lines were busy and the Internet was not working.

“It’s scary that this is happening right outside about 20 miles away,” DeLoach said. “I can’t see smoke from my window, and outside it’s such a pretty day. The whole experience has been surreal. I can’t believe this is happening.”

Angie Chang
a.o.chang@student.tcu.edu