It is doubtful that any George Mason High School student will forget the events of September 11^th. When terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and a portion of the Pentagon, students’ senses of security also toppled. Life would never be the same.

The day began normally. Students chatted before the bells rushed them to classes. They struggled with Algebra problems and Spanish vocabulary words. Then, the monumental news gradually swept over the school. The reports were so shocking that many students doubted its validity at first.

"My TA, Mr. Pikralidas, told me [about the World Trade Center]. Nobody was really listening. They thought it was a joke or a rumor. When we went to nutrition break and heard that a bomb had gone off at the Pentagon, people still thought it was a rumor," said Junior Jonathan Costa. 

Other students expressed similar sentiments. "I was at the Arlington Career center having first block. It was very surprising for me because my teacher told us. At first, some people were joking but when the second plane came in, people were serious," said senior Viviana Cordova.

As classroom televisions were turned on and radios tuned to the news, reality began to set in. The initial emotion for many was fear. Were there other airplanes in the air that had not yet crashed? How many people were missing? Were parents who worked in Washington DC and at the Pentagon all right? Many teachers postponed lesson plans so that their students could hear news reports. During that time, some students used classroom phones to contact parents.

"I was really worried about my mom because she works across the street from the Pentagon. When I saw her, I gave her a big hug and we started to cry," said sophomore Alison Penland. 

Senior Melissa Rose-McCully’s words echoed these feelings. "I was really frightened because my Dad works at the Pentagon. On Tuesday, after I found out he was ok, I baked cakes to make myself feel better. I tried to avoid the news for the rest of the day. I couldn’t handle seeing the attacks over and over," Rose-McCully said. 

As time progressed, many students felt they had no choice but to continue going through their daily routines. However, the psychic damage caused by the attacks lingers.

"It comes to me every now and then. But I try to deal with it and move on" said Penland.

What students are dealing with is a world in which nothing is certain. For many, this world was incomprehensible before the attacks.

"It’s amazing in a bad way. Before this happened, I was always thinking America was a perfect country. War? That would never happen," said junior Annie Maynard.

But now, the secure America students knew is not as steady. The nation’s psychological attitudes have changed. Americans are outwardly more patriotic to support the nation in the New War against terrorism. Flags hang from many Falls Church City homes. On the Thursday after the attacks, a large number of students displayed red white and blue ribbons provided by the Student Council Association. On Saturday, September 15^th, members of the junior class united and held a car wash, which raised a remarkable 576 dollars for the Red Cross.

"I think we’re moving from grief to patriotism and trying to unite the country. Something like this has never happened. We’ve never had an attack on the mainland. Even Pearl Harbor was different. Hawaii was a territory and we knew who the enemy was. We don’t in this case," said Costa.

The enemy remains elusive. President George W. Bush stated in a speech to the nation on September 20^th that the immediate enemy was al Qaeda, a loose network of terrorist groups headed by Muslim extremist Osama bin Laden. Bin Ladan is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. When the United States demanded bin Laden from the Taliban, the radical government that controls the mountainous nation, it refused. Although frightened and oftentimes angry, some students expressed hesitation towards an American attack on the nation.

"I don’t think we should be so inclined to war. It’s good that we’re spending time looking for bin Laden, but the government shouldn’t be so aggressive," said Freshman Laura Bugg.

Other students were worried about an attack on Afghanis and other innocent people.

"I’m concerned about how we are going to attack the target. The target isn’t a large group. If we attack a large population, I’m afraid we’re going to kill more innocent people who don’t need to die," said Maynard.

Another question that lingers in student’s minds is how the war on terrorism is going to affect their daily lives in the long run. Will there ever be a return to the normalcy that existed on September 10^th? What exactly is America’s New War?

"I don’t think war is really going to happen. I mean, it will change things here, like security, but if we attack Afghanistan, I don’t see the point. We should take out bin Laden but it won’t change anything. Terrorists will still exist. I guess I’d equate the war on terrorism to the war on drugs. You can invest a lot of effort and money into it but it won’t change," said senior Brian Laub.

Now, despite whatever concerns may be present in their minds, many students concede that they must return to the routine that they knew before the attacks. For them, it is a way to combat the terrorists’ intent: collective psychological trauma.