Tuesday, September 18, 2001

TCU graduates share stories about being near Ground Zero
By Jill Sutton
Staff reporter

In the aftermath of the terrorists attacks in New York and Washington, the Alumni Association has been trying to reach those TCU alumni who are living and working in the attacked areas, said Kristi Hoban, Director of Alumni Relations.

Four graduates were working in New York and Washington D.C. on the day of the attacks, and shared memories of their encounters with the Alumni Association.

Rodrick Branch, who graduated suma cum laude, lives in New York just 10 blocks away from the World Trade Center. Branch works as a lawyer at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steed and Hamilton law firm, which is directly across the street from the twin towers.

He was getting ready for work when the first plane hit the World Trade Center.

“I was getting ready and heard what sounded like a super-sonic jet fly by,” said Branch. “I opened my blinds and saw a gaping hole in the first tower with flames coming out.”

Branch said he then called his mom and told her to turn on the television because something awful had happened.

“After I called home, I started throwing my documents and passport into my briefcase and then I saw the second plane hit on TV. It felt like an earthquake, and then I ran to the lobby, where it was total chaos,” said Branch.

Branch said the events that occurred still have not sunk in, and he can hardly believe that there is a empty space where the World Trade Center towers used to stand. He also said he appreciated the support and calls from his friends and family at TCU.

“I got a lot of calls from my friends at TCU, and I really appreciated the concern they shared for me,” said Branch.

Joseph Everly also lives in New York and was near the towers when the attacks occurred. Everly graduated from TCU and now works on Wall Street.

Everly said he had just exited the subway when he saw everyone looking up at the sky.

“I turned to see the building on fire, but I didn’t know what had happened,” Everly said. “I went up to my office where I had a clear view of the second tower (the first tower to fall).”

Everly said as he was watching, the building began to crumble before his eyes, and he had a feeling of “impending doom”, so he started running down the stairs.

“By the time I made it to the lobby, the smoke outside was so thick that it appeared to be night,” said Everly. “So, we all went to the basement and listened to the rest of the destruction for about two hours.”

Everly said he was allowed to leave after both towers had collapsed, and he had to walk five miles back home. He said he saw papers with burnt edges, and lone high heels that were laying on the streets.

“Looking back on it is very emotional, as both my sister and I knew people who work in those buildings. Most of them are O.K., but a few of them are still missing,” Everly said.

Suzuno Ota works in New York at a subsidiary Japanese bank. Ota graduated from TCU with a fine arts degree in painting.

Ota said she was at work when the planes crashed into the towers, and sat in shock with her boss. The office they work in was located in the World Trade Center a few years before.

“I could see smoke going up in the sky and the city was nearly empty by five, even Times Square,” said Ota.

Ota said she has other friends from TCU who work in East Village, which is an area near the World Trade Center.

“I hope they are safe,” said Ota. “I still cannot get a hold of my friends from TCU.”

Leah Belotti was in Washington when the attack on the Pentagon occurred. Belotti graduated from TCU last May and now works as the assistant to the rector for George Washington University Campus Ministries.

Belotti heard about the attack on the Pentagon while at the University, and said it did not take long for chaos to ensue.

“Within an hour you could see people pouring out of the area and then in another hour, it was like a ghost town,” said Belotti.

Belotti stayed with her priest and his wife the night of the attack, and they could see the Pentagon smoking and police swarming the area.

“It is still very somber,” said Belotti. “It is slowly getting back to normal.”

Belotti said she received many calls from her friends at TCU who were checking on her.

“I was very impressed by the response of my friends at TCU,” said Belotti. “Many had called me within 15 minutes, and other calls and e-mails came all day.”

Jill Sutton
j.m.sutton@student.tcu.edu