Friday, November 16, 2001

Students who defy fears show nation’s personality
By Sarah McClellan
Skiff Staff

Since I’ve decided to study abroad in London next semester, people have been asking me if I’m scared to be an American in a U.S.-friendly country in light of the events of Sept. 11, and if I’m going to change my mind if there’s another terrorist attack. My answer is, of course I’m a little apprehensive, but it doesn’t affect my decision to go.

My parents, on the other hand, though masking their concerns with speeches about the great opportunities of studying abroad, are freaking out. I’ll be working for a magazine within a governmental office, in a country that is a U.S. ally, at a time when Anthrax is running rampant and common speculation and paranoia says terrorists are targeting Americans and the Western way of life in general. Let’s face it, that would give anyone the creeps. My mom, who made me take echinacea, an herb to boost the immune system and get rid of colds, every morning in high school, is ready to spend my London shopping money on a case of Cipro.

As scary as the world situation is right now, and as nerve-racking as it might be to take this chance, I’m not afraid to go to London. This is not an uncommon student point of view.

Ray Brown, dean of admissions, said he asked high school students recently if the Sept. 11 events had an effect on their decisions to go to college, and most of them said it didn’t.

However, Brown said the students told him their parents are worrying.

While our parents’ fears are viable, I know they want the best for us. And the best thing for us would not be to compromise our American standards and cow down. It would not benefit our characters to stay as sheltered as possible until this whole terrorist thing “blows over.” Even if something bad and terrorist-related happens to me in London, I will know I didn’t give up on the desire I’ve had since before I came to college to go to another country and experience something totally new.

With the way things are right now, though unlikely, the terrorists could very well come to Fort Worth and wreak havoc. Or, I could be hit by a car on University Drive while walking to class (we all know it’s happened before) and die as just another case of road-pizza in Texas.

We’ve all heard the over-patriotic, cheesy catch phrase, “If we don’t go on with our lives, the terrorists will win.” Everyone has lost something in this situation. If we haven’t lost a family member or friend, we’ve lost at least a little bit of optimism and some of our sense of well-being. But if we lose our willingness to try new things and venture to new places, we’ve given up even more. By depriving ourselves of adventure, we’re not losing to the terrorists, but to the ever-more-ominous image we have of them, and to ourselves.

If our attitudes change from having the courage that makes us want to do things like study abroad to cowering under a blanket of fear, we’ll let a huge part of our country’s personality slip away. After that, what’s left to lose?

Sarah McClellan is a junior news-editorial major from Canyon.
She can be contacted at (s.l.mcclellan@student.tcu.edu).