First-Year Student Journals : Nicole : Journal 11

25 March 2003

An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and sadness has been occupying every crevice of my soul these last couple of days. I can’t stop thinking about the when, the how and the why. But what brings me the most sorrow is the who. Thousands and thousands of young men and women have left to go fight halfway across the world. Men and women have left the safety of their homes and the warmth of their families to fight knowing that their lives, their futures, are at risk.

I am so incredibly distraught and saddened by the plight that our nation has recently undertaken. I find myself desperately grasping onto the hope that this will be over quickly, that maybe the next time I turn on my TV the “War on Iraq” subtitle will have been replaced by some delightfully clear phrase that indicates peace. And as I sat at the Texas Union, watching as people gathered to watch the televisions, I saw that I wasn’t the only one who felt for the soldiers saying goodbye. I wasn’t the only one who would go home and pray for their safe return.

I go to school at a university that prides itself on the diversity of its student population. Anyone will tell you that this campus is in fact united by the plethora of differences within its student body. And of course when this war broke out, some students went out to protest, others went out to support and still others just observed from a distance. But there was definitely a centralizing feeling on campus on March 20. A unifying feeling of grief.

These are trying times for our nation, times when you wish you could just be with your family and block out the despair. However, I found that I was glad to be here on campus on March 20. Glad to watch as everyone took their grief and voiced it, whether in favor or in opposition to this war. Being here allowed me to see the strength that comes with surrounding yourself with people who see things in a different way or manner.

Probably one of the most valuable lessons I will take away from this year is that the number of ways in which one can look at a single experience is infinite.



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	25 March 2003 An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and sadness has been occupying every crevice of my soul these last couple of days. I can’t stop thinking about the when, the how and the why. But what brings me the most sorrow is the who. Thousands and thousands of young men and women have left to go fight halfway across the world. Men and women have left the safety of their homes and the warmth of their families to fight knowing that their lives, their futures, are at risk. I am so incredibly distraught and saddened by the plight that our nation has recently undertaken. I find myself desperately grasping onto the hope that this will be over quickly, that maybe the next time I turn on my TV the “War on Iraq” subtitle will have been replaced by some delightfully clear phrase that indicates peace. And as I sat at the Texas Union, watching as people gathered to watch the televisions, I saw that I wasn’t the only one who felt for the soldiers saying goodbye. I wasn’t the only one who would go home and pray for their safe return. I go to school at a university that prides itself on the diversity of its student population. Anyone will tell you that this campus is in fact united by the plethora of differences within its student body. And of course when this war broke out, some students went out to protest, others went out to support and still others just observed from a distance. But there was definitely a centralizing feeling on campus on March 20. A unifying feeling of grief. These are trying times for our nation, times when you wish you could just be with your family and block out the despair. However, I found that I was glad to be here on campus on March 20. Glad to watch as everyone took their grief and voiced it, whether in favor or in opposition to this war. Being here allowed me to see the strength that comes with surrounding yourself with people who see things in a different way or manner. Probably one of the most valuable lessons I will take away from this year is that the number of ways in which one can look at a single experience is infinite.