University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Maybe the most crucial changes happen fast, at the speed of an airplane or a fire. Maybe they happen at the slow pace of planningand calculation and conversation; it is hard to know anything for sure anymore. Four hijacked planes hurtled into targets on the East Coast on September 11, 2001. One hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. One hr the South Tower. One hit the Pentagon. One crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Both towers of the World Trade Center collapsed shortly thereafter. Thousands of people died. These are the simple facts, as we know them. 28

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Stanford. Cal and Cardinal fans, equally distributed at Stanford Stadium ' s 71,150 attendance, stood in amazement. The Bears were not only playing well, but also leading the Cardinal. There seemed to be hope as the Bears stepped up for this game as if the rest of the season had not happened. Fans surely recalled miraculous plays and finishes of Big Games past, 4Q of which were decided by a touchdown or less and five of which were determined in the last play. For just about the first time of the 2001 season, the Bears had hope and against their biggest rival — an even greater feat. Both teams traded scores for the rest of the game. The Bears actually had momentum. Midway through the third quarter, the Bears capitalized on another interception when standout freshman running back Terrell Williams scored on a one-yard dive to close the scoring gap to Bears 20-Cardinal 21. Bears fans went crazy. However, less than a minute later, the Cardinal responded with a 79-yard touchdown pass to make the score Cardinal 28- Bears 20. Although the Bears were scoring consistently, the Cardinal was responding and still leading. The fourth quarter began with yet another Cardinal touchdown, giving the team a 1 5-point lead. Contrarv to past performances in the 2001 season, the Bears refused to die. With 13 minutes and one second left in the fourth quarter, junior cornerback LaShaun Ward, who had a total of five receptions for 86 yards, received a 48-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kyle Boiler, who went 20-of-46 for 278 yards on the day. A two-point conversion was completed from Boiler to freshman tailback Jordon Hunter to bring the Bears within seven, 28-35. The crowd was in shock. This game was not supposed to be anywhere near close and now the Bears were one touchdown away from a tie in the fourth quarter. For the remaining 1 1 minutes of the game, all momentum came to an end. Neither team could score and the ball was punted a total of seven times. The Bears needed a touchdown to tie the game, but this seemed to be an impossibility. Both defenses held strong. It appeared there was nowhere to go. The crowd in the stadium sat on the edge of its seats. With 27 seconds left, Cal recei ed a punt on their 3 1 yard line. This was the Bear ' s last chance. Three plays were run for 19 yards. Boiler sent a Hail players looked to the sky and awaited the drop of the ball. What was to happen to Cal ' s seemingly last effort to save a disappointing season. ' The Cardinals batted the ball down in the endzone and the Bears realized they had added yet another loss to their record. Cal fans turned their heads in disappointment. The loss hurt players and fans alike, but what counted was the Bears ' performance in the face of an e.vceedinglv high obstacle. The Golden Bear 2001 football team stepped up to the challenge of the Big Game and relinquished a bit of respect from their 1-10 season bv giving the Cardinal a run for its money. A tradition was upheld in the face of disaster. And the Bears rolled on. m For the first time in the 2 season, the Bears had hop tand against their greatest ival — an even greater fea i nning head-on into the opponent, freshman running back Michael Sparks drives for extra yardage. licr quarterback Kyle Boiler drops back into the pocket, looks for his receiver, and sets to throw with ;eye intently on his target.

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tory by Elizabeth McMunn hotos by Lien Dang and Robby Randolph he West Coast was startled groggily awake to crures of destruction, terror, and devastation that orning. Though many miles from the events lemselves, we were sickened and agonized by hat we saw on our TV screens and heard on our idios. The streets of Berkeley were reeling that lorning. Construction crews on Bowditch listened 1 their radios. Students in classrooms and on the reets discussed the latest news. The newest [formation was like a commodity — everyone anted it and it changed every other moment. The official UC word was that the campus was jing to remain open. Chancellor Robert Berdahl sued the following statement to the campus ammunity; 1 encourage faculty and staff to ipport students and one another during this araordinarily difficult period. I also encourage 1 students to turn to faculty administrators and impus staff for support at this time. Students at ;sidence halls should seek the assistance of staff lere who will help organize conversations and ipport groups for today ' s events. Though classes were not canceled, they were Itered. In a press conference the day of the attacks, sue E.xternal VPJosh Fryday said the ASUC does not expect business to go on as usual. He Tessed that the campus was remaining open as a ipport system for its community and that the student government wanted to create an environment free of blame but rife with discussion. The ASUC stood united in its peaceful, reflective, and mournful purpose at this conference. Executi e VP Justin Christensen said, Today is the kind of day we ' ll remember for the rest of our lives. Senator Sunny Lu stressed not politicizing or racializing what ' s going on. A candlelight igil was planned for that night. The newly reno ated Bear ' s Lair was open and equipped with TV ' s. Counselors staffed the rear parts of Heller Lounge throughout the week. The mood on Sproul reflected considerably more unrest. Several students used a poster- making project as a community forum and an astounding number of students added their feelings, frustrations and fears. My heart broke today and I can ' t even find all the pieces, wrote one student. Another wrote, violence begets violence... act peacefijlly and create your world, countered by a just society punishes the wicked no matter who they are. One student demonstrated more ambivalence towards the events by writing, My greatest struggle is between anger and peace... I want retaliation on the one hand. My nation was attacked, citizens died. But I would also like to learn from this and ensure that no more life is lost. God help us. I am afraid. Another reflected, Your life is ending one second at a time. Make it count. The posters remained on the steps of MLK for several days after the attacks. Students, alone and in groups, stopped occasionally to read and think about what had happened. At the same time, people got into arguments over the conflicts in the Middle East and debated what the United States has and has not done to help. That night, an estimated 2,000 people arrived at Sproul Plaza and lit candles. The Sproul Steps were transformed, as they had been in times past, into a makeshift stage. For a brief moment, they all sat surrounding the steps. There were se ' eral musical performances in memory ot the victims. Hoku Jeffrey, an ASUC Senator and member of the Defend Affirmative Action Party read a statement [calling] on all people to oppose and stand against anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hysteria and national-chauvinist backlash in response to the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Later, the mic was open so people could share their responses, thoughts, and feelings. In what ma} ' ha e been one of the most moving moments of the night, a man came to the microphone and asked the crowd, Who out there loves Mark Bingham. This was before everyone knew that Bingham had been a Cal rugby player, 29