[Music Plays] Good evening!

I'm Stacy Smith!

Thank you for joining us for an OnQ special report.

Now, in the last half hour, we hope that you watch the premiere of the PBS series, Senior Year, a provocative and inspiring look at high school seniors.

In tonight's special edition of OnQ.

We also profile today's young people.

Some are now calling them Generation 9-11!

Ever since the events of September the 11th, many teenagers have been rethinking their education and career plans or their outlook on life.

We begin tonight with a story of coping.

It is the story of how local young people reacted to 9-11 with an insightful yet creative approach.

OnQ, corresponden Tonia Caruso has tonight's cover story.

[Music Plays] [School Bells Ring] It's a typical day at Schenley High School.

Kids pack the halls.

They are laughing and joking.

[Kids Laughing] The conversation wide ranging.

What's for lunch?

Did you study for the test?

Who's dating who?

On the surface, everything appears normal here.

But most students will tell you something has changed.

I'm 17 years old.

I think I'm invincible.

You know, I think the country.

I thought the country was invincible.

You know, nobody's going to do anything to us.

But September 11th taught us otherwise.

And if it were a tough lesson for adults, some people were just, like, really angry.

And then it was even tougher and more surprising for young people.

Most of these teenagers have known only peace and prosperity in America.

Some now find themselves coping with fears and uncertainty, like how can you comprehend 6000 people dying?

You know, like you can hardly even handle the death of one person.

Well, first I tried not to think much of it because I just tried to tell myself, it's not going to come over here.

It's not that bad, and we'll get through it.

[Music Plays] Getting through the first few days was at times overwhelming.

So many students, so much grief.

English teacher Connie Weiss asked them to write about it.

The students needed to talk about it, and they needed the chance to try to give some kind of words to what was unspeakable.

The words, a collection of poems, short stories, and essays, were so powerful the school published them in a book appropriately called changed.

Today we are different.

We're not worrying if our hair is messed, if our clothes matched, or if we should see that movie again.

We're worrying if we're safe, if there will be a war, if we'll die.

You never believe in anything until you have to.

It's part of our condition.

You never expect your world to change, to be changed.

On a Tuesday morning, we came to realize that what we thought was safe is now showing signs of being dangerous.

We are filled with uncertainty and questions.

Questions that cannot be answered by those with all the answers.

Now, we rely more than ever for our leader to make wise decisions.

[Music Plays] Each writing another step in the healing process.

But the process is more difficult for some.

16 year old Elham Albeji was born in Iraq.

Her family came here after the Gulf War.

Ironically, she was sworn in as an American citizen the day after the attacks.

I became an American citizen, like right after this.

Like the next day I had to go, and I felt really scared.

I don't know what's going to happen, like, because a lot of Americans like not my friends and stuff, like in general, Americans, they're like towards Muslims now.

They have a certain like attitude, like they would blame the whole Muslims for this.

And that's not true.

Like the Latins and represent the Muslims or the Arabs.

Just he did something really like wrong.

Islam believes in like peace, wellness and brotherhood.

And so we don't.

But he doesn't represent the Muslims at all.

Flora Benaiah grew up in a war torn area of Sudan.

I think that I came to America so I can feel like a little bit safe now.

I don't feel like really, really safe in America.

Not really, because I came from my country.

There's like a lot of troubles there.

But wherever you go, there is trouble.

But God will support you.

[Fire Siren Sounds] We started at Union Square and worked our way south towards Ground Zero.

If students at Schenley High School tried to cope wit words, students at Robert Morris Universit did so with pictures and sounds.

I think I was horrified.

Shocking.

I was in complete disgust.

Hurt my heart.

They loved all these segments.

With the help of Professor Jim Cygwin, 25 students set out to make a documentary the day after the attacks.

They called it America Talks.

I'm kind of in my anger stage at this point.

So, I mean, my initial reaction is to like, go after him.

Just watching the plane go into the this documentary was a way for us all to deal with it, to examine ourselve while examining what the country had to say about it and what their feelings were.

The students traveled to Shanksville, Washington and New York City, finding each interview more powerful than the next.

You know, more than anything when I woke up the next morning, I wanted to hear that Afghanistan was a parking lot.

Their trips were emotional, surprising, surreal.

Especially when you consider this.

I was in fourth grade when the golf course happened, and I remember Mrs.

Patrick was my teacher, and we would come in with little clip outs from the newspaper and put it on the bulletin board.

It was just always on TV.

And and I remember seeing bits and pieces of the nighttime footage that sticks in my memory.

What they barely remembered is children is now a reality for these young adults, a reality.

Dallas Jackson and Mike Mainer don't take lightly.

Our generation is eventually going to be like the adults, and we're going to have to make policies and run the country, and every decision that's made now is going to have some sort of basis on what happened on September 11th.

And now, the 9-11 tragedies kind of in our laps now.

And this is this is kind of like our time.

This is our time to deal with with this.

It's our problem.

So how can they solve it or at least begin to try?

The issues and arguments go way beyond complex.

Some people are saying this is the beginning of World War III.

We interviewed people from other countries and they said, America deserves it.

You're reaping what you sow.

America was founded on freedom coming to the country, being able to start new and being able to be compensated for your hard work and not being limited.

But then again, maybe we should rethink how many people we do let into the country.

And indeed, each student from those at Robert Morris to those at Schenley High School has different ideas and opinions.

I would like to think that there was a more creative way to think that would make it so you you don't have to bomb someone, but there is at least one thing they all now agree on.

It told people like, not tomorrow isn't promised to you and your life could be taken at any time.

They are a generation at a key point in history trying to move forward after facing great tragedy.

They are learning.

They are growing.

They want peace.

They are Generation 9-11.

A generation changed forever.

Yet through their doubts and fears, there is an incredible sense of resilience.

Do you still hold hope for the future?

Oh, definitely!

Definitely!

Now I see that America pulled together and is not going to go down ever without fight.

And so I'm more hopeful than ever now of the future and what it will bring.

September 11th, 2001 was a day that we're living in, a day that has affected millions of people across the country and around the world.

Schenley High School was able to publish the book changed through a special grant.

They then sold copies of the books for $10 apiece, and all of the proceeds, about $2,200, were sent to the Children's Aid Society of New York, and the book sold out, and hopefully the school will receive a second grant so they can republish it.

As for the students at Robert Morris University, their documentary debut debuted last week.

So far every showing has been sold out.

For more information about America talks, you can contact the school or log on to our website at WQED.org and you can follow the links to OnQ and Stacy.

The students there tell me through a connection in Washington, D.C., they were able to hand deliver a copy of their documentary to President Bush.

They hope that he will watch it, and they hope that he'll share his comments and thoughts with them.

We'll have to wait to see what he does with that.

But all of the students you talk with from the high school on through the college area.

There was a motion for these for these young people.

There was indeed great emotion, and especially when they all recounted the day that it happened, 9-11 itself.

And you can really tell from talking with them this is something that they take very seriously.

They are truly thinking about this and what it means for the future.

And I think what most impressed me is their compassion, their general concern, not just for themselves, but for the families of the victims and for the families and the innocent victims in Afghanistan as well.

Tonia, Thank you!

Well, coming up next.

New plans for the future and a new outlook on life.

Seniors from four local high schools talk about that on our special report on Generation 9-11 continues.

[Music Plays] Want to know more about OnQ magazine?

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The OnQ community calendar and of course, viewer feedback.

It's all on our website WQED.Org Just follow the links to on Q. You're watching OnQ magazine, because these foundations care enough about local television to help pay for it.

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And we couldn't do it without you.

The members of WQED.

Welcome back to this edition of OnQ magazine.

I'm Chris Moore.

I'm Stacy Smith, and now you're going to mee four members of Generation 9-11.

They are all high school seniors.

Let's start by introducing them.

Julieene Shaw from North Allegheny High School.

Julieene, could you tell us a little bit about yourself, please?

Yes, I am a senior at North Allegheny Senior High School.

I'm the president of the National Honor Society, and I'm actually the current Miss Pennsylvania Teen.

And I'll be going to mis teen USA in August of this year.

I am also we have an impressive group with us.

Also with us this evening is Doug Conner junior from Woodland Hills High School.

Doug, a little bit about yourself.

Well, I go to Woodland Hills High School.

I'm 18 years old.

I played football for Woodland Hills the past three years and.

That's.

Well, that's that's pretty good.

Pretty good.

Christine is a senior at Oliver High School.

Could you tell us a little about yourself, Kristin?

I'm a senior at Oliver.

I'm a four year junior ROTC cadet.

I'm president of the student council, and I'm captain of the softball team.

All right.

Yes.

And, Nick, Nick DeJulio.

Excuse me Nick!

He is from Mount Lebanon High School.

I once had to learn to pronounce your name.

You can tell us more about yourself.

I run across the country.

Winter track, Spring track, I'm also a member of the Model United Nations team, which I'm co-captain.

I'm also a student council.

I'm co-president of the student Council of Mount Lebanon, and I think that's about it.

Yeah.

Most of you are going to college, right?

All of you?

Yeah.

You have college plans?

I wonder how nine over 11 impacted you and your friends.

Did you talk about it much?

Were you surprised, lik some of the people in the video?

What do you think?

Oh, absolutely.

As far as being surprised.

I remember the first time seeing those.

I was in study hall, and I heard the study hall teacher picked up the phone and said, oh, yeah, I heard that a plane crash in the World Trade Center.

I thought, oh, you know, must have been this a commercial flight that maybe some fog or something.

I mean, I didn't know how it could happen, but I figured that was the explanation.

And then as the story unraveled, you know, we all we all figured out what happened.

It was just complete shock.

And seeing those buildings crumble.

I felt like I was watching the movie.

I really it's the kind of thing you'll always remember where you were.

Yes, definitely.

Remember that?

Definitely.

That's one of the things I think will impact our lives forever.

I mean, every generation has the one thing that impacts their lives.

I mean, whether it be an assassination or with us, the 9-11, I mean, that impacts our lives greatly and it will forever.

How long did it take for you to to know while you were in school, everything that was happening?

Because, you know, at home is we're watching it on television or if we're at work, it all starts to unfold at different time.

Was it just a mounting thing for you?

Yeah, actually, we were in French class and I heard about it.

And then as soon as that came on, we turned all the TVs on and basically the whole school, about 1300 of us.

We were just stuck to the camera, and we watched all day unti the very last period of the day.

I can remember and you probably remember this too, is for for our generation when we were in high school, the most poignant memory of a tragedy was when they came over the loudspeaker in the high school and said that President John F Kennedy had been shot.

And it was it was entirely emotional.

I mean, kids were crying and everything else.

Is that is that what happened to in school?

Nobody really knew what happened.

Only people who knew what happened were the the the kids who were in our classes, who teachers who have listened to the radio or heard it from another teacher.

Basically everybody found out about it when they got home.

I found out more about it when I got home.

I basically I just started thought about what I said.

I didn't know that it was had anything to do with terrorism, and I thought maybe just a plane just crashed into a building.

Let me put two things to you.

The whole Appalachian of Generation 9-11.

Do you think it's an appropriate one?

Does it really define you and who you are, and has it changed any of your friends plans about doing things like going to college versus going to the military?

Kristen, I know you're in the ROTC program.

What about you?

I think Generation 9-11, it's very soothing for us.

I think it's changed a lot of us in school.

I know a lot more people want to join the military.

They want to go Army.

They want to go Air Force, things like that.

It's wanting us to fight for what we believe in.

It's one for us to believe in our country.

I think the patriotism that we have now is far more amazing than we've ever had, and that's making more people want to be part of the military and making us go for it.

I think that this event has changed me, basically, because a lot of the things that I do at home and basically at school, I've noticed that tomorrow isn't promised, and everything that I do today prepares me for tomorrow, and basically I just have a better attitude towards life itself.

I found myself doing putting more time into my schoolwork.

I found myself putting more time into activities that I'm in.

None of your parents have to tell you to clean up your room anymore.

Anything like that?

What what what about the what about the reverse?

You guys are saying, you know, you learn tomorrow is not promised.

So you're going to really get more out of today that you can have any of your friends gone the other way and said, well, tomorrow's not promised.

So why?

Why bother with anything?

I really think everybody's really adopted the idea of, you know, seize the day, you know, I mean, this is yo have you have to live your life, you know, you can't like, you know, Bush was saying, and people all across the nation are saying you can't live in fear.

You know, you have to just go about your business and and really, really embrace the life.

I haven't really.

And also with minority groups such as OCA, the Organization of Chinese Americans, and a lot of ethnic backgrounds, we've all come together as a big cultural group and have donated money as a community.

And in that way, you give more back to the communities, such as education and teaching them about hate crimes and how to accept different things like that.

I want to get into more of how relationships go, but I also want to relate something back to Tony's report.

And time after time, we heard some of the students say that they don't feel safe anymore.

Is that still the feeling?

I can understand what had happened immediately.

But now, after the military's action has taken place, do you still have that kind of a feeling?

Oh, there's always safety.

After the attacks.

I think the students at school feel so much more safer because the security has been so much tightened, even in airports and schools.

You see more cops on the streets.

So in a way, there's more security within the community.

I think it's been a lot.

I think people are more safe now.

Like, I think when it all happened, everyone panicked and everyone was like, oh my, this is happening, this is happening.

What are we going to do?

We're America.

This shouldn't happen.

But I think now, you know, we know it's not going to happen again.

And I mean, we don't know for sure, but most likely it's not going to happen again.

And we're ready for what they give to us.

And we're rebuilding ourselves as a country.

This is making us stronger.

They need to watch out for what we're going to do next.

One of the things you mentioned, Julian, was a hate incidents.

We know that they happened all over the country.

Do you have any ethnic minority friends that reported any of those incidents, or did you find people finding that they needed to be more tolerant?

And people, especially young people, coming together?

I think as a whole, the United States has been more tolerant towards backgrounds because back in 42, when Pearl Harbor was bombed, they sent 120,000 Japanes Americans into internment camps.

And now you have nothing like that.

So in a way, everyone has become more tolerant towards groups.

And for hate crimes, the best thing to do is to educate them about being not tolerant or being not ignorant, ignorant on those subjects and within the Chinese community as a whole.

You give back to the community through education and through through teaching them how to tolerate different kinds of hate crimes.

Yeah, I agree on that.

Basically, I think whenever, whenever people hate someone or in this in this case or not, so, well, it's hard to put this, bu I think that whenever people say harsh things about other people, they really didn't understand and didn't know anything about the situation.

They were just making suggestions.

Like I've heard people say in my classes, we should just bomb them all.

And that's not that's not really the attitude that you should have.

Because those people to me who say those type of things don't know anything about the situation, they're just going by what they hear, what they see.

It's a gut reaction that they're having.

Yeah, they hit us.

So we should we should strike back.

Yes, exactly.

I think overall, though, especially as as more people, you know, I think I think one thing that's really important is a lot of a lot of people our age are really starting to read more like about international events and stuff like that.

And once that like awarenes level increase, I think, I think a lot of people have handled it really maturely.

I think if.

I don't kno if you guys think that, but like as far as peers and stuff, everybody do do.

Are there any people of the Muslim faith in your schools?

Not in mine.

One of my best friends is muslin.

He lives in Chicago, and I actually talked to him the day that it happened.

And he was he was not very upset because obviously the people who struck were extremist groups.

And as a muslim, he didn't feel that way.

So he was more sympathetic because people did not understand that this is not him, that these are extreme groups.

And so that's what the big problem is.

They don't understand these people who struck were extremists and who wanted war and not peace.

Tom Brokaw writes about the greatest generation, that World War II generation and how they responded.

You're laughing already?

That is so funny, because I just had a report through today on that book.

Yes, I read the book.

Well then I'm particularly interested in your response to tha and how Generation 9-11 is going to respond to these event and how they will be remembered.

Do you think it's similar?

Are there any comparisons you can make?

The Greatest Generation that book is amazing.

I mean, the stories in there, they're all true stories, and the people have fought so much for what they believed in, and they have so much responsibility for themselves, and they put their honor there.

Oh, it's just amazing the stories you read.

I mean, have the stories had me in tears about the love they had for their country and the love they had for their family when they went back home.

And, I mean, I don't know if we could live it up to that, to what they were.

They were the greatest.

I mean, you don't get much better than that.

I think we have a chance to make it as well as they did.

I think we have.

We take responsibility for what we do.

A lot of people don't.

But I think we can.

I think we can be another greatest generation.

I think we can really, I believe so.

Yeah, absolutely.

I think we're ready for challenge.

So are you ready for the challenge?

Yeah, I'm.

I'm up to the challenge.

You know, going on to the next level is it gives you a lot to think about.

And then to add on to that and you think about the event that happened on the 11th, it kind of it kind of put a it kind of hurt me a lot because I'm 18 years old and if they decided to have a draft, I would probably be drafted.

And my father was in the Air Force reserves, and he just recently became active.

And me and my father have a great relationship.

And for my father to leave for my senior year, it had a lot.

It had a lot of impact on me.

I don't think I would be able to take my father leaving.

He would miss my graduation, my prom, a lot of things that mean and lot to me.

It was it would just be hard for me to lose my father and possibly never see him again, or for me to even get drafted into the war.

I want t play off this just a little bit.

Is is the is the reaction this country had in the military reaction that we had people in your 9-11 generation, was this appropriate?

Are we doing the right thing as a country?

How do you guys feel?

I think so.

I definitely think so.

I think it's I think it's very important the way that the Bush has been handling this, you know, attacking the problem at its root and, and seeking out, you know, the, the countries that involved with the al Qaeda organization.

And I think that I think that really is the best way to go about it.

I think he's doing a wonderful.

Do you ever wonder there's a group that some people have labeled hate America First, and we saw some of it in the documentary where people said, oh, America deserve this for its foreign policy.

Have you ever considered or looked at the geopolitical things that go on around the world and America's foreign policy?

Do you agree or disagree with that whole notion that it's because of some of the things America has done around the nation, that this happened to us?

I believe American foreign policy is there for a purpose.

The people who struck were against Western policy and against the Western so-called culture.

And I think President Bush and his administration has done its best to perform what they have to do to protect the people of America to its best.

And I just think it's a shame that people don't understand where America is coming fro when it comes to foreign policy.

And I think a lot of people agree on that.

I want to ask this question.

We're getting almost close to being out of time here.

You guys talked about this, this generation and whether you can rise to the level of the World War II generation.

What are the challenges you feel that face you as you start to head out of high school, into college, and then beyond?

The first challenge, I think, is to move one step further than what you are at now.

I mean, if you can take that one step, you can take many steps after that, and once you take that one, you're on your way.

I think if we get our steps, we go to college.

We be successful in what we want to do.

I mean, if we go into the military, we're fighting for our country.

It's the same thing.

But as long as you take that first step, you're on your way.

But do you have can you point to what the big challenge is coming up?

I think leadership, there's s many wonderful leaders out here.

Even in our generation right now as high school seniors, there's a lot of competition to be the best.

And I think right now, since the spirit and patriotism is so wide and so overwhelming, that leadership is probably the best thing that has that has a great effect on our future.

I guess it's just replacing the old leaders with with our generation.

As as time passes and making sure that we, we get the proper education that we're as I said before, just ready for the challenge, I guess.

All right.

Yeah.

Well, yeah, I was just going to say that you you all have some, some wonderful thoughts in what is encouraging, at least for me, is that is that they look to a bright future.

Absolutely.

We'd like to thank our panel of high school seniors, Julieene Shaw from North Allegheny, Doug Conner from Woodland Hills, Kristen from Oliver and Nick DeJulio from Mount Lebanon.

And of course, our thanks to you, our viewers, and we hope that you tune in for our regular broadcast of OnQ that's live weeknights at 7:30!

Good night!

Good night!

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