By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
As of 10:15 AM PST, 9/11/01
Fourth-year psychology student Ryan Gutterson woke to the sounds
of explosions and CNN commentary at 7 a.m. Pacific Time today.
“Jesus! Jesus!”
He jumped out of bed and into the living room to find his
roommate already up in his bathrobe watching footage of the three
planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon.
“One of my best friends is in NYU, my grandma is in
Jersey, my best friend and aunt is in Pennsylvania not far from
where the plane crashed in Sommerset … that was the first thing
that ran through my mind,” Gutterson said. “We
don’t even know if it’s over.”
He’s still in his bed clothes, waiting by the phone to
hear from his grandmother and friend in New York.
“I hope she slept in today,” he said.
Despite increased security and police activity, UCLA will remain
open, Chancellor Albert Carnesale announced at 8:30 a.m.
“At this stage, there have been no reports of terrorist
action in other areas of the United States, nor of threats of such
action,” Carnesale said in a statement.
“Accordingly, UCLA will continue to operate normally
unless and until there is reason for us to act otherwise. I ask you
to remain as calm as you can under the circumstances,” he
continued.
Outside and only blocks away, university police patrolled the
UCLA campus and surrounding areas with officers from the Los
Angeles Police Department.
All state agencies are on alert and all police units have been
deployed, including detective and anti-terrorist units. No threats
have been received so far, according to LAPD officer Victoria
Diaz.
But LAPD officers are stationed at the Federal Building on
Wilshire Boulevard with assault rifles.
University police were on alert for peculiar activity. Officers
blocked off Lot 32 and investigated a suspicious car parked there.
The owner was contacted and the car disregarded.
“What happens in a case like this, we work with all the
local agencies. Right now we’re on heightened alert,”
said Nancy Greenstein, UCPD director of community service. “I
think everyone on campus is concerned, calling in things that would
otherwise seem ordinary.”
“High level” meetings with the executive ranks of
the department are being scheduled immediately to evaluate the best
plan of action.
The city waits, as terminals in LAX are evacuated by order of
the FBI, with assistance from LAPD.
Meanwhile, the Arco building downtown has also been closed and
all student extracurricular activities in the Los Angeles Unified
School District have been cancelled.