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CNN Live At Daybreak

Entire Generation of Students Forever Changed by September 11

Aired November 19, 2001 - 06:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: A lot has changed since the terror attacks of September 11. As CNN's Elina Fuhrman tells us, one thing that may have changed is an entire generation.

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ELINA FUHRMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a wake-up call for many young Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just like, you know, fictitious pretty much for the whole day. At least in my mind it just like that wasn't actually happening because I never thought that could and, you know, would ever happen, at least not here, you know, in the United States. I thought we were pretty much immune.

FUHRMAN: Until two months ago, they never had it so good. Now the generation that once had it all, peace, prosperity, even the dot- com dream of retiring at 30 faces its defining moment. Gone are the days when there was no cause to believe in and the dreams were about dollar signs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This has given us something, you know, life and death seeing something like this happen, especially in our own country, has really changed the way we go about our lives, you know, the new set of priorities and new goals, more of a focus on like our families and thinking about, you know, loved ones and close friends and our personal safety too, a lot more paranoia.

FUHRMAN: For today's students, or the so-called "Millennials", those born after 1982, the sense of vulnerability is entirely new.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot of anxiety and it's been difficult, I think, to focus sometimes on assignments and tests and papers.

FUHRMAN: They have never lived at a time when the United States was not the world's only superpower. They were accused of being materialist, apathetic and ignorant, but in one day, for many of them all that changed.

(on camera): The cynics have now become flag-waving, anthem- singing patriots. The slackers have organized blood drives, raised money for victims, read newspapers, followed international politics and enlisted in the military. Even the most uninvolved students understood that they could no longer ignore what was happening on the other side of the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And a lot of people has taken a lot more, you know, interest in what's happening elsewhere. You know people, you know, keeping track of the news, you know, reading papers and stuff more, trying to actually find out, you know, about different cultures.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had vigils, candlelight vigils, we've had speakers. We've had a lot of activities surrounding the events.

FUHRMAN: Even though life on American campuses is returning to normal, students now have different priorities like these three fraternity brothers who want to go work for the government, maybe joining the CIA or the FBI.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to wake up everyday and know I'm doing the right thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's more to life than just making money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something I can do that would keep me occupied and interested but also, you know, have results besides zeros on a paycheck.

FUHRMAN: Thoughts not too common just a short time ago.

Elina Fuhrman, CNN, Atlanta.

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