Anyone who has visited Paris can attest to the fact that it is one of the most beautiful cities with some of the most beautiful people. The terror that claimed the lives of 129 people this past weekend is horrifying. President Obama stated how important it is to remember, “this is an attack not just on Paris, and not just on the people of France, but an attack on all humanity and the universal values we share.” Even though these attacks are 3,435 miles from us, we still mourn with all of the families and friends who have been affected. Erin Doherty ’17 and Cass Squeri ’17 are studying abroad this semester, and were visiting Paris during the time of the attacks. Here is what they had to say about being in Paris during this tragic time.
ED: “Arriving to Paris Friday morning with Cassandra Squeri, we spent most of our day at Disney Paris and after went to see the Eiffel tower at night. It truly was a magical day and we were looking forward to seeing what the rest of Paris had to offer. It was not until we got back to our hostel around 10:30 that we first heard of a shooting. At first we were confused – we were out and about in the city and had no idea what was occurring. Suddenly, the texts from home began. “You’re not in Paris this weekend are you?” The “shooting” quickly became “several attacks” and “20 people dead” quickly turned into “over 100 people dead.” It was difficult being on the inside, in Paris, yet all of our information coming from outside sources… we sat in our hostel hoping that the updates would stop, that it would all stop. While I will always remember spending Friday the 13th in Paris, I think I will remember the kind words from family, friends, and even strangers more. I’ll remember the continuous “are you okay” texts. I’ll remember a feed of profile pictures changing to the French flag. I’ll remember Paula, the Polish girl in our hostel that Cass and I instantly bonded with. I’ll remember the rest of the world lighting up to support France. I did not interact with anyone who had been affected, but my heart goes out to those who were, to the victims and families that will forever be haunted. “You never think it will happen to you.” I read this in a post written by a survivor and there is so much truth to her statement. The world is so big, so confusing, and yes filled with so much hate. But what I will take from this is that love will always win. We are all extremely grateful to have one another and I think that is what is most important – to remember who and what you have and be thankful for that each and every day.
CS: This past weekend in Paris was very tragic, sad and humbling. It was sad for the victims and their families and the innocent people that were purely excited about going to a concert with their friends and wanted to go hang out at a bar on a Friday night. Of course, we can play the “what if” game and say “well, what if it had been us or if we decided to go to that street on Friday” but that doesn’t make us, or the situation any better. The only thing we can do is continue to pray for the victims and their families, and pray for peace in not only Paris, but in all of the cities that are currently affected by these horrific acts of terrorism. I am very grateful (along with Erin), that we are okay and although it was not the weekend we had planned by any means, we were able to appreciate the resilience and the respect that the people of Paris have for their city and we look forward to returning to Paris in the future.
“Love will always win”