Students react to death of bin Laden

BY SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
5/03/11 at 5:44 AM

See front pages from newspapers around the country proclaiming bin Laden’s death. Watch videos of cheering crowds, President Obama praises the military and a look at bin Laden’s rise to public enemy. Read a story about the man next door to the bin Laden military raid. He was tweeting the whole thing.

Related Stories:

State Muslims welcome news of bin Laden's death

Bin Laden's death a 'morale boost'

Supposed invulnerability dies with bin Laden

U.S. used multiple means, including DNA, to identify bin Laden

Site of hide-out fuels suspicion about Pakistan

McChrystal praises courage of bin Laden mission

Booker T. graduate celebrates being American

TSA security on alert after bin Laden's death

Feelings of closure, joy are elusive for some

Bin Laden's end began years ago in Eastern Europe

Jaime Reichard's entire global issues class Monday at Holland Hall was spent talking about Osama bin Laden - his life, death and what it means for the United States

The 13 freshmen in his class were all about 5 years old when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred and don't really know a time when bin Laden wasn't a household name.

"You have lived your lives in the context of this contest," Reichard told his class. "Osama bin Laden, for you, is probably more of a bogeymen than a real man."

Luke Harjo, a ninth-grade student in the global issues class, said he was shocked when he learned bin Laden was dead.

"I thought he would stay alive until he died of natural causes or we just assumed he died," Harjo said. "He's been a part of our lives."

Kendra Roulet, U.S. history and non-Western culture teacher at Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, said it's been interesting listening to the students' reactions.

"Some said they were excited, but it doesn't really mean anything because the war is going to go on," Roulet said.

Tyler Tennant, a senior at Charles Page, said he watched the Sunday night announcement on television with his family.

"I was really shocked after 10 years of hide-and-seek. Youhave mixed feelings of somebody dying," said Tennant, who added that it is exciting living through something that will be in history books.

Amber Ayers, a senior at Charles Page, said she found out about bin Laden's death on Facebook but was a little surprised it wasn't talked about more in class.

"I thought eventually we would find him. I didn't think we'd find him in a mansion in Pakistan," Ayers said, adding that the revelation was anticlimactic for her. "Just because you kill one person doesn't mean you kill terrorism."

Reichard posed a question to his class: Does bin Laden's death make Monday different than the day before?

Chase Carter, a student in his class, said hopefully it is.

"The assumption is there won't be any more terrorism," Carter said, but others aren't so sure.

During the global issues class, one student wondered if bin Laden's death would mean the end of the terrorist group he formed, al-Qaida, or if he would be seen as a martyr and actually draw more extremists to his cause.

Holland Hall freshman Chris Haugher, who remembers watching television with his crying mother Sept. 11, 2001, said bin Laden's death will definitely change things.

"It's either going to get a lot better or a lot worse. It's not going to stay the same," he said.

Sara Plummer 918-581-8465
sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Freshman Puching Zhang answers a question from teacher Jamie Reichard in the global issues class at Holland Hall. STEPHEN PINGRY / Tulsa World