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MineralMan

(151,305 posts)

23. I was a freshman in college. That day, I was

Thu Nov 22, 2012, 11:14 AM

Nov 2012

leaving the dorm for my Biology 101 survey class lecture, and heard the news of the shooting on the TV in the dorm's lounge area. I watched for a few minutes, and then went to the lecture hall, where the class was already in session. I walked down to the front of the class, interrupted the prof, and announced that President Kennedy had been shot in Texas, and that the news was just coming in.

The professor dismissed the class immediately, and everyone headed for places where there were TVs. The dorm lounges, rec center areas, and every public area with a TV were jammed the rest of the day, as we waited for more news.

It was definitely another time. Dorm residents weren't even allowed to have TVs in their rooms. There were no computers, so the only place we could find out what was going on were in public areas. A strange silence was maintained in all of those places as we all waited for information. It was a bad day.

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In memoriam: President John F. Kennedy [View all] ailsagirl Nov 2012 OP

probably the most quinnox Nov 2012 #1

Yes ailsagirl Nov 2012 #2

Abe Lincoln might give JFK a run for his money, at least for working people coalition_unwilling Nov 2012 #54

Not quite, but certainly very talented indeed Hekate Nov 2012 #80

Very much so. n/t loudsue Nov 2012 #84

I remember...that dreadful day that changed America. Historic NY Nov 2012 #3

A tragic day, H2O Man Nov 2012 #4

That was the day when America changed forever ailsagirl Nov 2012 #5

I was in Mrs. Kloster's English class when we heard the news. I'll never forget; libinnyandia Nov 2012 #6

I was also in class... ailsagirl Nov 2012 #9

I was in the middle of a Spanish test in High School... George II Nov 2012 #19

Biology class here. WinstonSmith4740 Nov 2012 #36

6th grade social studies ashling Nov 2012 #70

I shook his hand in 1960 when he was running for President. It's hard to tell how proud byeya Nov 2012 #7

JFK was the first president that I actually remember in my lifetime, so in my eyes, nobody else We People Nov 2012 #8

You're welcome ailsagirl Nov 2012 #12

I was at a birthday party for a classmate at the time. sheshe2 Nov 2012 #17

Same here.. first President I remember.. nt ProudProgressiveNow Nov 2012 #48

Me, too. Fifth grader at the time. narnian60 Nov 2012 #101

Thank you for the reminder of the date. dixiegrrrrl Nov 2012 #10

Your alternate interpretation of "American Pie" is shared by me coalition_unwilling Nov 2012 #55

McLean made it opaque enough dixiegrrrrl Nov 2012 #62

I listened to the AM-format song (short version) over and over that summer. Then coalition_unwilling Nov 2012 #63

Vincent Always Makes Me Silently Weep. NT WiffenPoof Nov 2012 #79

For those of us old enough to remember Freddie Nov 2012 #11

What this country might have been... ailsagirl Nov 2012 #13

My sister was working at the Dallas Morning News dinger130 Nov 2012 #14

Thank you for posting this. I still feel the grief over what "they" did, truth2power Nov 2012 #15

Next year will be overwhelming - and Nov. 22 falls on a Friday. Faygo Kid Nov 2012 #16

Friday. I was all dressed up for my senior pictures after school. And a play in the city. aquart Nov 2012 #93

President Kennedy was a man of peace. Octafish Nov 2012 #18

I reject this premise YoungDemCA Nov 2012 #57

Essential reading: "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters," Peace Patriot Nov 2012 #86

Well Then, Let's Get Right To It! triplepoint Nov 2012 #97

Another good one... WinstonSmith4740 Nov 2012 #100

Got a link? Octafish Nov 2012 #92

I got to see President Kennedy with ... bayareaboy Nov 2012 #20

Walter Cronkite announces the news to the nation that JFK has died... pinboy3niner Nov 2012 #21

Still Hard to Look at this Portrait/What a Loss kairos12 Nov 2012 #22

I was a freshman in college. That day, I was MineralMan Nov 2012 #23

I, too, was a freshman in college that day. Buildings full of peole were silent while we watched TV SharonAnn Nov 2012 #26

Good observation about the 50s being over on that day. MineralMan Nov 2012 #41

I once decided to test that. aquart Nov 2012 #96

I came across a website called "The Political Graveyard" ailsagirl Dec 2012 #102

I don't think so. aquart Dec 2012 #103

I was laos a freshman in college druidqueen Nov 2012 #99

I remember this day well..... 49jim Nov 2012 #24

I saw him at the opening of Dulles Airport outside Washington DFW Nov 2012 #25

Holy shit. Those are some memories! aquart Nov 2012 #95

I'll never forget that day. greatauntoftriplets Nov 2012 #27

I was finally able to see the creepy place where they killed him. lonestarnot Nov 2012 #28

I've seen it, too ailsagirl Oct 2013 #104

R.I.P. President Kennedy. Lugnut Nov 2012 #29

I'd just turned fifteen, yet the painful memory remains 49 years later. ancianita Nov 2012 #30

Exactly one week before my sweet 16th birthday mountain grammy Nov 2012 #31

This was 15 months before my birth... Ochsfan Nov 2012 #32

Ignorance is everywhere & people have their way... triplepoint Nov 2012 #89

Thank you for sharing. ThatsMyBarack Nov 2012 #33

K&R. n/t bobthedrummer Nov 2012 #34

he's definitely missed here onethatcares Nov 2012 #35

RIP Mr. President Trailrider1951 Nov 2012 #37

RIP President Kennedy 47of74 Nov 2012 #38

I will never forget that awful day. Lilma Nov 2012 #39

I was in high school Loki Nov 2012 #40

Sigh. ananda Nov 2012 #42

I was a High School Freshman. polmaven Nov 2012 #43

I was born in '65 and named after him n/t ejbr Nov 2012 #44

I was in kindergarten. The teachers were so somber. AmBlue Nov 2012 #45

As a child I reached out and touched him nevergiveup Nov 2012 #46

I was six. I remember this day and the days after ... Auggie Nov 2012 #47

I saw that too Tumbulu Nov 2012 #74

49 years ago today... alterfurz Nov 2012 #49

K&R nt ProudProgressiveNow Nov 2012 #50

My earliest memories are of the funeral liberal N proud Nov 2012 #51

I was in english class--and I remember staring at the pa box in shock--certain that another student niyad Nov 2012 #52

WHO CAN SAY WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN? chuckstevens Nov 2012 #53

We might have seen actual nuclear disarmament following JFK's likely re-election - n/t coalition_unwilling Nov 2012 #58

Perhaps the Republicans would not have regained power Freddie Nov 2012 #65

I remember that day slackmaster Nov 2012 #56

I was in my 7th grade class in St. Petersburg, FL when the announcement was made.... OldDem2012 Nov 2012 #59

Thanks for sharing that. Some of my 7th grade class began cheering too. This was in lower SC. nt raccoon Nov 2012 #98

I was at a Roman Catholic School in Tacoma, WA first grade gopiscrap Nov 2012 #60

This thread has made me realize again how thankful I am for my elders on DU. I was just coalition_unwilling Nov 2012 #61

I recall that Jacqueline Kennedy refused to change out of her bloody suit ailsagirl Nov 2012 #64

JFK's assassination was a defining moment of my life Blue_In_AK Nov 2012 #66

Me too ailsagirl Nov 2012 #67

K & R Change has come Nov 2012 #68

I was in 8th grade typing class PlanetBev Nov 2012 #69

I was 7 years old in Catholic school.......... mrmpa Nov 2012 #71

RIP JFK. Third Doctor Nov 2012 #72

Cut down in his prime Canuckistanian Nov 2012 #73

Good night, sir... Aristus Nov 2012 #75

I'm still coming to grips with what we lost when JFK died LongTomH Nov 2012 #76

Junior year in Latin class eridani Nov 2012 #77

To which I would add this rejoinder: coalition_unwilling Nov 2012 #78

And he got killed for that as well. n/t eridani Nov 2012 #90

I was getting my blood test for my marriage license. juajen Nov 2012 #81

Thanks ailsagirl. JFK's murder became the dividing line in the lives of a generation. I was 15. Zen Democrat Nov 2012 #82

I brushed this off when I first read it pscot Nov 2012 #83

reading through these comments defacto7 Nov 2012 #85

Highly recommended: "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters," Peace Patriot Nov 2012 #87

I remember exactly where I was burrowowl Nov 2012 #88

K & R !!! WillyT Nov 2012 #91

I think it's clear that... ailsagirl Nov 2012 #94