Students react to news of bin Laden’s death (UPDATED)
People are cheering in the streets and on the steps of Low at the news of the death of Osama bin Laden. Photos and reactions from students below. Keep checking back for more updates.
The News Desk’s Finn Vigeland, Shira Poliak, and Leah Greenbaum contributed reporting. Columnist Raphael Pope-Sussman, Daily Editor Grace Bickers, Daily Editor Wilfred Chan, and Spectrum Editor Mikey Zhong also contributed reporting.
2:56 a.m.: Marine Corps veteran voices thoughts
“When I first heard—a little disbelief. Then I saw the news reports and popped a bottle of champagne and we came straight here.” – Oscar Negron, Marine Corps veteran, served in Unit 37 and 225 in Karbala and Baghdad.
2:37 a.m. Footage from Ground Zero by Emma O’Connor
Video
2:10 a.m.: Freedom Tower is lit!
2:05 a.m.: From Times Square: Huge chants of U.S.A.
1:55 a.m.: CU Democrats gather
Photo taken by Eric Kutscher, CC ’13. CU Democrats have around 30 people there. Roughly 50 Columbians with them celebrating.
1:44 a.m.: Star-Spangled Banner being played for the seventh or eighth time at Ground Zero.
1:39 a.m.: Overheard at Ground Zero: “I declare this our Independence Day.”
1:29 a.m.: Isabelle Fisher, CC ’14, is hoisted up
1:21 a.m.: Columbia students at Greenwich & Murray, one block from Ground Zero 
1:09 a.m.: The crowd at Ground Zero
12:45 a.m.: CU Democrats on their way downtown
12:33 a.m.: CU Democrats’ media director reacts
Sarah Gitlin CC ’12: “For a lot of us as New Yorkers, it helps bring a little closure nearly a decade after 9/11. Obviously it doesn’t mean the end but as witnesses by the crowd here tonight, a lot of Columbians and Americans are feeling relieved and encouraged. Dems members started sending out emails to each other that he was dead. Then once we realized people were congregating we realized this was a moment of history we didn’t want to miss.”
12:24 a.m.: Inside the subway station—CU Democrats among a crowd of 30 on their way to Ground Zero
CU Democrats president reacts
“I know you’re contacting me as president of CU Democrats, but this has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans, just amazing for America. It’s a clear victory in the war against terrorists—it’s amazing for everybody.” – Janine Balekdjian, CC ’13
Students opine of the news
USA music blares from Furnald Hall
The Marching Band reacts
Students crowd outside of Butler
Outside of Butler
Students outside Butler
From Butler 209
The News Desk’s Finn Vigeland reports that 20 people were watching Obama’s address in Butler 209, and 41 were at computers not watching.
Carman Lounge
Students crowd in lounge to watch Obama's address
Carman Lounge
Students in Carman lounge
Initial Reactions:
From Low Steps: People cheering.
From Woodbridge: Chants of ‘USA, USA, USA, USA!”
From Amsterdam: General cacophony and cheering.
From Lerner Hall: Everybody looking for a web feed of Obama’s speech.
USA! USA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZdJRDpLHbw
there were also about twenty people in the EC 2nd floor lounge
Shouldn’t you be interviewing milvets who’ve served in Afghanistan (and possibly Pakistan)?
is the best.
go to haakon’s hall right now and buy a vet a beer.
911 was an inside job
911 was an inside job
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was an inside job
Is it wrong to celebrate killing someone despicable? People are free to do what they want, but it seems a bit brutal IMO especially when the images the world sees are college students outside the white house chanting. (On CNN before Obama’s address)
USA! USA!
I agree. I’m glad he’s dead but it feels weird/wrong to celebrate someone’s death like it’s a football game. It doesn’t validate the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, nor does it justify the thousands of civilians who’ve been killed in the Middle East since then.
Stop the terrorists. We just moved a big step closer to doing that.
off your high horse.
Amazing the same college students who put down our military and military service at every turn are the one “celebrating” in the streets as if they had anything at all to do with the recent turn of events.
That’s an obsolete frame, Ronald. Current frame: Columbia students just fought for and won the return of ROTC to Columbia.
Many students vehemently opposed, and still oppose, the return of ROTC. Let’s remember that Osama’s death has come a decade after 9/11. Whether this is truly a coup to the efficacy of the military or even to President Obama is yet to be determined. Yes, a death like this brings people together, but people were also brought together after 9/11, and look what we got out of that show of patriotism: two wars and the Patriot Act. Let’s not get carried away.
Ugh can you anti-ROTC fools please shut up when something like this happens? It’s a happy day. Don’t ruin it with your incompetence.
Your “shutting up” people like us made this war happen in the first place. There is something deeply wrong with this country if patriotism is equivalent to being muffled.
Your “shutting up” people like us made this war happen in the first place..
Oh hum because we all know that yelling “no blood for oil” at the top of your lungs does so much more to prevent wars than watching who the hell your voting for in the first place
I don’t think that anyone active enough to get out and protest is going to forget to vote conscientiously.
I don’t think that anyone active enough to get out and protest is going to forget to vote conscientiously.
You seriously believe this, if that were the case we wouldn’t have the administration we have now. Maybe if college students voted for character and conviction over charisma and chuzpa we could actually have someone worth a damn. As a wise and “older” gentleman once told me “the biggest problem with politics in America is we now have the same folks who made “Snooki” a household name electing our leaders.
Listen, there is a difference between voting conscientiously and voting for people you agree with. College students who are engaged enough in the political process to vote are going to be very knowledgeable about the issues; I would venture to say more knowledgeable than most people, and while you might not agree with the conclusions they come to, it is a far cry from saying that they aren’t thinking when they go to the polls. I am personally an extremely politically active person, follow the news all the time, will not shy away from a debate with anyone, have volunteered for several campaigns, and I vote reliably Democratic. You may not agree with my conclusions, but you can’t say that I’m not informed.