Audio Interviews and Transcripts

Interview with JoAnn Rogers
by Jordan Rogers

Below is the interview Jordan conducted with his mother, Dr. JoAnn Rogers. Dr. Rogers is currently an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. However, she was still in graduate school in Iowa with a husband and two children when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were hit. She had been devastated when Bush was elected into office in 2000 and abhorred his decision to invade Iraq. She thoroughly remembers the state of her life and her family around the time of the 9/11 attacks. You can read a part of the interview below in the transcript typed out by the student or listen to the full interview in the audio player below.


From 0:00 to 4:50

Jordan: This is an interview with JoAnn Rogers about the time period from nine eleven, two thousand one, to March two-thousand three, the invasion of Iraq.

JoAnn: (noise of affirmation)

Jordan: So, before we really get into questions I just want you to kind of… there’s been a lot that’s published since we were in- it’s been 10 years now, 11 really. I want you to forget all of that.

JoAnn: (inaudible)

Jordan: Like, I want you to do your best to just take yourself back all the way to 2001. We’re gonna-I’m gonna kinda help you with that. Uhm. So the first thing I’m going to ask is where were you-

JoAnn: -I know exactly where I was-

Jordan: - in 2001. Not on 9/11, just in general. What were you doing with your life?

JoAnn: I was in grad school. I was uhm, my first semester in graduate school working on my Ph.D.

Jordan: What was your Ph.D.?

JoAnn: In Sociology. So we were in Ames, Iowa. Me and my husband and my two boys.

Jordan: And… Yeah… And Bush was newly appointed President at that point.

JoAnn: Ah, yeah.

Jordan: What did you think about him?

JoAnn: I was depressed.

Jordan: You were depressed?

JoAnn: Yeah, I was depressed. I remember waking up every morning thinking, “Oh my god, what kind of country have we uh, what did we get ourselves into?” I just remember I cried- I think it was the first time that I actually cried- I cried when he became president. I think it was one of the first elections that I was really invested in. ‘Cause it was right after Clinton’s election. Ugh, yeah! It was the- When Bush won the presidency through the elector- right? The Electoral College, but didn’t win the popular vote. There was all sorts of controversy about it.

Jordan: And what were you doing in the fall of 2001?

JoAnn: Same thing. Working on my Ph.D., going to school, raising my kids.

Jordan: Did you have a job?

JoAnn: (sigh) Yes, I was a graduate student so that means I was teaching… I was teaching women’s studies, I think. Wait. I might have been teaching two different- I might have been TA-ing… for a course, it was Ph.D. … I was either TA-ing for a course and also teaching a course, ‘cause they had an emergency and they needed somebody to teach women’s studies and no one was available. So I was allowed to. I believe that was it.

Jordan: And what were your kids doing?

JoAnn: Huh! Shnikies. I think my youngest was in- uhhh- kindergarten? My oldest is turning 21.. he was in 6th grade? 5th grade! 4th?! Oh my god!

Jordan: Maybe 5th.

JoAnn: Huh?

Jordan: Maybe 5th, actually.

JoAnn: We had that birthday party for him that year. (inaudible)-2 classes. Right? So, it was 4th grade I think it was a big birthday party. It was 4th grade, because we invited boys and girls. Had it out in the garage. I remember that.

Jordan: When was the birthday party?

JoAnn: (Laughter) the birthday part was the day after 9/11. Because his birthday was on 9/10, 9/11 hit…

Jordan: 9/11 was a school day.

JoAnn: Yeah, so, it was a Saturday, so it was 2 days- it was the next day. So- and I remember people asking us if we were still going to have the birthday party, and I said “well, yeah, it doesn’t affect the kids any.”

Jordan: And-so… Tell me about 9/11.