'An Overwhelming Sense of Death In The Air'

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By By Kevin Reece

Summary

Local students return from Madrid; they are shaken by the emotional aftermath of the terrorist bombing.

Story Published: Mar 17, 2004 at 9:53 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 11:31 AM PDT

'An Overwhelming Sense of Death In The Air'
SEATAC - "It certainly affected you. You could not go to Spain and not be affected," said Jon King. "It was just a whirlwind of fear, anger, hatred."

The Northwest College student from Kirkland returned from that whirlwind Wednesday night. He and five other students and two professors were in Madrid for an international debate tournament when terrorists struck the Madrid train system, killing 201 people.

The students' hotel was only 10 minutes away from the train station.

"Just an overwhelming sense of death in the air," said student Gideon Copple. "Words can't describe it really."

The attacks came when the students were on the other side of town. They were not close enough to see or feel the explosions.

"We were certainly close enough to feel the shockwaves of the emotions," said King.

They felt the emotions of millions of Spaniards who spilled into the streets of Madrid in the following days to protest the attacks. And these students and teachers from Kirkland protested with them. They even made a shoebox full of black ribbons to wear and to give away to let Spaniards know Americans cared too.

"So we felt that we could participate in it and we went away I think changed and we'll never forget it," said Northwest College professor Gary Gillespie.

"I think it was a real life changing experience to be there and experience it," said student Kortney Thoma.

Their parents at home experienced an agonizing week. They didn't know for two hours after the attack if their children were OK. They knew the students planned to take the train that same day.

"It was a long week. Let's put it that way," said Hugh Jones as he greeted his daughter Katie at Sea-Tac Airport. "She's not going over there again I'll tell you that. Not for a long time. That was a one-shot deal."

A one-shot trip of a lifetime that, in terms of the protests, they feel fortunate to have witnessed. But a trip of a lifetime, in terms of the terrorist attacks, they feel fortunate to have survived.

"Just walking through the streets and that demonstration that was difficult," said Katie Jones. "But we all worked together as a team and we came her as a team and we're leaving here as a team."