At a blood drive at the Recreation Center Sept. 13, 2001, students waited up to four hours to roll up their sleeves, and many others were turned away.

The resolve and dedication of the region to overcome feelings of fear and anger and to turn a tragedy into a bittersweet positive is something that will never be forgotten.

But what could drive so many people to do something that, in the long run, seems relatively insignificant?

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Lynda Sagrestano, an assistant professor in the psychology department, said there are a multitude of reasons why people are driven to action following disaster.

She said there are two main motivators behind the outpouring of support:one, to reduce one’s own personal distress, and two, out of empathy for victims.

“We like to feel in control of our world. By going and helping it gives a sense of control,” Sagrestano said.

Because people in Southern Illinois were unable to directly help, giving blood was the next best thing.

“You can’t control the big picture, but you can control a tiny little part,” Sagrestano said. “Giving blood is interesting because it can meet both of those goals – you’re both helping yourself and helping others.”

Stephanie Earley, a junior in early childhood development from Girard, Ill., said she gave blood following Sept. 11 for precisely these reasons.

“I felt like all those people were suffering – the small amount of blood I could give was almost nothing compared to what they were going through,” Earley said. “I just wanted to help out.”

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Earley said on the morning of Sept. 11 she awoke to a vision of the second airplane crashing into the south tower instead of the Morning Show. Skipping class, Earley and most of America opted to sit in front of the television, unable to unglue their eyes from the set.

Sagrestano said the media coverage of the attacks make the events “very real” to everyone because of the extensive and in-depth stories and news casts.

She said this situation is different from past events, with 24-hour news channels making is possible for people to sit down and watch television all day long if they wanted.

“It feels much more real and more personal,” Sagrestano said.

Another factor that played on people’s reactions was the rhetoric on the news, Sagrestano said. The constant referral to the attacks as an “attack on America” and the repetition that everyone in the United States was attacked caused people to internalize the message and want to act on it.

Sagrestano also said because we are a more mobile society than in past major historical events, many people in the area are connected to the situation by friends and family in New York.

Earley has an uncle in the airline industry and an aunt that used to work at the Pentagon, so for her and numerous others, the attack hit too close to home.

As a regular blood donor, Earley said she never thought twice about giving after Sept. 11.

“I just like to help people, and there was nothing else I could do,” Earley said.