Some heard it, some even felt it, but in one way or another students at The New School were quickly affected. While experiences and responses of the bombing varied some were left frightened and others simply continued on with their lives.
On Saturday night around 8:30 p.m. an explosion occurred on West 23rd Street in between Sixth and Seventh avenues, just a little more than a mile away from The New School’s University Center and only a few blocks from the 20th Street residence hall where about 200 New School students reside.
“Every single time that I witness an attack is just from the T.V. so experiencing it somewhat in first person, you know, being so close to it, it was like I didn’t honestly know what to do. should I hide? Should I stay in my room? Should I go out?” said Mannes student Vincent Kiray, 19.
As it was unclear at first whether the act was a form of terrorism, it still put New York City on high alert when—minutes later—a second bomb was found on 27th street.
Staying alert and aware of the situation Kevin Quiles—a 20th Street resident—found himself in the hall’s lounge area that night watching CNN to tune into what was really going on just a few blocks down from where he lives.
“My headphones were in at the time so I didn’t hear [the explosion], but my roommate did,” Quiles said.
Quiles was first informed of the explosion by a text message from his roommate letting him know what happened and asking if he was OK. Immediately, he began to do his own research on the internet and called his family to assure them he was safe at home as the news was spreading quickly.
Quiles thought about his friend Maria Del Mar Hernandez who was working at Parson’s that night.
“I sent [Maria] a message saying you need to talk to your mom, she’s going to freak out,” said Quiles.
With a high percentage of students from out of state and out of the country, New School parents were also highly concerned about the event. Curious to know where their child was immediately, if they were okay, how close they were to it, then insisting they stay home.
“When I told [my mom] she started watching the news and giving me updates like every hour,” Hernandez said. “She even told me, ‘Don’t you dare go out right now or tomorrow.’”
Hernandez recalled walking down West 23rd Street the day before Saturday when the incident occurred.
“It made me a little nervous, just thinking that I sometimes take that path,” Hernandez said.
Some students, however, weren’t feeling as wary. Parson’s student Emma Wernsdorfer decided to go out with some friends after she heard about the explosion.
“In a way it didn’t directly affect me,” Wernsdorfer said. “I have this weird thing where if it’s not right in front of me I don’t feel anything.”
It wasn’t until Wernsdorfer’s mother and sister called from back home in Colorado to check on her that she started to feel a bit uneasy about the bombing.
“For me the fact that [my family] called meant that they had heard about it almost instantaneously,” Wernsdorfer said. “They’re so far away that it had to have been a big deal.”
Nonetheless, Wernsdorfer and her friends still ventured to Brooklyn for the night. While on her way out, Wernsdorfer recalled seeing four police officers in the same car who were overseeing and monitoring all action.
“We’re kind of escaping, and this is kind of thrilling,” Wernsdorfer said. “I felt safer that we were leaving.”
Throughout the weekend the street remained closed for investigation, and on Monday morning iPhones buzzed throughout the city with the alert reading: “WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-year-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen.”
Soon after the alert was sent out police captured Rahami in a shootout in Linden, New Jersey, and are now hoping to find out more about his motives and affiliations.
New Yorkers and New School students continued on with their everyday life, remaining a bit uneasy when thinking back to Saturday’s unexpected explosion.
“Chelsea as an area, is so random. It just felt so random that I am living in an area where things like this were happening,” Wernsdorfer said.
