Former student's story: "I asked if anyone minded that I said a quick prayer."

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Mike Clements, who graduated in 2004, was in his University of Richmond dorm room when the first plane hit the North Tower.

Clements said that after hearing about the crash, he and fellow students were unsure whether they should stay home or go to class. They also didn't realize that what they were witnessing would go down as one of the most tragic events in American history.

Clements decided to attend his 9 a.m. copy editing class with Richmond journalism professor Mike Spear. Spear already had the television on when the students were filing into the classroom, and the second plane hit shortly after.

"We were all just in complete silence," Clements said. "It's hard to find words when you're watching something like that."

Clements said that the news was going crazy, and that it was hard to tell which reports were true and what was reliable. He said nobody in class was panicking until the Pentagon was attacked. Clements said that was the moment he knew something bad was happening.

In an attempt to find solace, Clements said he decided to turn to prayer --- not just personally, but with the entire class.

"Knowing not everyone comes from a faith background, I didn't want to offend anyone," Clements said. "I asked if anyone minded that I said a quick prayer. I looked everybody in the eye, and we bowed our heads."

Spear said he would never forget the moment Clements led the class in prayer. "There was a very strong emotional feeling in the class," Spear said, "and I think a number of those students were stunned. When Mike volunteered to lead the class in prayer, I think it was a good thing just because it gave some solace to the situation."

Looking back now, Clements said he was not exactly sure what he prayed for at that moment, but he remembered asking God to bring some good out of this terrible situation.

Clements and the other students stayed in class for a couple hours to watch the live news reports, and his classes were canceled the next day. A big screen projector was set up in the dining hall, and Clements said everyone had congregated there to watch the events unfold.

"You feel helpless in that situation," Clements said. "Our parents had lived through Vietnam, but it was the first time Americans felt like we were being attacked in a very direct way. That was a big moment."

Clements went on to graduate from Richmond's T.C. Williams School of Law in 2007, and now practices financial law in Pittsburgh.

Contact staff writer Markie Martin at markie.martin@richmond.edu