UW-Madison Christian student organization Student Impact presented a survivor of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks Tuesday to a packed Memorial Union Theater.
Just married, Sujo John moved from Calcutta, India to New York in 2001 with his wife and $50 to his name. They both acquired jobs in the World Trade Center, as John worked on the 81st floor of the North Tower and his wife on the 71st floor of the South.
After spending a few moments reflecting on his life, including the expectance of his first child, John went to his fax machine and suddenly heard an overwhelmingly loud crash. This was the sound of the first plane colliding with the North Tower.
Finding his way down a stairwell with fellow co-workers while desperately trying to reach his wife, John encountered policemen and fireman rushing the opposite way.
""We had no idea that these brave men were the real heroes going up to their death,"" John said.
Escaping the tower about an hour later, John made numerous attempts to make his way toward the South Tower in search of his wife. Almost killed by falling debris, he paused numerous times to pray with co-workers, family members of WTC workers and even a New York City FBI agent—the only FBI agent that died in the attacks.
""When death comes knocking at your door, it will not matter where you lived, all of the things you had will not matter,"" John said.
Later that afternoon, John and his wife were finally reunited. Today, John is a full-time minister and spends much of his time raising his son and daughter with his wife.
""I think as time has progressed and the war in Iraq has happened, that some people have kind of forgotten about the national unity after that event that has been lost to some degree,"" UW-Madison freshman J.P. Geygan said at the event.
""I guess from the flyers and stuff I didn't know it was going to be such a religious thing toward the end,"" UW-Madison freshman Danielle Arndt said after John closed the speech with extensive religious commentary and a prayer. ""But it was good to hear his story.""
