The university decided not to cancel classes Tuesday in wake of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon but encouraged teachers to discuss the event with their classes; however, some teachers still decided not to hold classes.

“We thought it’d be better for students to be in class rather than sitting in front of the television worrying about this all day,” said interim President Lou Hencken.

The administration met to discuss whether to officially cancel all classes as part of an emergency management meeting Tuesday morning. Hencken said they decided to encourage the faculty to talk about the event because it would be better for people to sit together in class and discuss what had happened.

Eastern was not alone in its decision. Illinois State University, the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University also decided to hold classes, but Western Illinois University did decide to officially cancel classes.

For some professors on campus the day was business as usual; however, some teachers opted to give students the day off.

“We made the decision to officially hold classes, but we’ll allow people to exercise their own conscience on that,” said Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs.

Richard Wandling, political science department chair, said most of the teachers in his department canceled their classes.

“Faculty have been very distracted and upset and likewise with students,” he said. “My advice to faculty is to make that decision based on individual judgment.”

Steven Roper, political science professor, made the decision not to teach Tuesday for personal reasons.

Roper moved from New York where he taught at another university a block from the World Trade Center just a year ago. He was on the phone most of the day.

“For me, I still can’t believe the towers are gone,” he said.

“I canceled class because I think a number of students were upset, and I was very upset myself,” he said. “I did not think I could conduct class.”

Anita Shelton, history professor, said most history classes did take place, but some were canceled.

She said some professors took the opportunity to discuss the event with their classes, but for some, the subject was so far removed from what was being discussed in class that teachers canceled class out of respect.

Shelton said she understood the reasons for teachers not holding class.

At least three department chairs said that to their knowledge no classes in their departments were canceled.

Loretta Prater, family and consumer sciences chair, said none of the teachers in her department talked to her about canceling classes, which also supports her feelings on canceling classes because of the event.

“The university has said classes are not canceled, so that is my stance too,” Prater said.

Stephen Canfield, foreign languages department chair, said he did not hear of any classes that were canceled in the foreign languages department, and he did not cancel his classes, but he was not against teachers canceling classes.

“As far as I am concerned, if teachers felt they needed to cancel class, it would be at their discretion,” Canfield said.

Carol Helwig, early childhood chair, elementary and middle level education, did not believe any classes were canceled either.

“I think that in our case, this is a wonderful opportunity for our faculty to discuss what they would do if a crisis happened in their classroom,” Helwig said.

She said she remembered when John F. Kennedy was shot. She was teaching then, and she said it helped to be able to talk to her students.

Linda Weinland Loy, social sciences professor in the early childhood, elementary and middle level education department, let her class out early but used this tragedy as a means of discussion and as a class project.

One project her class is assigned is a news project. Normally she gives her students a choice for their topics, but she decided to let class out early. Her students are supposed to watch TV and listen to the radio and/or read the newspapers and magazines later and compare the news media while paying attention to rumors and facts.

“Unfortunately, this tragedy is exactly the point I wanted to make,” Loy said. “We need to be critical thinkers.”

She also remembers when Kennedy was shot and when the Challenger crashed and how upset people were.

“With social sciences, the news and current events is such an important part of what we’re doing,” she said.

Another teacher did cancel class Tuesday but not for the reason many people might have expected.

Belinda Mueller, political science professor, said, “I know a lot of people have been doing that (canceling classes because of the attack), but I actually have a baby at home with an ear infection.”