Bryan Dodd didn’t lose loved ones in the tragedies of Sept. 11.

To him, Sept. 11 was much like any ordinary day.

He remembers staying tuned to the television all day. He remembers being in language arts class when he saw the second plane crash, and he remembers going to the gas station the next day and seeing the blaring headlines across all the papers.

But the people in Dodd’s town, for the most part, went about their daily business. Dodd said the event really didn’t affect their small-town lives.

However, ever since that day, Dodd has been teased and harassed about being a terrorist.

Dodd, freshman computer engineering major, was born and raised American but is half Pakistani through blood.

Pakistan had no place in the events of Sept. 11, but Dodd said that doesn’t cease the remarks.

“People act really ignorant about the fact that Pakistan wasn’t even involved,” he said.

Very often people shout, ‘Durka,’ ‘Al-Qaida’ and ‘Jihad,’ among other stereotypical terms. Dodd said he has gotten used to the harassment.

He added he also gets searched all the time, such as at concerts.

“It is stereotyping a little bit,” he said. “But they make me feel like it (a terrorist) could be anyone.”

He said things have been better since moving to Ohio from his small town in Tennessee. Though he still receives comments weekly, Dodd handles them well. He said most of them are just jokes anymore, and he has learned to laugh them off.

He said he understands the need for the concern but feels the paranoia is a little extreme.

“I think people need to go on and live their lives,” he said. “If you worry too much all you’ve done is let them accomplish their goal.”

Contact news correspondent Tiffany Ciesicki at [email protected].