Penn State students' eyes and ears once again tuned into the big screen in the HUB-Robeson Center yesterday afternoon, a déją vu flash from two months ago. Another American Airlines plane, Flight 587, went down yesterday morning in suburban Queens, a borough of New York City, killing all 255 people on board and destroying 4 homes.

Students watched images of a familiar event in a familiar town — black smoke billowing from the airplane wreckage, New Yorkers panicking and crying and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani assuring the nation not to "jump to conclusions."

Brooklyn native and Penn State student Jacqueline Nieves (senior-political science) shared similar notions.

"We can't assume it's terrorist related because it hasn't been proven yet," Nieves said. "We need to analyze every option before we jump to conclusions."

But keeping cool is especially hard, Nieves said, because her New York roots intensify the magnitude of yet another plane crash just miles from her residence.

"It's my home. It's personal," she said. "I was trying to hold my emotions when I was watching. I thought I was fully recovered and now (fear) resurfaces again."

Nieves took a long breath then asked, "What's going to happen next?"

Speculation that yesterday's plane crash is a terrorist attack is inescapable, said Robert Bender (freshman-communications), especially after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recent forewarning of future acts of terrorism.

"A plane goes down in New York — it's hard not to think it's terrorism," Bender said.

New York's string of airplane crashes struck an inevitable cord of coincidence in many students' mindsets. Although many details of this crash had yet been released yesterday afternoon, Mike Jones (sophomore-kinesology) had his own theory.

"I think it was just a malfunction and a coincidence because it's in New York," Jones said.

Jones said he has little concern for his own safety, as does Nicole Shepard (sophomore-chemical engineering).

"I never really felt there was a threat to my safety, but you can't control other people's actions," Shepard said. "All you can do is live day by day."

The airplane crash did not affect the University Park Airport and it remained open for travel yesterday.

Floating around campus yesterday seemed to be a collective condolence for New Yorkers. Watching scenes from yesterday's crash, even more sympathy materialized from students.

"I feel really sad for all the people in New York," said Jack Perry (senior-theater). "A lot of the people lost family in the World Trade Center and to have this happen again, it's just terrible."

Sentiments also have gone online, an observation caught by Michelle Antonucci (sophomore-biology).

"Everyone commented on their (instant messenger) away messages and said their hearts went out to everyone in New York," Antonucci said.