I was taking a business law test on the night of the drawing, and we were all distracted and wanting wanting to finish and go to a T.V. where the lottery was playing. We could actually hear cheers and groans from a group watching from down the hall. For many of us, our destiny was being choosen for us, and we could not be present.
When the test was over, I remember trying to find out if my birthday had been picked, and no one being able to confirm it. I rushed home to find that my roommate was number 16, and he already had a plan to drop out of school and enlist before the onslaught of lottery draftees took place. He wanted to have a chance to possibly choose his vocation in the service.
It is difficult to explain to younger generations exactly the impact of that night for so many of us. In a few hours, a lot of lives were changed.