4,000 U.S. flags were placed around campus, mainly surrounding the Hawkins-Conrad Student Center, to show remembrance for the tragic events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
One of Ashland University’s many student-run organizations, the College Republicans, held the event.
The club placed hundreds of flags in the ground around the Student Center on Sept. 10.
They then set up a table with the remaining flags and handed them out to everyone passing by. Members of the club manned the table from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., making sure all interested in participating were able to.
Passersby were handed 10 free flags to place in the ground.
“We want to have all 4,000 of them up by tomorrow,” said College Republicans President, Evalienna Pryor.
According to United States FBI, the attacks killed 2,976 people and injured thousands more. Many first responders are still dealing with health effects from working in the toxic conditions of the aftermath. The U.S. Army lost 75 men and women, 400 first responders were lost including 60 law enforcement officers and nearly 3,000 children lost a parent that day. The College Republicans gathered as many flags as possible to pay tribute to the victims.
“We wanted to get as many as we could; we just tried to stock up,” explained Pryor.
By the end of the day, the student center was surrounded by a sea of red, white and blue; a perfect way to remember and honor those who lost their lives 24 years ago in the tragedies.
