Thousands of American flags, hundreds of students, dozens of prayers and several student organizations marked the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in Athens.
The day’s events included a flag display, wreath-laying ceremony, prayer service and peace walk to engage students, faculty, staff and Athens residents on the anniversary of the attacks.
Ohio University Student Senate, College Republicans and College Democrats worked together to set up and display 3,000 miniature American flags on College Green. The flags represented the 2,977 people who died in the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the first responders and people injured in the attacks.
“We’re a big university, and we realized that even if this event is small, we needed to do something for the 10-year anniversary,” said Taylor Abbott, state and federal affairs commissioner for Student Senate. “I know a student whose uncle didn’t make it out of the towers, but her dad did. I thought, ‘We’ve got to do something.’ I felt strongly about that.”
The flag display has been coordinated by College Republicans nationwide since 2002, and OU’s chapter has participated each year since then. However, for the first time this year, OU’s College Democrats participated in the event.
“We figured on the 10th anniversary, we needed to put politics aside,” said Nick Tuell, president of the College Democrats. “This brought a lot of our members together today, just by doing this small thing.”
“No matter your political views, 9/11 is an American thing, not a Democrat or Republican thing. We were honored to be a part of it this year.”
The groups set up the flags on College Green Saturday night, and several members stayed at the display, which was lit up with luminaries, all night as students, faculty and residents passed by.
“It’s been really great,” said Allison Arnold, College Republicans communications chair and an OU student trustee. “We’ve had students stop by, community members. It was really cool to talk with some of the young kids. I was 10 when (9/11) happened, and there was a little girl here who was 10, so we were able to make that connection.”
At noon yesterday, senate members and representatives from the College Republicans and Democrats held a wreath-laying ceremony. They set up three wreaths next to the flag display to represent the twin towers, the Pentagon and Flight 93, which crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa.
Abbott; Tuell; College Republicans President Ryan Dilworth; Mary Kate Gallagher, senate’s city and county affairs commissioner; and Ed Gaither, senate’s non-traditional student affairs delegate to senate’s Minority Affairs Commission, participated in the wreath-laying ceremony.
Gaither is a senior studying specialized studies and became a firefighter soon after the 9/11 attacks. His father was a firefighter during the time of the attacks and faced the possibility of being called to New York City.
“And even though I wasn’t a firefighter when the incident happened, I still feel connected,” Gaither said. “It alters your outlook and really draws you closer to people who understand that.”
After the wreath-laying ceremony, there was a prayer service at St. Paul’s Catholic Church yesterday afternoon.
Students, faculty and Athens residents were invited to the service for prayer and quiet reflection.
Greg Kremer, a leader at St. Paul’s and a mechanical engineering professor, said he thought the service was more about forgiveness than healing.
Karen Vedder, the wife of OU economics Professor Richard Vedder, recalled the atmosphere of 9/11.
“I think it was one of those days when the world stood still, like when Kennedy was assassinated,” she said. “Strangers spoke to each other. There was a calm atmosphere of disbelief. Who did this? Why?”
The 10th anniversary concluded with an interfaith peace walk sponsored by United Campus Ministries.
About 400 people participated in the walk, which began at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd on University Terrace and ended at the Islamic Center on Stewart Street.
“(The walk’s purpose) was to offer a new image of religious diversity,” said UCM Spiritual Leader Evan Young. “(It’s) not a problem to be solved or something to be feared, but rather something to be celebrated. … In this vision of diversity that we have created, there is healing for each of us as individuals and as a community.”
— Lucas Daprile and Phil Morehead contributed to this article.
rm279109@ohiou.edu
