Nearly 3,000 flags lined the academic quad at Elizabethtown College last Monday in a tribute to the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. A group of roughly ten students from the College Republicans worked to place the flags, one by one, around the quad on Sunday evening, after the club coordinated with facilities and the Office of Student Affairs to ensure a smooth placement process.
“Most college students today were not alive when 9/11 occurred, and if they were, they were not old enough to remember it,” College Republicans President Timothy Mackall ‘25 said. . “Wrapped up in 9/11 is so much pain, grief and darkness but also hope and honor. We owe it to ourselves and those we lost to never forget.”
This is the second consecutive year the club has worked to place the flags. Last year, the College Republicans re-formed, and one of their first acts was placing the flags.
The College did not pursue any other tribute event to the victims of 9/11 besides the College Republicans’ event.
“I think the visual conception of all the people who died because of pure evil is something every person should have to experience,” Mackall said. “I also think it means something so much more to our campus community when it’s a tribute done by students and not just by the College.”
The students took more than two hours out of their Sunday evening to place the flags. Junior occupational therapy major Elizabeth Petlick said the event was more than worth it.
“I felt compelled to participate to honor not only those who lost their lives, but also the loved ones of these individuals and the first responders who worked tirelessly on the scene of the attack,” Petlick said.
Every student who attended class on Monday got the chance to view the tribute and think of the lives lost, which was the club’s goal. The flags filled the green space between the Baugher Student Center/Thompson Gymnasium complex and the academic buildings, where students frequent during the day.
The College Republicans host regular meetings once a month. They typically host speakers and discuss relevant political topics, but Mackall said the club is more than just a political club.
“The College Republicans will always look for ways to serve our campus community, and this is one of those ways,” Mackall said. “If you want to get involved, reach out to us. You don’t have to be political to join.”
To get involved in the College Republicans, email the club at collegerepublicans@etown.edu.
