ASHLAND — Hannah Miller has no memories of 9/11.
In fact, the Ashland University sophomore’s parents had not even met yet.
“I know of 9/11 through their (parents’) memories, through their stories and stories of my teachers,” said Miller, also an Ashland High School grad.
A chance to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania shook Miller, she said. It was a moving experience that deeply displayed how much meaning the tragic day has for many people.
“I was there with a whole bunch of people who lived it,” Miller said. “You could visibly see how much it meant to them.”
A visual indicator of the magnitude of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City is something that creates a powerful pause and cause for reflection.
The Ashland University College Republicans organized such a memorial this week outside the Hawkins-Conrad Student Center along Claremont Avenue and King Road.
Since Wednesday, American flags have been planted in the grass outside the student center for each victim of the attacks — all 2,977.
“Every single one of these flags is someone who died,” said Miller, vice president of AU College Republicans. “It’s crazy that in a single day, a single morning, how much it changed our entire nation.”
The flags will be on display through at least Saturday for anyone who would like to visit.
AU junior John Keim, president of AU College Republicans, said this isn’t the first year for this style of memorial — but it’s the first time it’s been organized to this scale.
“We wanted to make it represent the actual number of folks who were victims of 9/11,” Keim said, adding the group plans to make this an ongoing tradition.
Sept. 11, 2001 was a tragic, unifying day for America
Similar to Miller, Keim was also not alive in 2001.
Born in 2005, he said the purpose behind the memorial is for students to remember what happened that day.
“While it was a tragic event, it was also a unifying event because I don’t think the United States has been that unified in a very long time,” Keim said. “Regardless of differences, the United States came together, Americans came together and this is also to show that unity as well.”
The opportunity to plant a flag has been open to AU students, staff and faculty members, as well as any community members.
Keim said the memorial is a good representation that 9/11 still carries a deep significance, even among those who were not alive when it happened.
“It’s a good reminder for community members that we still care and we recognize what has happened,” he said.
Below are photos of the 9/11 memorial on the campus of Ashland University, taken Thursday morning. (Credit: Hayden Gray) The story continues below.
Memorial helps bring people together
The memorial has also created good conversations among students and community members, Keim said.
Miller agreed.
She said she had at least 10 different community members approach her Thursday to plant flags or start conversations.
“We aren’t out here to do this as a political statement. We aren’t doing this because we’re Republicans,” Miller said. “We are doing this because we’re Americans.
“We want everyone to come. We’ve had Republicans and Democrats and people of all different races, gender, creeds and ideologies and the majority are so willing to come and plant flags and still show their respect for 9/11 even though we may disagree on things.”
Many things continue to divide Americans today, Keim said, but an event such as the flag planting memorial creates a space for everyone to come together.
“A visual reminder like this brings us together as communities, as a state and a country,” he said.
Below are more photos of the 9/11 memorial at Ashland University. (Credit: Hayden Gray)
