Winthrop students donned red paint on their hands to help craft Alpha Delta Pi’s American flag in remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Peyton Diggs is the junior Panhellenic delegate for Alpha Delta Pi, and she contributed to the organization’s event on Tuesday.
“We thought it would be a good idea … to have all the students have a moment to stop and think about what happened on this day to our country 17 years ago,” said Diggs.
Alpha Delta Pi said that they had initially planned to run the event until 1 p.m., but the flag was completed before noon. They started this event last year, and Diggs said that this could become an annual event.
“I wasn’t expecting this many people to have so much interest,” Diggs said. “People seem to be enjoying it, and it’s a nice way of remembering 9/11.”
Brandon Dill, a senior computer information systems major, said he appreciated the event. Dill said this is his seventeenth year participating in the 9/11 remembrance, because of family ties to the event.
“I have family in Brooklyn. When this happened, my uncle worked three buildings away from where the terrorist attacks happened. It’s good to reflect and understand our history and also reflect on the lives lost,” Dill said.
Winthrop played “Taps” and “God Bless America” on the Tillman Hall chimes at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11 “to coincide with the first aircraft striking the North Tower of the World Trade Center,” President Daniel Mahony said in an email sent to faculty and staff.
“To remember those who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and those who put their lives in peril to serve others… I hope you will take a moment to reflect on the impact of that day on our nation,” Mahony said in the email.
On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four US commercial airplanes. Two of them crashed into the North and South World Trade Center towers, and another crashed into the Pentagon.
One plane was aimed at Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania “after the passengers and crew attempted to retake control of the flight deck,” according to CNN.
“A total of 2,977 people were killed in New York City, Washington, DC and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” according to CNN.
Both the north and south towers completely collapsed within 102 minutes. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the incidents.
Alpha Delta Pi said that they hope this project and event will help students remember what happened on Sept. 11 and pay their respects to the fallen men and women.
