Utah State’s College Republicans arranged a unique display on campus Tuesday memorializing September 11th. 2,977 miniature flags were clustered neatly in the grass on Tuesday as a tribute to each victim of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
USU College Republicans president Casey Saxton says it’s as important as ever to remember the events of that day.
"It's getting to the point where a lot of the younger generation won't really remember what happened on that day. That's also a reason why we do it: to force students to remember and to learn about what happened that day. It's a huge event in our nation's history."
Even in Utah, students have been personally affected by 9/11. For Marine Reserve Daniel Hoffman, 9/11 may have altered the course of his life.
"September 11th is part of what influenced my decision to join the military. I joined up, actually, on the ninth anniversary of September 11th, so two years ago today."
USU sophomore Laura Petersen took time to stop and quietly pray at the memorial. Her friend’s mother perished in the attacks.
"She was pretty high up, and they just couldn't get to her in time. So, I was just taking a moment to remember her."
Petersen was only in grade school when the attacks occurred, so it was difficult for her to cope with the trauma.
"For a really long time, I was really paranoid about everything. And it's taken awhile. But... Yeah, I just think it's good to remember things like this.
Petersen, though, was touched by the memorial.
"I think that if we don't remember things like this, we won't ever learn about what an impact we have on each other."