Bob Jones University will commemorate the 2,977 lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, with a display of American flags at the front of campus.
In addition, a replica of the World Trade Center Cross, one of the most recognizable symbols found in the wreckage of Ground Zero, will be featured at the Wade Hampton entrance. The original steel girder, a 17-foot-long crossbeam, became a source of hope to many in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and is currently on display in the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.
“As Christians, we are people who remember. That is one of our defining characteristics. As we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we want to remember well. For more than a decade, BJU students have planted a flag for every life lost in the attacks. Although most of our students were not yet born on that day, we honor those who died by remembering the cost of the freedoms we enjoy,” said Josiah Gearhart, BJU men’s student body president. “God has blessed us to live in a nation where a terrorist attack of this magnitude is a tragedy rather than a regular occurrence. I hope that this memorial will help our community remember the lives that were lost and reflect on God’s goodness to us.”
Each flag will represent one of the 2,977 victims—from 115 countries—who perished in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Students will begin assembling the display on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 4-5 pm, and it will remain in place through the morning of Monday, Sept. 14. The entire display will be illuminated nightly.
From Sept. 4 – 14, the public is invited to view a piece of steel girder from the North Tower of the World Trade Center in the lobby of the Welcome Center, located near the Wade Hampton Boulevard entrance to the campus. The lobby is open each weekday from 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. (M-F, except for Labor Day) and 11 a.m.– 4 p.m. on Saturday.
