Since last night, College Green has become the central forum for the Penn community to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Members of the College Republicans, joined by other student volunteers, planted 2,977 flags out on College Green last night - one for each life lost in the attacks.
Later today, at 9:11 p.m., there will be a vigil held on the Green featuring a moment of silence, College senior Robby Rothrock's singing of the National Anthem and a speech by College junior and volunteer fireman Josh Roberts.
"I don't think anything I can say would do justice to the 343 firefighters that died," Roberts said.
Roberts, a transfer student, approached the College Republicans with an offer to speak since he personally knew of firefighters involved in the attacks.
He joined his hometown branch, New York's Suffren Fire Department, four years after the 2001 attacks.
Roberts said his inspirations for volunteering were the personal stories of those in his small community that had served and died.
"I'm going to do the best I can in terms of memorializing all the victims," he said.
"It's been six years, and a lot of people just forget," College Republicans Vice-Chairwoman and College senior Abigail Huntsman said. "This will be a great reminder of the heroes of that day and the lives lost."
Help financing the flags memorial was provided by the Young America Foundation's "9/11: Never Forget Project," a project started in 2003 that brings 9/11 memorial services to college campuses.
The flags will remain on College Green throughout the day.
College Republicans said they wanted to emphasize that the event was non-partisan.
"It's not just for conservative people or Republicans," Wharton senior and College Republicans chairman Jack Abraham said. "It's not a political event."
College sophomore and College Republicans president Zac Byer said he expected students to show up to the vigil, regardless of the student group that was organizing it.
"There are very few days that can bring both groups and both ideals together, but Sept. 11 is one of them," Byer said.
