Students had the opportunity to discuss the events surrounding the World Trade Center attacks yesterday, as clubs and organizations adorned the UA Mall and Alumni Plaza to honor those who died.

The College Republicans planted 2,973 flags on Heritage Hill of the Alumni Plaza at midnight, said Michael Sistak, a political science sophomore.

“”Each flag represents a person that died or who is still missing,”” Sistak said.

The College Republicans were upset when another political club, Refuse and Resist, set up a tent directly in front of their memorial, Sistak said.

“”They have the right to be here and do that, I just don’t like it,”” Sistak said.

Zach Glover, a political science freshman, said he wished Refuse and Resist would not have done it on a day when people should be united, not protesting.

The World Can’t Wait organization, which shared a tent with Refuse and Resist, wants to drive President Bush out of office and reverse the direction he has taken the country, said Stephanie Woods, a veterinary science senior and president of Refuse and Resist.

Refuse and Resist is a UA club that harbors similar views as World Can’t Wait, with a focus on active protesting that will have a lasting impact, Woods said.

“”Terrorists didn’t kill Republicans or Democrats, they killed Americans,”” Glover said.

Michael Geary, a graduate student in art history, said he believes that the attacks were not so much a religious issue but more of a political issue.

Geary said because the United States has been manipulating the politics of other countries, it was only a matter of time before those countries struck back.

Dustin Cox, a political science junior, said he doesn’t believe the public was told the whole story and now, five years after the attacks, it is time to focus on what actually happened.

“”We owe it to everyone who died in the attack to investigate and understand what happened that day,”” Cox said.

David Gibbs, an associate professor of history, and Leila Hudson, an assistant professor of Near Eastern studies, both spoke to students in a public discussion titled “”Re-examining Sept. 11″” on the Alumni Plaza.

“”The Bush administration lied its way into war,”” Gibbs said. “”We could have had a negotiated settlement.””

Gibbs said Iraq did not want to go to war, and the Bush administration defied the U.N.’s prohibition.

Hudson said she hoped conspiracy theorists had a chance to be heard, otherwise, they have lost something important in regard to freedom of speech.

“”If we do not hear what they have to say, then we have lost the values that we’re setting out to defend,”” Hudson said.

The Chabad Jewish Student Center honored Sept. 11 victims by holding a “”good deed marathon,”” on the UA Mall.

Students had the opportunity to write a good deed they promised to perform in honor of the victims on a slip of paper that included the name and picture of an individual who died in the attacks, said Naomi Winner, who co-operates the Chabad Jewish Student Center with her husband, Rabbi Yossi Winner.

Students could pick between two good deeds that they could perform at the Chabad tent: either make peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the homeless, or make a cash donation to a Darfur, Sudan, charity.

“”We have a wall of good deeds, and we are trying to gather as many good deeds in honor of specific victims,”” Naomi Winner said.

Students in a rush could pick up a bag containing a candle and the paper slip with the victim’s information on it, then light the candle in remembrance of that person.