With school starting and student groups beginning to plan events, there is one question on the mind of every student:

Who will be the first group to paint over the American flag that has adorned The Rock for the past two weeks in tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks?

“I’m afraid to paint it,” said Speech sophomore Danielle Ongart. “I don’t want to cover that up.”

Ongart, who painted The Rock at the beginning of last year with her dorm, Communications Residential College, said CRC’s New Student Week committee, of which she’s a member, decided not to bring freshmen out to paint The Rock this year.

But she hasn’t heard any complaints from the freshmen.

“I don’t think they realize people usually do it every night,” she said. “You don’t necessarily understand the importance of it unless you see it.”

University Archivist Patrick Quinn said he’s never seen The Rock sit unconquered for as long as the two weeks it’s been since an American flag was painted on it with the inscription, “9-11-01 United we stand.”

“It’s relatively unprecedented,” Quinn said. “In the last 28 years, (The Rock) has not been left there (untouched). This is the first time that I’m aware of.”

Even student groups that normally would be advertising events at The Rock are hesitant to use NU’s best billboard.

A&O Productions Director Dean Hanlon said his group would not be painting The Rock to promote its Oct. 4 comedy show.

“It was talked about, but it was not something that we want to paint over,” said Hanlon, a Speech junior. “We want to leave it as long as it lasts. There are other ways to publicize on campus.”

But that doesn’t mean students have seen the end of Rock painting as they know it.

“At some point people will want to move on and let go,” Hanlon said.

And Ongart already has a pretty good idea of who will be the first group to pick up the paintbrushes and return to tradition.

“I think it’ll be a fraternity,” she said.