By Annika Holmberg
Thirty-five empty chairs representing the 35 SU students who died in the Pan Am 103 bombing on Dec. 21, 1988, over Lockerbie, Scotland. | Annika Holmberg
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — “Look Back, Act Forward.” Since 1989, that has been the saying that inspires hundreds of Syracuse University students every year.
Oct. 20 marked the beginning of Syracuse University’s Remembrance Week. This year marks 36 years since the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, resulting in the death of 270 people, including 35 SU students.
Each year, 35 SU seniors are chosen to honor the lives of those killed, all of whom had been studying abroad in London and Florence at the time of the disaster. Over the course of the week, Remembrance Scholars participated in memorial services and activities across campus to commemorate their lives and ambitions.
The week-long exhibits include the Remembrance Quilt Display in Hendricks Chapel, created by the 1998-99 Remembrance Scholars. The 35 panels all tell the stories of each individual student and hold symbolic significance. The Empty Seats display can be found nearby on the quad, while the JMA Wireless Dome, Hall of Languages and Hendricks Chapel will be lit in blue all week.
Files of the Victims Found in the Bird Library Archives | Annika Holmberg
Remembrance Week began with a candlelight vigil at the Place of Remembrance in front of the Hall of Languages, led by Remembrance Scholars. Each of the 270 victims’ names were read aloud to those in attendance. Most of the events are an annual tradition, but this year is the first year that the scholars will participate in the Act Forward Symposium.
“It’s an opportunity for us to present research projects we’ve been working on as groups of Remembrance Scholars,” said Luke Elliott, a citizenship and civic engagement and public relations major honoring Scott Marsh Cory. “It again helps to come up with that idea of how we act positively in the aftermath of an event like this.”
One group of students is creating a documentary of the events, while another is working on refining a class curriculum dedicated to the tragedy.
“The most impactful part of remembrance week would be the Sitting in Solidarity event,” said Justine Smith, who is remembering Nichola Andreas Vrenios. “The chairs are lined up on the quad in the exact place where the students were sitting on Pan Am Flight 103.”
The display can be found in front of Hendricks Chapel, and each seat is labeled with the name and seat assignment of the SU student who sat on the plane. For 35 minutes on Wednesday, the Remembrance Scholars were found sitting quietly and reflecting.
“We sit there for 35 minutes to remember each student and it’s truly moving to imagine yourself in their shoes. Being able to put yourself where they were really shakes you and makes you recognize the reality of the event,” said Smith.
One of the biggest drivers behind the Remembrance Scholar program is preserving the memories of those who lost their lives in tragedy, and bringing awareness to the causes. Sierra Kaplan, a health and humanities and political science major, was inspired to apply after her own abroad experience.
Kaplan studied abroad in Central Europe and visited Auschwitz, which as a Jewish Polish-American was very impactful, especially seeing the book of names of all the victims of the Holocaust.
“I found my family’s name, and we didn’t know that we had victims in our family,” said Kaplan. “Their memories became forgotten with time, and I knew that through Remembrance, I could have a platform to revitalize the memory and legacy of someone else.”
270 Blue and White Flags Planted by Remembrance Scholars | Annika Holmberg
Many Remembrance Scholars grow connected to the students that they are honoring and continue their work after they graduate.
“They have gone on to become global advocates, educators, activists, government officials, scientists, entrepreneurs and entertainers all while embodying the spirit of those lost on Pan Am 103,” said Erin McLaughlin, a 2003-04 Lockerbie Scholar and a 2006-07 Remembrance Scholar. “It is clear that from disaster sprung a beautiful relationship that has shaped a number of Scholars’ lives in many ways.”