At 2:03 p.m. on Friday, the wind whistled through trees near the Hall of Languages, under a bright, clear sky, as the Syracuse University community came together to honor 35 students killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

This year’s Remembrance Scholars, who each represent one of the SU students killed in the Dec. 21 terrorist attack, placed roses on the Wall of Remembrance as part of the annual Rose Laying Ceremony: 2:03 p.m. is the exact time Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. The students were returning from time studying in Europe.

Scholars stood in front of the Hall of Languages, in two lines, passing by dozens of people, looking solemnly forward at families of the victims.

Katie Reahl | Contributing Photographer

Two Lockerbie scholars, who traveled to the United States for the program, spoke about their town and how residents there made an impact after Pan Am Flight 103’s crash.

“When I think of Lockerbie I see the sun glistening through the trees, the gentle breeze of the crisp fresh air and green as far as I can see,” said Heather Mutch, one of the Lockerbie Scholars.

After Mutch and the other Lockerbie Scholar, Andrew Dorrance, spoke, other students approached the microphone to give brief descriptions of the victims they represented.

The majority of scholars had a difficult time reading their speeches, choking up, with tears running down their faces.

Alex Álvarez, one of this year’s Remembrance Scholars, who represented victim Alexia Tsairis, calmly dictated his speech, though.

Álvarez said Tsairis was a photographer who wanted to work with Witness for Peace, a U.S.-based activist organization, in Nicaragua. Specifically, Tsairis wanted to show the world the violent conflicts there, he said.

Jack Strong | Contributing Photographer

Jacob Gedetsis, a Remembrance Scholar and former Daily Orange editor, spoke about the victim he represented, Nicholas Vrenios.

“(Nicolas) left London with three prized possessions. A camera, a guitar and a skateboard,” Gedetsis said. “He captured the essence of life though his own photographs. His favorite expression was ‘go for it.’”

After all of the roses were placed, a bagpiper played, solemnly, as Chancellor Kent Syverud and his wife, Ruth Chen, laid flowers along the Wall of Remembrance.

Crowd members continued to shed tears. Mary Hudson, a pagan chaplain at SU, concluded the ceremony with a prayer, as people started to make their way to Hendricks Chapel for the Convocation for Remembrance Scholars.

 

Published on October 28, 2017 at 4:52 pm

Contact Shayna: sscott01@syr.edu