Look Back, Act Forward
Each year in the fall, Syracuse University observes Remembrance Week. Events are designed by the Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars, whose goal is to raise campus and community awareness of terrorism and to encourage the entire Syracuse University community to remember the victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing by becoming involved and working to positively impact others.
As our campus and community looks back on a senseless tragedy, we find comfort and meaning in remembering the lives and passions of those who lost their lives on December 21, 1988 and especially in acting – on their behalf – to make the communities we live in better. All activities are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.
For information about past Remembrance Week events, please contact the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives.
Remembrance Week
October 20-26, 2024
All Week
Remembrance Quilt Display, Hendricks Chapel – The Syracuse University Remembrance Quilt will be on display in Hendricks Chapel throughout Remembrance Week. The quilt was created by the 1998-99 Remembrance Scholars, members of the Hendricks Chapel Quilters, and many other contributors to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The stories of the SU students are told through the design of each quilt block. Each element included in the blocks has symbolic significance.
35 Empty Seats Display, Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle – The 35 Empty Seats are the visual representation of the 270 individuals, including 35 Syracuse University study abroad students, killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The installation is meant to serve as a reminder of how a loss in the past can inspire positive actions in the present.
Flag Display, Grassy knoll between Newhouse and Schine Student Center – Blue and white flags, one for each of the Pan Am 103 victims, will be on display in the area between the Newhouse School and Schine Student Center.
The Hall of Languages, Hendricks Chapel and the JMA Wireless Dome will be lit in blue in honor of Remembrance Week.
Sunday, Oct. 20
Malmgren Concert Series, Hendricks Chapel, 4 p.m. – “Each Moment Radiant: Music of Johannes Brahms and Kurt Erickson,” commemorating the Pan Am Flight 103 Disaster. Additional information and RSVP details are available at this link. For questions about the Malmgren Concert Series, please contact Hendricks Chapel at 315.443.2901 or chapel@syr.edu.
Syracuse Symposium, National Veterans Resource Center, 5:30-7 p.m. – “Healing Trauma through Poetry and Music,” discussion and reception. Additional information and RSVP details are available at this link. For questions about the Syracuse Symposium, please contact the Syracuse University Humanities Center at 315.443.7192 or humcenter@syr.edu.
Candlelight Vigil, Place of Remembrance, 7-8 p.m. – The Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will begin Remembrance Week activities with a Candlelight Vigil.
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Sitting in Solidarity, Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle, 2-2:35p.m. – The Remembrance Scholars will sit in the 35 empty chairs on the Quad for 35 minutes.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Act Forward Symposium, Huntington Beard Crouse Hall, Gifford Auditorium Atrium, 7-8 p.m. – The Remembrance Scholars will present posters that share their plans to “act forward” through outreach, research, education and creative projects designed to benefit the community.
A Celebration of Life, Huntington Beard Crouse Hall, Gifford Auditorium, 8-9 p.m. – An evening of music, poetry, art, dancing and more to honor the victims of Pan Am 103 and to celebrate life alongside the victims’ families and the current scholars.
Friday, Oct. 25
“In the Aftermath: Documenting and Researching Victim Support Groups,” Bird Library, Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Room 114), and Zoom (registration required), 10-11 a.m. – A panel discussion focusing on the collection, preservation and use of these important records of the aftermath of tragedies and disasters. Additional details and registration for virtual participants are available at this link. Communication Access Realtime Translation will be provided. For questions about the panel, please contact the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center via Max Wagh at mlwagh@syr.edu.
Rose-Laying Ceremony, Place of Remembrance, 2-2:45 p.m. – The 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar and Lockerbie Scholar cohort will honor the victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, which claimed the lives of 35 students studying abroad with Syracuse University on Dec. 21, 1988. This year marks the 36th anniversary of the bombing. Scholars will lay roses and stones at the memorial wall at the Place of Remembrance, in front of the Hall of Languages.
Remembrance Scholar Convocation, Hendricks Chapel, 3-4 p.m. – The 2024-25 Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will be honored for their achievements during this ceremony, which also marks the 36th anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Pen-and-ink drawings of the Syracuse University study abroad student victims will be on display in the chapel. A reception in the Strasser Legacy Room, 220 Eggers Hall, will be held immediately following the ceremony.
The Rose-Laying Ceremony and Remembrance Scholar Convocation will be livestreamed.
Unless otherwise noted, questions about Remembrance Week events can be directed to Radell Roberts at 315.443.0221 or remember@syr.edu.