This year marks the 31st anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Syracuse University remembers the lives lost that day with their annual Remembrance Week.
The 2019-2020 Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars have planned events and activities to honor the 270 people, including 35 students studying abroad through Syracuse University, who lost their lives on December 21, 1988. These events include exhibitions, panel discussions, and a candlelit vigil.
Lockerbie Scholar Gabrielle Caracciolo described what encouraged her to be a part of the program.
“My freshman year one of the remembrance scholars came into one of my classes and told us about the remembrance scholarship program and every year since I’ve seen these events on campus,” said Caracciolo.
Caracciolo says the mission of looking back and acting forward, in honor of the Lockerbie victims, making sure no one forgets is very powerful and important to help their legacies live on.
SU Lockerbie – Syracuse Scholars Liasion Kelly Homan Rodoski was a freshman at the university when the bombing happened.
“We’re sending our students today out into the world with a mission to really act forward and do what they can to make a difference in this world and make this world a better place,” she said.
Homan Rodoski included, “Last year we started this project where we created buttons for the other 235 victims. We distributed them around campus so that people could wear them and they would be represented because they are always in our memory and we always honor them and remember them.”
She is representing a crew member from the flight, Elizabeth Nichole Avoyne, who left a very young daughter behind. Rodoski will be sending the button to Avoyne’s daughter who lives in France to remind her people are thinking of her mother.
Remembrance week runs from October 20th through the 26th. Events are happening each day and for more information on what they have planned visit remembrance.syr.edu.
