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Syracuse University will hold its 34th annual Remembrance Week from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21. The program aims to raise awareness about terrorism and urge the SU community to remember the victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, with a motto of “Look Back, Act Forward.”

Every day of the week will include different ceremonies and projects commemorating the victims, in addition to weeklong displays around campus. The events are organized by Remembrance Scholars – a group of 35 SU seniors that are awarded scholarships to represent the victims and “act forward” in their memory.

The Remembrance program faced controversy last year after antisemitic language and a swastika was found in the Pan Am 103 archives of Eric and Jason Coker, twin brothers who were killed in the bombing and had been represented through the scholarship.

The Cokers will not be included in this year’s Remembrance Week events or be represented by individual Remembrance Scholars. Instead, two Scholars will represent the other travelers on the plane and the flight crew.

Here’s a list of this year’s upcoming Remembrance Week events.

Sunday, Oct. 15:

At 6 p.m, there will be a Candlelight Vigil at the Place of Remembrance in front of the Hall of Languages. Remembrance Scholars will present a reading of all the victims’ names at the vigil.

Monday, Oct. 16:

From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Remembrance Scholars will host Remembrance Stone Painting on the Shaw Quadrangle. Remembrance Scholars will invite the campus community to paint stones with them on the Quad, which will be used in the Rose-Laying ceremony on Friday to acknowledge Jewish mourning tradition.

Wednesday, Oct. 18:

Remembrance Scholars will participate in Sitting in Solidarity at 9:15 a.m. on the Quad. Following a toll of the Crouse College chimes, Remembrance Scholars will sit in the chairs representing the victims of PanAm Flight 103 for 35 minutes.

At 7 p.m. there will be a screening of “Seat 20D,” a documentary that tells the story of the “Dark Elegy” memorial constructed by Suse Lowenstein, mother of Alexander Lowenstein, a victim of the bombing. A Filmmaker Q&A will follow the screening.

Thursday, Oct. 19:

A Celebration of Life will take place at 8 p.m. in Gifford Auditorium. The ceremony will include performances of song, dance and spoken word in celebration of the bombing victims’ lives.

Friday, Oct. 20:

The Rose-Laying Ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. at the Place of Remembrance. At 3 p.m. there will be the Remembrance Scholar Convocation at Hendricks Chapel. At 4:30 p.m. there will be the Convocation Reception in the Shaffer Atrium in front of the SU Art Museum.

All week:

Throughout the week, community members can visit the Empty Chairs Display that will be present on the Quad. Other weeklong displays include window paintings in the Schine Student Center, flags on the hill between Schine and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and chalk drawings on the Quad pathways.

Published on October 8, 2023 at 10:37 pm

Contact Roxanne: rmboychu@syr.edu