Remembrance Scholars honor Pan Am victims amidst COVID precautions

Thirty-five socially distanced chairs were occupied by Remembrance Scholars Tuesday afternoon in honor of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims.

From 1:25 p.m. to 2:01 p.m., the students representing lives lost on the flight 32 years ago sat in front of the Hall of Languages near the Remembrance Wall to begin Remembrance Week.

But this year the traditional events will look a bit different than in past years. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and the limiting of in-person gatherings, the annual Rose-Laying Ceremony and Remembrance Convocation have been postponed, with hopes to potentially host them in the spring semester. Instead, the Scholars will hold a virtual discussion during Orange Central on Oct. 29, as well as a virtual memorial service on Dec. 21.

Typically, the scholars sit in the chairs to represent the students’ seats on the Pan Am Flight. While the chairs will be displayed all week, the students will not be able to continue the in-person sittings due to a recent increase in coronavirus cases on campus, which caused the university to suspend many in-person activities.