thursday, oct. 24, 2024
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On the eve of change The last full-year Lockerbie Scholars hope to uphold the program’s legacy
By Samantha Olander senior staff writer
C
ameron Colville has wanted to be a Lockerbie Scholar since he was 10 years old. Now, as one of the final two recipients of the scholarship, achieving that dream is bittersweet. Colville and fellow scholar Anna Newbould are the last students to receive Syracuse University’s Lockerbie Scholarship before it transitions from a year-long program for two students in Syracuse to a one-week immersion trip for a group of ten. “Fourteen years later, it means a lot to feel like I can achieve something by being here and connected with the tragedy,” Colville said. “I’m not sure if the new model can be as impactful as I feel this experience has been so far.” For the residents of Lockerbie, Scotland, the scholarship shows a commitment to honor the memories of those who died in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing by forming connections between the affected communities, according to SU’s website. Colville and Newbould said the connection feels especially meaningful this year as they are the final students to experience its original structure. The Lockerbie Scholarship was established to honor the 11 Lockerbie residents who died when Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Dec. 21, 1988 due to a terrorist bombing. Since 1990, SU has selected 35 students and two Lockerbie Academy students each year to honor the 270 total victims, including 35 SU students, who died. This year will be the final selection of two Lockerbie Scholars for a year-long stay on SU’s campus. Colville and Newbould acknowledged the power of Remembrance Week, but said finding out they were the last two scholars was “a shock.” They said they’re concerned the change might limit the impact of the scholarship’s legacy. “I feel as though I’m not being given the chance to prove how meaningful and life-changing this scholarship can really be,” Newbould said. “It’s almost overshadowing (Remembrance Week) in a way that I wish it wasn’t.” A university spokesperson wrote in a Wednesday morning statement to The Daily Orange that the transition reflects changing interests and dynamics of students. see lockerbie page 7
cameron colville (left) and anna newbould (right) are SU’s last year-long Lockerbie Scholars. They hope to carry on the program’s legacy. calysta lee staff photographer
remembrance week 2024
Honoring Oswego students who died on Pan Am Flight 103 By Madeline Goodheart asst. digital editor
In 1988, Regina Trach Gallary, then a SUNY Oswego student, had her ticket booked for Pan-Am Flight 103. A change of mind only a few days prior saved her life. She originally planned to join fellow Oswego students Colleen Brunner and Lynne Hartunian on their European backpacking trip at the end of their semester abroad in London. But, realizing she wouldn’t have enough money to enjoy the trip, Gallary rescheduled her flight to December 18 — just days before
the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing on December 21, 1988. Both Brunner and Hartunian were among the 270 people killed in the terrorist bombing, including 35 Syracuse University students and 11 residents of Lockerbie, Scotland, where the plane crashed. “Their zest for life was contagious. They were so much fun to be around,” Gallary said. “You always just wanted to do whatever they were doing.” Brunner and Hartunian both majored in communication studies at Oswego. Brunner, the youngest of eight children, was originally from North Boston, New York. Hartunian,
born in Troy, was returning home to Niskayuna, New York to become a godmother to her nephew. Brunner attended Hamburg Senior High School, where she served as secretary and vice president of the student council and was a member of the varsity cheerleading squad. At Oswego, she worked in the admissions office and belonged to the Alpha Sigma Chi sorority. Her mother previously described her as having a “special gift of inner love.” Hartunian graduated from Niskayuna High School in 1985 and went to the Barbizon School of Modeling in Albany, New York. During
summer breaks, she worked at her dad’s supermarket and loved to play piano. She aspired to go into television communications or advertising. She graduated from Oswego cum laude posthumously. After the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, her high school started a scholarship awarded each year in her name. After finishing their classes in London, Brunner and Hartunian spent several weeks backpacking through Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Their friends and roommates, Janette Hausler and Kristin Usaitis, joined them on the trip. Hausler
and Usaitis were also members of Brunner’s sorority. Hausler and Usaitis had planned to spend Christmas in Europe, but Brunner and Hartunian, both familyoriented, wanted to be with their loved ones for the holiday, Hausler said. In the end, Hausler and Usaitis decided to return home for Christmas and booked their flights for Dec. 23. As the pair took a train from Germany back to London on Dec. 22, they noticed passengers unfolding their newspapers. The headlines immediately caught their attention. All of them were about Pan Am Flight 103. see oswego page 7