thursday, jan. 30, 2025
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Truth in tragedy Remembrance Scholars dissatisfied by depiction of Pan Am Flight 103 bombing in new show
flynn ledoux illustration editor By Henry Daley
asst. news editor
I
n the aftermath of the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist bombing and his daughter Flora’s death, Dr. Jim Swire was left unsatisfied by investigators’ conclusion that Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset alMegrahi was responsible for the attack. In early January, Peacock premiered “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.” The show
examines the bombing that killed all 259 passengers on board, including 35 Syracuse University students, from Swire’s perspective. The show, based on Swire’s book “The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice,” concludes that alMegrahi was wrongfully convicted. Every year, SU celebrates the lives of the victims by naming 35 Remembrance Scholars in their honor. Many of this year’s scholars said the show felt like a misrepresentation of the tragedy and
wished it was based on other accounts of the event, as Swire has been labeled as a conspiracy theorist by the families of some victims. Sarah Trevis, “A Search for Truth’s” casting director, said the show’s writers chose to focus on Swire’s story to highlight how one voice could make a difference and to showcase his personal experience. “I like the idea of a ‘mouse who roared’ – a man who was seemingly a very ordinary citizen who then really
went above and beyond his expectation of himself to have access to world leaders,” Trevis said. She also said Swire’s story shows the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs. Natalie Dolenga, who graduated from SU in December and is a 2024-25 Remembrance Scholar, said in focusing on only Swire’s perspective, the plot ignored the experiences and suffering of other families affected by the bombing. see lockerbie page 5
on campus
Remembering President Jimmy Carter’s 1976 visit to Syracuse By Shivika Gupta asst. news editor
On a rainy, windswept October morning in 1976, Jimmy Carter, then-Democratic presidential candidate, delivered a speech outside of the Syracuse Hotel in front of 8,000 spectators. Three weeks before being elected to the oval office, he addressed the crowd and emphasized trust, economic growth and job creation. As Election Day approached, the Georgia governor used his trip
to Syracuse to connect with central New York’s blue-collar workforce and push his economic agenda. Robert J. Searing, curator of history at the Onondaga Historical Association, said Carter demonstrated his authenticity and commitment to others during the visit. “He was famously referred to as ‘Jimmy Who’ when he first started to run,” Searing said. “His unknown qualities were a real positive for him as a candidate. The way he carried
himself, his authentic persona, which wasn’t really a persona at all, it was the man himself.” Nearly half of a century after his visit, the former president died at 100 years old. In his speech, Carter addressed issues from his campaign, outlining his plans to fix the economy and rebuild the people’s trust in the United States government. He also discussed the controversial swine flu vaccine and reiterated his commitment
to calling for a freeze on American missiles and warheads. Between gusts of wind, the soonto-be president described America’s bleak economic situation, noting there were 2.5 million more unemployed Americans than a year prior, a record deficit, and ever-rising interest rates. Unlike others in Washington D.C., Carter was known for his longterm focus on allocating funds for emergency job creation in public service sectors, rather than opting
for a tax cut, which would have provided a quicker stimulus boost for the economy. He focused on prioritizing the workforce by tackling high inflation rates in the U.S. and creating more job opportunities, Searing said. Carter’s ability to resonate with people in Syracuse was crucial, as he aimed to build on the growing movement among disillusioned Rust Belt voters. see carter page 5