Durham College’s (DC) Remembrance Day Ceremony brought together past and present students to honour those who have served in wars.
The ceremony, hosted by the Durham College Student Association (DCSA), took place on Nov. 11 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.
Richard O’Connor was one of the speakers. He served as a United Nations peacekeeper for Namibia, southwest Africa and Yugoslavia.
O’Connor is also an alumnus from DC. He graduated from the advanced computer technologies program with a 4.27 GPA.
Today, he wears a camouflage uniform for the special forces unit. On the shoulder of his coat there’s a badge with a sword and wings and the words “we dare” written on it.
“It means we’re the ones that are going to dare to do what other people won’t do,” said O’Connor.
For him, Nov. 11 is a day for him to remember his two friends that lost their lives.
“By having a quorum this size, I get my message out every year to this many people and that is to remember my friends,” said O’Connor.
Current DC students also participated during the ceremony. A group of Firefighter – Pre-Service Education and Training students held the flags and assisted with the wreath laying.
Austin Vale, a first-year student, said being a participant in the ceremony was an honour.
“My family has really deep roots in the military,” he said. “Being a part of this is something that I take very close to heart.”
Ariana Whiteduck also participated and said it was a great experience for her.
“It’s just such an honour to be a part of it and be able to hold that flag,” Whiteduck said.
Charles Wilson, the senior operations manager at the DCSA, worked on planning the ceremony. It took around two weeks to prepare including briefing the new generation of students who had roles within the ceremony.
Wilson’s grandfather fought in both World Wars so the ceremony meant a lot to him.
“It recognizes people who have spent their lives for us,” he said.
By having the DCSA hold a ceremony for Remembrance Day, he hopes people can leave feeling grateful.
“Despite the flaws with our world today, we live in peace,” he said.
As the ceremony came to a close, Wilson encouraged people to reflect on the those who fought for our freedom.