Years of Light: Dean's Dialogue commemorates anniversary of Oklahoma City Bombing
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu
The morning of April 19, 1995, began like any other until it did not. In an instant, downtown Oklahoma City was forever changed.
Thirty years later, the sounds of sirens have faded, the debris has been removed, buildings have been reconstructed, and the tragedy of that day has been turned into purpose.
The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building has been etched in history as a horrific tragedy that took 168 lives, including 19 children, and injured hundreds more.
Now, to honor the past and inspire the future, the Journey of Hope was designed as a reminder of one day of darkness and years of light, according to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
As part of the Journey of Hope program, staff members from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum are traveling to all 77 counties in Oklahoma.
First responders and survivors are telling the story of April 19, 1995, through innovative technology to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the bombing, said Kara Jones, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum outreach program manager.
“We want to bring the story to those who have not heard it,” Jones said. “The students currently in schools were not alive 30 years ago when the bombing happened. Therefore, most do not fully understand the deep impact it had on Oklahoma.”
The Journey of Hope program focuses on what people learned from the bombing as well as what happened and the details of that day, she said.
To tell the Journey of Hope stories authentically and genuinely, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum incorporated “First Person: Stories of Hope,” Jones added.
“We invite a first responder from the scene, survivor of the bombing or a family member of a victim to every county we travel to, specifically to the county the ‘First Person’ is from,” said Martha Beliveau, Oklahoma City National Museum & Memorial outreach program manager.
“This gives the students an opportunity to hear firsthand how the bombing affected many lives and also allows healing opportunities for them through the First Person: Stories of Hope,” Beliveau added.
The Journey of Hope program came to Oklahoma State University and the Ferguson College of Agriculture on Jan. 27, 2025.
The event was hosted by Jayson Lusk, OSU Agriculture vice president and dean, for Dean’s Dialogue, where Lusk invites special guests to address relevant topics in agriculture.
“When I realized this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, I knew I wanted to incorporate and partner with the Journey of Hope for Dean’s Dialogue,” Lusk said.
The Ferguson College of Agriculture and the people in it strive to create a welcoming, empathetic and growing place, Lusk added.
The best part about working on a college campus and with students is seeing the hope and the reason why students come to college, Lusk said. They want to gain knowledge, make connections, and expand their skills, he added.
The Journey of Hope program needed to come to campus to continue to instill hope and resilience in students, Lusk said.
“I wanted to invite Secretary Blayne Arthur to be a guest at a Dean’s Dialogue event to talk about her job as Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture,” Lusk said. “However, this was a different angle, inviting her as the First Person: Stories of Hope.”
Arthur lost her mom, Margaret “Peggy” Clark, in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
“I love the Journey of Hope,” Arthur said. “It gives students and adults across Oklahoma a chance to hear directly from someone who has been impacted by the bombing.”
Although April 19, 1995, was a life-changing day for Arthur and her family, they have held on to hope and faith to see them through the hard days, she said.
“Really bad things can happen to you in life, so you can make the decision to move forward and have a positive impact, or you can let that change your trajectory in a negative way,” Arthur said.
“On the really hard days, I think to myself, ‘How can I use this time to make a positive difference and show people in my circle of influence and my community what hope is and how we can make something positive out of tragedy,’” she added.
As Oklahoma commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, Arthur wants everyone to remember the people who responded to help on the scene and the tough days that followed.
“People responded with love and did everything they could to make a terrible situation better,” Arthur said. “So many of us have the image of the building with the smoke coming off of it in our heads when we think about the horrific day.
“I wish the image we had in our head was of everyone responding, helping, donating items, and providing time or resources,” she added.
As the Journey of Hope program travels across the state, a special seedling is being planted at each stop on the journey.
“A child tree of the Survivor Tree, which is physically on memorial grounds and survived the bombing, is being planted at each school we visit,” Beliveau said. “The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry sends a team member to lead the planting of the tree.”
From there, the FFA programs at the schools will help care for and maintain the tree, Beliveau added.
“We have the Journey of Hope program, but we thought it is important to leave behind something permanent as a reminder of hope and resilience for the students to remember for years to come,” Beliveau said.
The Journey of Hope program is possible because of ODAFF.
“The support of the Oklahoma legislature and ODAFF is unmatched,” Jones said. “Secretary Arthur and her team have played a crucial role, and we are so grateful.”
Dean's Dialogue
Hosted each semester by Ferguson College of Agriculture and Jayson Lusk, Dean’s Dialogue fosters meaningful conversation and discussion on critical topics in agriculture. Lusk became vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture in August 2023. He created Dean’s Dialogue to inform and engage the university with real-world challenges and solve these problems together while fostering collaboration and inviting special guests.
This semester, Lusk honored resilience and instilled hope by inviting the Journey of Hope to campus. The Oklahoma City bombing has a lasting impact on Oklahoma, so Lusk chose to discuss this topic with the intention to inspire hope within the students at the Ferguson College of Agriculture as they continue their college days and beyond.
Story by: Kiersten Bourquin | Cowboy Journal