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A year after Germanwings crash, a victim’s friends unite for memorial concert A year after Germanwings crash, a victim’s friends unite for memorial concert
(about 1 hour later)
Julie Kimelman sat in the Barcelona airport waiting for her flight to Philadelphia and passed the time texting with her friend Emily Selke, who was about to board Germanwings Flight 9525 to Dusseldorf. Julie Kimelman sat in the Barcelona airport waiting for her flight to Philadelphia and passed the time texting with her friend Emily Selke, who was about to board Germanwings Flight 9525 to Dusseldorf.
The two young women shared a connection through Drexel University and a love for travel and music. It was March 24, 2015, and they had spent a week together touring the Spanish city, including a scenic hike to the peak of Montserrat, where they listened to the angelic voices of a boy’s choir at the mountain-top monastery. The two young women shared a connection through Drexel University and a love of travel and music.
It was March 24, 2015, and they had spent a week together touring the Spanish city, including taking a scenic hike on Montserrat, where they listened to the angelic voices of a boys’ choir at the mountain-top monastery.
“It was breathtaking,” Kimelman said. “It was calm and beautiful.”“It was breathtaking,” Kimelman said. “It was calm and beautiful.”
They parted ways at the airport terminal. Kimelman was heading home while Selke and her mother, Yvonne, were flying to Germany to continue their European vacation and meet up with family. They parted ways at the airport terminal. Kimelman was heading home, while Selke and her mother, Yvonne, were flying to Germany to continue their European vacation and meet up with family members.
“I went to one gate and they went to theirs,” Kimelman said. Her last text to Emily read: “See you on the other side.” “I went to one gate, and they went to theirs,” Kimelman said. Her last text to Emily read: “See you on the other side.”
The mother and daughter were among the 150 passengers and crew who died when the co-pilot intentionally downed the plane in the French alps about an hour and half after it took off. There were no survivors. The mother and daughter were among the 150 passengers and crew members who died when the co-pilot intentionally crashed the plane in the French Alps about 90 minutes into the flight. There were no survivors.
[Mother, daughter from Virginia on flight that crashed in French Alps][Mother, daughter from Virginia on flight that crashed in French Alps]
The tragedy had a profound affect on Selke’s friends, who knew the 2013 Drexel alumna as an ebullient spirit with a gleaming smile. Selke, a Nokesville, Va., resident and 2010 summa cum laude graduate of Woodbridge Senior High School, had ambitions to work in the music industry, organizing concerts. The tragedy had a profound effect on Emily Selke’s friends, who knew the 2013 Drexel alumna as an ebullient spirit with a gleaming smile. Selke, a Nokesville, Va., resident and 2010 summa cum laude graduate of Woodbridge Senior High School, had ambitions of becoming an organizer of music concerts.
To commemorate the anniversary of the Selke’s death, friends have created an all-day music festival in her honor, featuring a dozen musical acts in Philadelphia, with proceeds benefiting a foundation in memory of Selke and her mother, a longtime Booz Allen Hamilton employee who performed work for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The charity will support Drexel students whose interests mirrored Selke’s. To mark the first anniversary of the Selkes’ deaths, friends have created an all-day music festival featuring a dozen musical acts in Philadelphia, with proceeds benefiting a foundation in memory of Emily Selke and her mother, a longtime employee of Booz Allen Hamilton who did contract work for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The charity will support Drexel students whose interests mirror Emily Selke’s.
The 3rd Planet festival is scheduled for Saturday at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and is named after a song by Selke’s favorite band: 3rd Planet by Modest Mouse. The 3rd Planet festival is scheduled for Saturday at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and is named after a song by Emily Selke’s favorite band, Modest Mouse.
The idea for the festival was inspired by Selke’s deep appreciation for music, said Ashley Kuhn, a college friend who bonded with Selke over their mutual love for Third Eye Blind. The idea for the festival was inspired by Emily Selke’s deep appreciation for music, said Ashley Kuhn, a college friend who bonded with Selke over their mutual love of Third Eye Blind.
“We were just fans and concert-goers first and foremost,” Kuhn said. “The feeling of seeing your favorite band play your favorite song — you don’t get that feeling anywhere else.”“We were just fans and concert-goers first and foremost,” Kuhn said. “The feeling of seeing your favorite band play your favorite song — you don’t get that feeling anywhere else.”
Kuhn said that Selke was the type of fan who would be willing to travel hours just for the opportunity to see a band play live. She said that one memory she cherishes of Selke came when the pair sat in the second row for a Third Eye Blind concert during their last year together at Drexel. The band played their 1997 hit “Graduate.” Kuhn said that Selke was the type of fan who would be willing to travel hours just for the opportunity to see a band play live. She said that one memory of Selke she cherishes is of the two friends sitting in the second row for a Third Eye Blind concert during their last year together at Drexel. The band played its 1997 hit “Graduate.”
Kuhn said that the all-day festival will serve as a moment of reflection for Selke’s friends, who have mourned her loss since last March. Kuhn said the all-day festival will serve as a time of reflection for Selke’s friends.
“I knew that this was just what Emily would have wanted because she was so passionate about live music,” Kuhn said. “I’m hoping that it’s going to be a healing thing for everyone.”“I knew that this was just what Emily would have wanted because she was so passionate about live music,” Kuhn said. “I’m hoping that it’s going to be a healing thing for everyone.”
The Germanwings crash captured international attention, an unusual tragedy that appeared to be the result of a murder-suicide. Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, a 27-year-old German, had been suicidal when he locked another pilot out of the cockpit, trapping the passengers and crew on the doomed plane as it accelerated into the side of a mountain, a “voluntary action to destroy the aircraft,” prosecutors in France said. The Germanwings crash captured international attention as an unusual tragedy that investigators concluded was a suicide by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz. Lubitz, a 27-year-old German, locked the plane’s captain out of the cockpit, trapping the passengers and crew on the doomed aircraft as it accelerated into the side of a mountain in what was a “voluntary action to destroy the aircraft,” prosecutors in France said.
[Lubitz used auto­pilot to accelerate plane into mountain, black box shows][Lubitz used auto­pilot to accelerate plane into mountain, black box shows]
Kuhn said that the purpose of the concert is to bring a positive event to Philadelphia every year to replace the void and sadness left by Selke’s death. Kimelman said that Selke “had this way of finding the positive in any situation.” Kuhn said that the purpose of the concert is to bring a positive event to Philadelphia every year to fill the void and replace the sadness created by Selke’s death. Kimelman said Selke “had this way of finding the positive in any situation.”
Xela Batchelder, one of Selke’s professors at Drexel, said last year that Selke was revered on campus. Xela Batchelder, one of Selke’s professors at Drexel, said last year that Selke was highly admired on campus.
“She was great to hang around with,” Batchelder said. “She was always happy and smiling with that wonderful grin.”“She was great to hang around with,” Batchelder said. “She was always happy and smiling with that wonderful grin.”
In a time of need, Selke was the person to call at all hours, Kimelman said: “She was one of the best friends any of us could have ever had.”In a time of need, Selke was the person to call at all hours, Kimelman said: “She was one of the best friends any of us could have ever had.”
Trevor Selke said that a music festival is the most appropriate way for people to celebrate the lives of his sister and mother, and Yvonne Selke’s niece, Julia Ciarlo Hammond, said the family is still mourning their loss. Trevor Selke said that a music festival is the most appropriate way to celebrate the lives of his sister and mother. Yvonne Selke’s niece, Julia Ciarlo Hammond, said the family is still mourning the double loss.
“Their passion and love of life, friends, family and volunteering within their communities serves as a constant example for those they left behind,” Hammond said. “Their memories will forever live in our hearts and through the actions of friends and family, their influence will continue to be felt for years to come.” “Their passion and love of life, friends, family and volunteering within their communities serves as a constant example for those they left behind,” Hammond said. “Their memories will forever live in our hearts, and through the actions of friends and family, their influence will continue to be felt for years to come.”
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