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Three Purdue students to be recognized at Golden Taps

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Three Purdue University students who have died since January will be remembered on Monday, April 28, during Golden Taps, one of the university's most reverent traditions.

The short outdoor ceremony is set for 9:15 p.m. on the steps of Hovde Hall. Families and friends of the students, along with the general public, are invited. People planning to attend should meet at 9 p.m. in the lobby of Schleman Hall, where they will be greeted by L. Tony Hawkins, dean of students.

The students to be remembered are Mavuangi Khonde, a graduate student in the Department of Agriculture Economics from West Lafayette, Ind.; Joanna Lindsey Lowry, a junior in the School of Liberal Arts from Glen Ellyn, Ill.; and Matthew Michael Slone, a senior in the School of Materials Engineering from Westerville, Ohio.

Drummers and buglers from Purdue University Bands will set the tone for the event by processing from Schleman Hall to the ceremony site where memorial cards will list the names of students being remembered. Bells in the Purdue Bell Tower will toll once for each student being honored, followed by a few moments of silence for personal reflection. The playing of "Echo Taps" and the "Purdue Hymn" will conclude the ceremony. The Boilermaker Special, the university's official mascot, also will stand nearby in silent tribute.

Golden Taps has been a tradition on campus since 1994 and was originally held in the courtyard at Cary Quadrangle.

Richard Clark, director of residential life, says Golden Taps is a simple and elegant ceremony that provides friends, family and the Purdue community an opportunity to honor their lost loved ones.

"We recognize that these people are a part of our family," Clark says. "We hope Golden Taps provides comfort and some closure for those trying to cope with their recent loss."

After the ceremony, the Office of the Dean of Students and University Residences will hold a reception for families in the Schleman Hall lobby. Families also will receive a personalized certificate as a remembrance of the event.

CONTACT: Clark, (765) 494-1000, clarkre@purdue.edu.

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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