October 18, 2004

Five Purdue students to be recognized at Golden Taps

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –Five Purdue University students who have died since April 25 will be remembered on Monday, Oct. 25, during Golden Taps, one of the university's most solemn traditions.

The brief 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 Christopher Lynn Calow, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry from Lafayette, Ind.; Ramon E. Diaz Rios, a junior in the School of Technology from Caguas, Puerto Rico; Jeong-Won Lee, a sophomore in the School of School of Consumer and Family Sciences from Dae-jeon, South Korea; Christopher Michael Mays, a senior in the School of Technology, Division of Aviation Technology from Birdseye, Ind.; and Rebecca Joy Sholtey, a junior in the School of Nursing from Syracuse, Ind.

Hawkins said Golden Taps is a simple and elegant ceremony that provides family, friends and the Purdue community an opportunity to honor their lost loved ones.

"This is a reminder that we are all connected in some way," Hawkins said. "Golden Taps is not a ceremony of closure but one of reconnecting in a way that acknowledges the role these students had in our lives. They will always be a part of Purdue University."

Drummers and buglers from Purdue University Bands will set the tone for the event by processing from the Hall of Music 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 Purduettes will sing the "Purdue Hymn" after the playing of "Echo Taps" to 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.

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

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, news.writer@purdue.edu

Sources: L. Tony Hawkins, (765) 494-1239, lthawkins@purdue.edu

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

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