October 5, 2007

Golden Taps ceremony to honor 5 Purdue students

The brief outdoor ceremony will start at 9:15 p.m. on the steps of Hovde Hall. Friends, families and the general public are invited to gather in tribute of the students. People planning to attend should meet at 9 p.m. in the lobby of Schleman Hall, where Dean of Students L. Tony Hawkins will greet them.

The students to be remembered are Dohyun Ahn, a graduate student in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering from Soonchein-Ji, South Korea; Olamide Binutu, a senior in the College of Science from Crown Point, Ind.; Quintin Callis, a sophomore in the College of Technology from Crawfordsville, Ind.; Benedict Odum, a graduate student in the Department of Food Science from Ghana; and Thomas Walls, a junior in the School of Mechanical Engineering from Evansville, Ind.

Hawkins said Golden Taps gives family, friends and the Purdue community a chance to reflect and honor the memory of their lost loved ones.

"The ceremony is not about closure but about acknowledging the role these students had in our lives," he said. "Golden Taps allows us to not only express our grief, but also to remember the bright lives of these students that ended much too soon. The students always will be a part of Purdue University."

Drummers and trumpeters from Purdue University Bands will set the tone for the event by marching from the side of Hovde Hall to the ceremony site, where memorial cards will list the names of the students being remembered. Bells will toll once for each student who is recognized, followed by a few moments of silence for personal reflection.

Following the playing of taps, the Purduettes and Black Voices of Inspiration will sing.

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

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

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

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

Lou Ann Hamilton, Office of the Dean of Students counselor, (765) 494-1252, lahamilton@purdue.edu

Kevin R. Maurer, director of residential life, (765) 494-1000, krm@purdue.edu

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

To the News Service home page