April 15, 2008

Golden Taps ceremony to honor 7 Purdue students

Families and friends of the students, along with the general public, are invited to gather at 9 p.m. in the lobby of Schleman Hall. Dean of Students L. Tony Hawkins will greet those in attendance. The group will then move to the steps of Hovde Hall for the brief outdoor ceremony.

"Golden Taps offers families, friends and fellow students a chance to remember, honor and reconnect with their loved ones," Hawkins said. "Ceremonies like Golden Taps allow us not only to express our grief, but also to remember the bright lives of fellow students that ended much too soon. These students will always be remembered as a part of Purdue University."

The students who will be remembered are Terry Glenn Barnickle, a sophomore in the Statewide Technology Program from Corydon, Ind.; Kari Ann Burnett, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts from Marion, Ind.; Andrew Timothy Jackson, a freshman in the College of Engineering from Chanhassen, Minn.; Elaine Roundtree-Love, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction from Calumet City, Ill.; Anthony C. Lupini, a freshman in the College of Engineering from Kokomo, Ind.; York Staub, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts from West Lafayette, Ind.; and James D. Thangarajan, a junior in the College of Technology from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Drummers and trumpeters from Purdue University Bands will set the tone for the event by proceeding from Elliott Hall of Music to the ceremony site, where memorial cards will list the names of the students being remembered. The Gimlet Leadership Honorary will ring a bell once for each student being honored, followed by a few moments of silence for personal reflection.

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

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.

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, SPAN Plan interim director, (765) 494-1252, lahamilton@purdue.edu

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

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