April 21, 2005

Golden Taps ceremony to honor 6 Purdue students

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Six Purdue students who have died since Oct. 25 will be remembered on Monday (April 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 Garrett John Williams, a senior in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics from Downers Grove, Ill.; Muhammad Y. Bengali, a junior in the College of Agriculture from Diamond Bar, Calif.; Faizan Karim Sewani, a junior in the College of Science from Carrollton, Texas; Shane Matthew Partin, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts from Mooreland, Ind.; Konstantine E. Aliferakis, a freshman in the College of Engineering from Crown Point, Ind.; and Frank James Nuzzo, a freshman in the Undergraduate Studies Program from South Barrington, Ill.

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.

"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," Hawkins said. "Ceremonies like this remind us that we all are connected in some way. These students always will be a part of Purdue University."

Drummers and buglers from Purdue University Bands will set the tone for the event by proceeding from the Elliott 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.

Students from Purdue Musical Organizations 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: Aaron Martin, (765) 496-3133, martinac@purdue.edu

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

Betsy Smithka, associate dean of students, (765) 494-8698, ejsmithka@purdue.edu

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

Note to Journalists: Media can make arrangements to attend the event by contacting Betsy Smithka, associate dean of students, at (765) 494-8698, ejsmithka@purdue.edu.

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