The Student Government Association voted to recognize students who have died while attending IU Southeast with a moment of silence during future graduation ceremonies.
At the Nov. 11 SGA meeting, tech officer Ruben Dodge, computer science sophomore, brought the resolution to the table to find a way to honor the lives of students who have died.
The resolution proposes the announcement of the students’ names at the graduation ceremony of the year they were expected to graduate. Following the announcement of their name, a moment of silence will be held in their honor.
Dodge brought the resolution to the SGA meeting Sept. 9 to help the parents of 19-year-old Bethany Burrier, criminal justice sophomore, who died this past summer after a garbage truck hit her car from behind while she was stopped in traffic.
After the proposal to give Burrier’s parents a posthumous degree in her honor was voted down because Burrier had not completed enough credit hours, the SGA encouraged Dodge to continue finding ways to honor the lives of deceased students.
“I’m proud of Ruben for doing so much work and bringing this resolution to the meeting today,” SGA senate chair Jonathan Moody, psychology junior, said.
Several senators supported the resolution and offered other ideas to show support in a more-permanent way.
Senator Max Johnson, undecided freshman, offered the idea of a memorial garden.
“I know several students have shown interest in a community garden somewhere on campus,” Johnson said. “Maybe we can add a memorial garden where we carve their name into a tree or something — something more permanent.”
Moody said he has been an advocate for the memorial garden, and he said he is looking forward to seeing what will come of the resolution.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Moody said. “It’s not necessarily the only thing we can do by any means, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.”
Dodge said the proposal would not need to go through the IU Board of Trustees, and all they would need is for Chancellor Sandra Patterson-Randles to amend the ceremony to allow for the addition of recognizing deceased students.
Senator Jennifer Broadus, education junior, said she completely supports the resolution.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Broadus said, “and I’m glad everything worked out and we found a way to recognize students who have died.”
By AMANDA
CHIAMULERA
Staff
alchiamu@umail.iu.edu