Friends remember Duong's life

An hour before sophomore Peter Duong’s memorial service, a group of his closest friends walked into a vacant McNutt Quad food court, filled only with chairs.

Sophomores Anand Desai, Megan Shafer and Marisa Arthur stopped, without speaking, in the back of the room where those that knew Peter paid their respects Wednesday night.

“I feel empty inside. It’s still hard to accept because it happened so fast,” Desai said about Duong, who was hit and killed by a car on Fee Lane last week. “I still feel like he is here with us actually.”

Arthur, Desai and clergy members spoke in front of students and academic officials, including the new Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith. There were about 150 people at the memorial, which included speakers and photos of Duong.

Afterwards, audience members were given a candle and a line of small flames formed along Fee Lane, leading to flowers on the sidewalk that marked the scene of Duong’s accident.

Desai recalled what the week was like after he learned of Peter’s death last Wednesday.

“First, shocking. I couldn’t feel anything,” Desai said. “I just felt numb in every part of my body. The funeral, you know seeing his body for the first time, was really difficult. And then after that, going back home – it’s back to an empty feeling.”

“I saw him that morning in my chemistry class,” he said. “I don’t think I said bye to him, not like a proper good-bye like I wish I had.”

Arthur, Duong’s roommate, described some of her best memories of him at the apartment they shared together.

“I didn’t see him Wednesday morning; I heard him,” Arthur said. “He opens and closes every cabinet door. I don’t know what he’s looking for every single morning.”

“Probably his notebooks,” Desai said, laughing.

Shafer, among other things, used to work out and take dance class with Duong.

“I remember one time last year I asked him to go swimming with me, and Peter just sat there the whole time, and it was like the fifth time he worked out that day because everyone else asked him before that,” Shafer said. “He was exhausted, but he still came with me.”

Despite Duong’s relentless commitment to his friends, he still received good grades.

Science mentee coordinator Mimi Attenoukon served as Duong’s academic adviser and had bi-weekly meetings with him, although she admits he did not need the mentoring, given his academic reputation.

“I can’t help but look at my chair where we used to just sit and talk,” Attenoukon said.
Once people returned from the candlelight vigil, Residential Programs and Services provided free food.

On crutches was sophomore Lucas King, who became friends with Duong through a French class they had freshman year.

“I’m really happy the students put the memorial together,” King said. “It’s one thing if it’s through the University, it means so much more when it’s from the students.”