The sun had just crested over Campus Lake by the time Collin Rice’s friends gathered for a vigil behind Bowyer Hall. Rice died in a motorcycle crash last week on Oct. 11.
On Oct. 21st, mourners lit tea candles, fished and told stories about their friend under the light of the lake fountain.
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Rice was set to graduate in December as senior in Aviation Management at SIU. He was a member of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals. He enjoyed fishing, bowling, and playing pool with his friends.
Those gathered at the memorial said he left quite the impact on many people during his time as a student in Carbondale, and that he was a light to his friends and community, always ensuring that no one was left out.
Liam Dunn, Rice’s close friend, said that they had met each other at Neely Hall during the first few weeks of school, and that was one of his favorite memories of Rice.
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“I went onto his floor (at Neely Hall)… a few other floormates were there and we were just hanging out. We just chatted for a few hours in the hallway,” Dunn said.
Some students, when asked by an associate professor of Aviation Management, Matthew Romano, offered some kind written words about Rice.
“He never met a stranger,” OBAP member, Bisola Saliu, wrote, “…always welcoming everyone with that unforgettable smile and open heart. His kindness and energy left a mark on everyone who knew him.”
Not only was Rice a positive force, he was always himself, friends said.
“Collin always stood out in a crowd,” Rice’s friend and fellow Aviation student, Jerome Johnson, said. “We’d joke with him that he had an ‘old soul’ and would always count on him to outdress others.”
“You (Rice) spoke your mind, stood your ground and were always yourself,” fellow OBAP member Barakat Adeniji wrote to Romano about Rice, “You always lived life fearlessly and to the fullest.”
Tyler Hill, the other motorcyclist involved in the crash, was in attendance. He was one of Rice’s friends, and declined to comment.
Staff Reporter Orion Wolf can be reached at [email protected] or orionwolf6 on Instagram
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