2008 Woodie Awards
Lawrence community mourns the loss of student
Amelia Perron
Issue date: 9/30/05 Section: News
The Lawrence community has been shaken by the untimely death of one of its esteemed students, Kwabena "Kobby" Buanya.
Buanya's death occurred September 8th at the Buchanan-Kiewit Recreation Center pool during a regular, supervised practice with the men's soccer team. Although the team was working in the shallow end of the pool, Buanya became separated from the group and was discovered drowned at the deep end of the pool. The preliminary autopsy found the cause of death to be accidental drowning, and findings from the subsequent police investigation are consistent with that conclusion. More testing has yet to be completed, and it may be another month or longer before more detailed information is available.
Buanya was an active and involved member of the Lawrence community. A sophomore from Ghana, he was involved not only in the men's soccer team, but was a brother of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a board member of Lawrence International, and a member of the Judicial Board. Dean of Students Nancy Truesdell says, "All the students who knew him say the same thing: that he was very friendly and always had a smile on his face." Truesdell also observed that he loved Lawrence and was happy to be here. To the seemingly few students who didn't know Buanya personally, he was recognizable as the MC and a dancer in last year's LI Cabaret, performing an intense and dramatic Ghanian "Crack Dance."
As challenging as Buanya's death has been to Lawrence students, the response of the community to the tragedy has been encouraging, says Truesdell. "I've been very impressed with the whole community's response to this tragic accident." She compares it to recent national tragedies, in terms of the ensuing unity and support, but says the difference is that "more people here are personally affected." The tragedy will "hit people at different times," Truesdell anticipates, as students return to a campus changed by its loss. Predicting students' ongoing need for emotional support, the Health and Counseling Center has been offering assistance, which a number of students have already used.
Buanya's death occurred September 8th at the Buchanan-Kiewit Recreation Center pool during a regular, supervised practice with the men's soccer team. Although the team was working in the shallow end of the pool, Buanya became separated from the group and was discovered drowned at the deep end of the pool. The preliminary autopsy found the cause of death to be accidental drowning, and findings from the subsequent police investigation are consistent with that conclusion. More testing has yet to be completed, and it may be another month or longer before more detailed information is available.
Buanya was an active and involved member of the Lawrence community. A sophomore from Ghana, he was involved not only in the men's soccer team, but was a brother of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a board member of Lawrence International, and a member of the Judicial Board. Dean of Students Nancy Truesdell says, "All the students who knew him say the same thing: that he was very friendly and always had a smile on his face." Truesdell also observed that he loved Lawrence and was happy to be here. To the seemingly few students who didn't know Buanya personally, he was recognizable as the MC and a dancer in last year's LI Cabaret, performing an intense and dramatic Ghanian "Crack Dance."
As challenging as Buanya's death has been to Lawrence students, the response of the community to the tragedy has been encouraging, says Truesdell. "I've been very impressed with the whole community's response to this tragic accident." She compares it to recent national tragedies, in terms of the ensuing unity and support, but says the difference is that "more people here are personally affected." The tragedy will "hit people at different times," Truesdell anticipates, as students return to a campus changed by its loss. Predicting students' ongoing need for emotional support, the Health and Counseling Center has been offering assistance, which a number of students have already used.