Students share fond memories of late student

In the crisp autumn air, friends and neighbors mourned Michael Yang. Wearing bright orange ribbons that friends said reminded them of his vibrant personality, over 50 people gathered on College Green last night to remember Wharton freshman Michael Yang, who was killed in a bicycle accident on campus last week. On an unseasonably warm autumn night with fallen leaves beneath their feet, friends of Yang stood by the Peace Sign next to Van Pelt Library for an informal memorial service organized by Hill College House, where Yang lived during his brief time at Penn. Stepping to the podium one at a time, Yang's classmates, Hill House friends and fellow crew team members took turns honoring the international student from Korea. The 40-minute service was videotaped, as requested by Yang's family in Cairo, Egypt. University Chaplain William Gipson, Hill House Dean Amy Pollock, Hill House Faculty Master James O'Donnell and Associate Vice Provost for University Life Juana Lewis were among the University officials present yesterday. College freshman Jackie Rogozinski, who lived in Hill House with Yang, was the first student to speak. "I know it's a real hard thing to do, to get up in front of a bunch of people and talk, especially about something so personal and so painful," Rogozinski said. "But I feel like Michael's family needed and wants to know a little bit more about his life at Penn." Rogozinski explained that a food drive -- which will continue this week at Hill House -- is being held in Yang's name, largely because of his sensitivity to world hunger issues. Yang's roommate, College freshman Akshay Mehta, recalled deep talks he and Yang shared. "I'll always remember those talks," Mehta said. "They were really personal. They're things I'll never forget." College freshman Pam Mirsky explained that in the sea of pointless conversations which faces every new college student, her first conversation with Yang -- which turned into a two-hour long talk -- stands apart. "I remember calling up my friends from home and being really excited because I finally had a good conversation with someone here," Mirsky said. "And I just want to thank him for being the type of person that wanted to listen and wanted to learn about other people." Hong Shiu, a Wharton freshman who shared a Legal Studies class with Yang, explained that a tape-recorded lecture from the day Yang was killed turned into an unintentional, yet touching, memento of his friend. "Yesterday, I just listened to the tape and heard his voice again," Shiu said. "That was the last chance to listen to his voice." Acknowledging that getting to know someone in just a month and a half is difficult, Wharton freshman Chad Edmonson described Yang as "one of those types of people I would have really liked to [have] gotten to know a lot better." "To the parents, I just would like them to know that everything I saw in Michael just made me think repeatedly what a great guy he was," Edmonson added. College sophomore Naureen Chowdhury recalled a time when an enthusiastic and well-dressed Yang was preparing to go out on a date. "He was all lit up and excited," Chowdhury said. "I don't know who he went to see. He said he'd tell me later, but later didn't come around. I think that's one of the best ways I'd like to remember him." And College freshman James Chen, who also lived in the same suite as Yang, shared perhaps the most humorous and memorable stories of the evening -- a tale involving his first trip to Van Pelt Library with Yang. "I figured they were about to close the library pretty soon, so I went up to check on Mike and he was passed out on a table," Chen recalled. "And when I woke him up, there was a page stuck to his face and he was like 'Oh gosh, has it been 2 1/2 hours already?' It's just little things like that."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.