University of South Carolina Libraries
TOt (SaniEEOEk Memorial from page 1 their 50s, close the van’s doors, put on their sport Jackets, and walk with Smith’s family to the Horseshoe. A Full Chapel he little knot of people rarely ven tures apart on its way to the chapel. Smith’s mother, Bea, is there; she has on a long, dark skirt and has pulled back her hair, which is white with a streak of iron gray. Smith’s father, Bruce Sr., wears a suit and a bow tie. Smith’s ele mentary-school-age brother, Davis, stays close to his college-age sister, Lydia, who has a hospital ID bracelet fastened tight ly above her elbow. Smith’s girlfriend, Preston resident Elizabeth Catanese, wears a long-sleeved white shirt, a short, plaid skirt, white knee socks and black, strap py, high-heeled sandals. The family takes its seats in the ffontmost pews on the right, and Elizabeth sits among friends in the middle. A long line trails in front of the chapel, and the pews are full. The register holds 152 names under the column designat ed for family and friends. Some are his classmates,from Wilson High School in Florence. Some knew Smith as a fellow resident in Maxcy, the freshman Hon ors College dorm. There are young women in black dresses, young men in suits; there are professors, and men and women who look to be the age of Smith’s parents. One twentyish guy wears a gray fedora, a black sliirt, a tic and a long black skirl. Students, some with bookbags still slung over their shoulders, join the congregants. In the front of the church, near the register, are framed pictures of Smith. We see his mugshot for the Preston “Face book,” and an Olan-Mills-type family portrait. We see Smith wearing a tux, Smith at his prom, Smith with his little brother, Smith standing outside a build ing on Devine Street, Smith smiling mis chievously as he wields a banana. Wfe hear soft swells of oigan music. Patrick Pope, another Preston resident, is upstairs play ing Paul Manz’s “Jesus, Still Lead On,” and “Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus.” He improvises on these hymns, and as the service begins, he plays the final bare of Dan Locklair’s “The Peace May Be Ex changed.” ‘We Never Know Who We’ll Touch’ Robert Waites, pastor of Faith Covenant Church in Florence, is the first to speak. “I want you to do something for me,” Whites says, his voice echoing inside the chapel. “I want you to stand and shake the hand of the person next to you and say, ‘I’m glad I’m sitting next to you to day.’ We never know who we’ll touch, or what that one touch will do.” Waites says he knows Smith’s family from way back, has seen Smith grow up. His speech is punctuated by sniffles from the wit nesses. Whites introduces the second speak er, Smith’s father, Bruce King. Bruce King steps behind a lectern at the front of the chapel. “I wasn’t go ing to preach today,” he says, “but I think I can stand here if I have something to hold on to.” He stops. Pauses. For a long time. Apologizes to the congrega tion for not being more composed. Fi nally, he swallows a throatful of sorrow and speaks. “I know Smith meant a lot to you. He meant a lot to us,” he says. Bruce King recalls a Shakespearean quote. He picks an apt source; as a scholar in the Duke Talent Identification Program, Smith stud ied Shakespeare for two summers. He de scribes “the slings and arrows of outra geous fortune,” and no one disagrees when Bruce King says, “Smith caught one of those arrows.” Bruce King shares stories of how his son, young and afflicted with allergies, would hug him around his legs and snif fle all over his pants. How Smith turned up his nose to a prominent Southern school because it lacked diversity. How doctors didn’t know what malady took their son away from them. How Smith King led a good, but “regrettably short life.” And Bruce King offered advice: “See a doc tor if you ’re sick. If you have a fever, go to the infirmary... practice good health. Don’t let anything come between you and your parents.” ‘He Knew How To Make People Feel Special’ nd now, Smith’s college friends stand to sltare their memories. The stories call forth tears and hearty laughter. Jessica Clary, clad all in black and crowned by her fluorescent pink liair, says “the special tiling about Smidi is that he knew how to make people feel spe cial.” Elizabeth, liis girlfriend, shares myr iad tales: how they used to swap clothes, how Smith picked her during a Maxcy College version of “Singled Out,” how he’d answer the phone with “Hey, Mom ma.” Later, the attendees chuckle as some one remembers how Elizabeth covered the campus last year widi chalk messages: Elizabeth Loves Smith. It took weeks to wash away. Former Maxcy dormmate Lauren Ready describes Smith running through the halls with Elizabeth on his back, and Abby McKee describes how he’d wear the occasional sarong. She smiles as she - I recounts the time site was grappling with a stressful paper, and Smith strolled by in a skirt, did a little tap dance for her, and offered this wisdom: “Speak softly, and carry a big stick.” Cristopher Kettrey stands to offer a point of clarification, say ing Smith never dressed in drug — he just wore skirts for comfort, a comment that induces a round of belly laughs. Cristopher says Smith told him chug ging Worcestershire sauce would heal liis vocal cords before his final monologue for acting class (an old choir trick, Smith said). A man in a back pew says Smith’s Christianity was strengthened after see ing the film “Dogma,” and he reminds the congregants that Christians don’t die, they just cltange addresses. Lauren quotes James Dickey: “Lord, let me die/ But not die out.” A friend shares how, though he’d known him only a few hours, Smith once invited liim to a Violent Femmes concert in Myrtle Beach. Another describes how a diapered, turbaned Smith blew away liis friends with the world’s best Halloween costume, one he called “5-Year-Old With a Pituitary Disorder.” Denise Levereaux, who lives in Pre ston, describes how unprepared she was to follow one of her best friends to the emeigency room. She lums to Smith’s parents and says, “I wanted to tell you two that you did the most amazing job raising him. I know parents are worried about that.” Elizabeth asks to second that. The Seeker Smith’s professors slime memories, too. Jerry Willulis, who taught Smith last year and was to have him in a class this year, says he has kept an emp ty chair in his classroom to represent Smith’s absence. A pltilosophy professor, Wallulis describes Smith as a seeker, his favorite kind of student to teach: “Seek ers worry so much about coming up with answers, we foiget what a wonderful tiling rr- - it is to seek.” What a wonderful tiling it is to seek. Pastor Robert Waites stands again, this time to lead a prayer. He reriiinds tlx? gath ering how important it is to live in such a way that it improves the lives of oth ers. He says how though the bells are tolling on Earth, the angels are rejoicing in heaven. “Smith is more alive today than he has ever been,” the pastor says. And as the students and teachers and family and friends of Smith King leave Rutledge Chapel and step into the sun, they might realize that they’re more alive than they have ever been, too. In the past two hours, they’ve savored Smith’s spir it, arid they’ve wept for loss of him. They’ve gleaned an appreciation for human relationships: how precious they are, and how much we take tliem for grant ed. It is Friday, Sept. 8. The Frisbee game is still going strong. Now, as they run hap hazardly over red bricks, the players’ liap piness is no longer a jarring contrast to the mourners’ grief. Inside the chapel’s white walls, peo ple related adventures with Smith that made them Laugh louder than they cried. Outside the chapel’s wliite wills, people walked home with good feelings to spare about Smith’s life: though short, it was rich, because all of them shared it. Tliis is the celebration of a young man. Smith 1 oday around 12:30 PM, our esteemed l'riend and fellow resident, Br::r.e “Smith" King passed away. We encourage you to come tonight, Thursday, September 7th at 7:00 PM to the Junior Common Room in Preston to talk about Smith and your feelings. Tomorrow-Friday, September 8th in Rutledge Chapel A Memorial Service will 1* held beginning al 3:00 PM lit Rutledge Cttapei (oil the it’sltoe, next to the President's House on lire left). You are encouraged to bring your thoughts, memories and pictures to share m tins gathering You are /Iso invited to come to the Principal's lodge in Preston (Preston 113. off the iobhv-Firs! Floor) after the sendee for refreshments and tdlmvshin. Details .of other services wit! bo u\»ilabie at the memorial on Friday. I Dobson Volunteer Service Program UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 2000-2001 LOCAL SERVICE INTERNSHIP NOW AVAILABLE THE DOBSON VOLUNTEER SERVICE PROGRAM IS A CAPSTONE SERVICE EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. STUDENTS WILL BE PLACED WITH AN AGENCY IN THE COLUMBIA AREA FORA 10-20 HOUR SERVICE INTERNSHIP. STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE DOBSON PROGRAM WILL: © GAIN VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE © MAKE LIFE LONG FRIENDSHIPS © POTENTIAL TO EARN ACADEMIC CREDIT © RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE © CHANGE SOMEONE'S LIFE!! INFORMATIONAL MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2000 © 4:30 PM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER27, 2000 © 6:00 PM RUSSELL HOUSE UNIVERSITY UNION ROOM 203 APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE CAMPUS ACTIVITIES CENTER, STUDENT GOVERNMENT, AND THE RUSSELL HOUSE INFORMATION CENTER. THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 2, 2000 AT 4:00 I’M (LUI S I IONS? CON IA( I 1111 ()|l IICI ()l COMMUNITY SI RVICI PROGRAMS <">777-66X8 The special thing about Smith is that he knew how to make people feel special.’ Jessica Clary Friend of Bruce "Smith” King Read it... " ~ Live it... j TBiittSsamccock ■«« | Xidnacomt 'jm~m_ - - Coroner says ariythmia led to death by Martha Wright The Gamecock Bruce “Smith" King, who died last Thurs day ;ifter a sudden illness, died of natural caus es, Richland County Coroner Frank Barron said. Barron said King, 19, died front “a fatal arrythmia due to infectious processes of ltis heart mid lungs." He did not suffer a heart at tack. but mi infection in his body prevented his heart from beating mid was the primary cause of death, Barron said. King also had pneumonia, Barron said. Though the initial autopsy was complete last Friday, Barron said a complete autopsy with a full analysis of King’s body tissues will be available in about two weeks. King was buried yesterday in Lake City at First Baptist Church. He was a graduate of Wilson High School in Florence mid was a student in USC’s Honors College. He lived in Maxcy during his freshman year mid was a Preston College resident this year. William R. Hill, director of the Thomson Student Health Center, said Palmetto Baptist Medical Center told him there “was no in fectious disease that would be of concern to students." However, he said he wasn't sure if dial meruit there weren’t any infectious dis eases at all. “We will monitor this situation to make sure there is no public health risk to this cam pus community, mid if there were miy indi cations of such risk, we would take appro priate action,” Hill said. The university desk am he reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com. Students, Faculty, and Staff! Join us for Wednesday, September 13th 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Greene Street (in front of the Russell House) Rain Location: Russell House Ballroom Demonstrations: Learning to Juggle - 10:30 am Kick Boxing Aerobics - 12:00 pm Fencing - 12:30 pm Jazz African Aerobics - 2:30 pm There will be health screenings, free giveaways, demonstrations and more! Come and learn about the many health and wellness resources that USC and the local community have to offer. Sponsored by: Health and Wellness Programs HOPE lor Kids The Cycle Center Carolina Collegiate Federal Credit Union Specialized Eating Disorders Counseling Education and Prevention Services i X y : i Sliiclcnl I Icallli Services Dcp.iilincnl ol Slutlcnl Dcvclopmciil Division ul Slink-ill ;hr| Alumni Services j