On Thursday, February 5, 2015, the unthinkable happened on campus at the University of South Carolina. A campus shooting is our parent’s worst nightmare, but a sobering reality that college students have to live in today.
On that fateful day, Sunghee Kwon entered the Arnold School of Public Health and ended her ex-husband’s life, as well as her own. Raja Fayad, a beloved professor of USC, had been continuing a relationship with his estranged ex wife after their split, which makes this tragedy all the more unfathomable.
Instead of lingering on the horrifying acts that took place on February 5, USC has truly proven what it means to be “forever to thee”.
Mere hours after the murder-suicide took place, numerous bouquets of flowers were left on the front steps to the building in tribute to Dr. Fayad.
Later in the evening, grief-counseling sessions were available to any and all students and faculty.
All night, our rivals at Clemson were spreading their sympathies with the popular hash tag, “#TwoSchoolsOneState”
The next day, “Forever To Thee” was anonymously scribed onto random pavements throughout campus, reminding students of the resilient spirit of USC.
Most importantly, USC has chosen to honor the professor’s hard work and dedication to his studies through the Raja Fayad Memorial Fund. Dr. Fayad had been steadfast in his research of colon and colorectal cancer, even before he came to USC, and his research held great promise for the future. Through the donations service, the legacy of his life’s work will not be forgotten and can be sustained for future research.