The University of Idaho is holding a week of remembrance and kindness from Monday Nov. 9 through Friday Nov. 13, in honor of Veteran’s Day and the four years that have passed since the King Road Homicides.
To honor the men and women who have served our country, a wreath-laying ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11 on the northwest corner of the Administration Building Lawn.
Events will be held throughout the week, in remembrance of the four students lost on Nov. 13, 2022, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. These events will be in collaboration with Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Associated Students of the University of Idaho.
Throughout the week, the UI community is encouraged to complete four acts of kindness, in memory of the four students. Poster boards will be placed in the ISUB, the first floor of the admin building, the east entrance of the college of education, the north entrance of the J.A. Albertson Building, and the east entrance to the Health and Human Services Building. Students are encouraged to write their acts of kindness on these boards, to show their commitment to kindness towards others.
A food and school supplies drive will be held throughout the week as well, donating food to the Vandal Food pantry, and school supplies to local schools. Drop off locations will be held at the Pitman Center, ISUB and outside of Shoup Hall.
At noon on Friday Nov. 13, a remembrance ceremony will be held at the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial, to recognize the impact that the loss of Kernodle, Chapin, Mogen, and Gonclaves has had on the UI community. All students are encouraged to join. Throughout the day on Friday, the Red Star Coffee Company, at the intersection of Line and Third Street, will donate their sales to the four foundations established in memory of Kernodle, Chapin, Mogen and Gonclaves.
On Monday, Nov. 9, a three-on-three basketball tournament will be held from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., located at the Physical Education Building Large Gym. Students can register teams of four in an open style tournament, where each participant is guaranteed at least two games. The entry fee is $20 per team donated to the Made with Kindness Foundation, Murder has a Name Foundation, Ethan’s Smile Foundation or to the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial Endowment, the namesake groups founded in honor of the late students. A receipt from the donation will be uploaded into this form and should be available to view at team check in. To sign up for a team, click here.
Students, staff and UI community members are encouraged to learn about the four foundations established in honor of the passed students. The Made with Kindness Foundation, established in honor of Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, provides scholarships, resources and mentorship for girls wanting to step into leadership. The Murder Has a Name Foundation, funds advanced forensic DNA testing in violent crime investigations, in honor of Kaylee Goncalves. The Ethan’s Smile Foundation, created in honor of Ethan Chapin, gives scholarships to high school seniors, with preference given to those who attended Conway School in Mount Vernon, WA, are from Skagit Valley, WA, and those who are wanting to attending UI, but all applicants are considered for the scholarship if they apply. The Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial Endowment is run through the UI Foundation.
Josie Adjanohoun can be reached at [email protected]