Hundreds of UCSD students and faculty attended a candlelight vigil Wednesday in memory of Paras Kumar, a Thurgood Marshall College freshman who died along with three family members in a fire at his home in Hollywood Hills, Calif., on May 4.
Guardian
The vigil was held in the evening at the quad below Oceanview Terrace restaurant, where a stage was assembled.
Students attending the vigil pinned commemorative yellow ribbons to their shirts and each carried a candle, which was ceremonially lit by the members of Marshall college’s F building, Kumar’s former residency.
“”We all have our own experiences with Paras that we hold deep inside,”” said Kumar’s building resident adviser Liza Okazaki as she held back tears.
Many students used the opportunity to tell everyone in the crowd what they enjoyed about their friend.
Pablo Shlueter-Corey, a Marshall freshman, brought laughter to the crowd when he relayed anecdotes from his friendship with Kumar. He ended on an emotional note.
“”Everybody was his friend,”” Shlueter-Corey said. “”It didn’t matter how well he knew you or you knew him. He cared.””
Kumar was described as a generous, funny person who loved his family.
“”He was probably one of the most generous, loving people in the world,”” another speaker said. “”He had a joke for everything.””
Another speaker agreed, “”When I picture his face, I can always hear his voice. He was so funny. I’ll really miss him and his presence in our building.””
All the occupants of Marshall’s F building wore the building’s signature Superman shirts to the vigil, with Kumar’s name highlighted on the back.
Kumar liked to go home on weekends and spend time with his family and friends from high school, according to his friends.
The Kumars’ relatives claim that Kumar’s father, Harish, had been excited about his son’s arrival home the weekend of the fire. He discovered the blaze upon arriving at his house from a trip to Bakersfield, Calif. and immediately called 911.
Kumar is survived by his father, Harish.
His mother, Gita; his grandmother, Sitaben Patel; and his 16-year-old sister, Tulsi, also died in the fire.
Jim Wells, Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman, told the Los Angeles Times that the fire was probably and act of arson. Police have not identified any suspects.
For now, Kumar’s friends at UCSD are still mourning.
At the end of the vigil, everyone in the crowd knelt while songs such as Boyz II Men’s “”Yesterday”” were played in dedication to the memory of Kumar. A large screen illustrated scenes from his life and friendships while many students wept.
“”If you could sum up Paras in one word, I keep thinking of ‘lively,'”” said Evan Campbell, a Warren freshman and suitemate of Kumar’s. “”He had an aura of confidence, style and passion. It was a pleasure to be his friend. I learned a lot from him. He left an impression on everyone here. He left an impression on me.””
Jeff Le was also a close friend of Kumar’s who spoke at the vigil.
“”There’s one thing I regret,”” Le said. “”I never got to tell him that I loved him.””
