In May, Cal State Long Beach held its annual Alumni Awards Banquet. However, this year’s unique ceremony included a distinct tribute to Nohemi Gonzalez, the Cal State Long Beach student who was killed during the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.
The banquet was held to honor outstanding graduates, professors, staff and alumni — Nohemi truly deserved to be amidst these recognized people. An eccentric junior design major, Gonzalez’s goal in life was to become an educator. Her study abroad trip to Paris was, perhaps, a way to depart from her usual Californian routine and embrace a world apart from her own.
Nohemi’s mother, stepfather and brother were on hand to accept her “Outstanding Graduate” award during the banquet. Their forlorn faces undoubtedly showcased the grief and depression they were currently living through. As they made their way onto the banquet’s main stage to receive the award, their facial expressions displayed a dazed look — it must have been a perplexing moment for them, surely. How could it not have been?
They experienced both a distressing yet honorary night — one tributing their daughter for her hard work while making clear she was gone.
There is a lasting element to Nohemi’s tragic death, though – the memorial scholarship being created in her name. The Nohemi Gonzalez Fund for International Study scholarship, launched by the university, is one allocated for design students who wish to study abroad and take part in design endeavors outside of the country.
Nohemi’s decision to travel abroad serves as an inspiration for those who long to discover unfamiliar lands and places they’ve only dreamed of visiting and embracing.
When I spoke with Nohemi’s mother Beatriz Gonzalez early on in the night, she pensively mentioned how she couldn’t believe her daughter wasn’t present to receive the award herself. Furthermore, she referred to her daughter in present tense several times — possibly having difficulty coming to terms with her tragic loss.
Nohemi’s brother Juan Duran couldn’t hold back his tears while on stage, directly behind his parents — the man was showing a different reaction than they were. He didn’t seem to be in a state of perplexity or confusion, but rather one of distressing acceptance. Terrorists had taken the life of his sister. Although it was and still is a very unlikely way to die for an American studying abroad in France, it happened — and he understood.
In the days following her death, the Beach was an emotional environment — a solemn place where the campus body couldn’t believe how directly the attacks in Paris would affect us.
Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of Nohemi’s death and to say the least, the Beach family is still attempting to heal. A year has elapsed and the campus community is coping with the loss of yet another student.
Recently, Jerry Vu, 19, of Huntington Beach, was found dead on the north side of Parking Structure 1. As reported by the Daily 49er, although Vu was not currently enrolled at CSULB he did study business administration during his time at the university. The last time he was enrolled for classes was in Spring 2016.
Vu was described as dedicated and hardworking by the co-director of the G.O.O.D Project, a self-described “growth-oriented dance team/company” that Vu was a part of. An avid dancer, his death has not only stunned those close to him but has affected the Beach community, as well.
The fact that his death and the anniversary of Nohemi’s are only days apart is rather startling. It goes to show how many tumultuous moments the Beach Family has endured and continues to withstand.
The CSULB campus is going through a troublesome period at the moment — one filled with similar emotions to the kind that Nohemi’s family felt during the banquet. Perplexity, confusion and distressing acceptance are prevalent states of mind across campus presently.
With that said, the same way that Nohemi’s parents and friends stood together in solidarity to overcome a difficult loss — students are uniting rather than dividing. Difficult times never seem to separate the Beach family, but rather make the campus community stronger, which is exactly what we’ve been seeing this past year.