The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is remembering students and faculty who died this year by flying its flags at half-staff.
The flags were set to half-staff on Monday in remembrance of Basil Bennett Brown, who died by suicide on April 6.
"Basil will be missed by all who knew him," the university posted on its Facebook page. "His friends and family remain in our thoughts and prayers."
Brown's friends and those who knew the computer science major said he was creative and passionate. The 22-year-old was from Wolfeboro Falls, New Hampshire, and graduated high school from the Louisiana School for Math, Science and Arts.
Brown's friends and those close to him criticized the university for how it initially handled Brown's death claiming it wasn't transparent leading to misinformation. They said the university's welfare check and emergency notification systems were broken.
The university's flags will be set to half-staff Tuesday in remembrance of Nathan Lindsay Lee. Lee was pursuing a Ph.D. in literature with a concentration in folklore and American literature. He was from Tennessee and lived in Lafayette.
"The loss is felt by everyone who knew him," the university posted on its Facebook. "We hold his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
The flags were flown at half-staff Saturday in remembrance of sophomore marketing major Teresa Maria Monahan. The 22-year-old spent time in Florida before moving to Covington in high school.
"Teresa enjoyed being with family and friends, listening to music and traveling," her family wrote in her obituary. "Teresa was sweet, gentle, kind, bright and generous."
The flags were flown at half-staff Sunday in remembrance of Chiu Yeung Chan, Ph.D., who died in January. Chan was an Emeritus professor in mathematics. He taught at UL for 34 years before retiring in 2016.
"Beyond academia, Chiu Yeung found joy in the simple pleasures in life. He had a fondness for crab dishes and enjoyed watching Chinese dramas," his family wrote in his obituary. "However, his true passion was in helping his students achieve their dreams."
The flags also were flown at half-staff on April 13 in remembrance of Danielle Jenene Keys, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership. She was expected to graduate in May. The 45-year-old was from Bogalusa.
"(She) was a true visionary and stood for what was right. She truly believed 'be the change you want to see,'" her family wrote in her obituary. "There wasn’t too much that she could not do, if she didn’t know how it was done, she would research it until she figured it out."
Another member of the UL community, Eric Green, Ph.D., died last week. Green was a licensed professional counselor and play therapist who taught in UL’s psychology department.
His friends said he was reliable, encouraging to others, and a "dollop of sunshine."
The university has not said when it will fly the flags at half-staff in remembrance of Green.