Rarely does the music of Dave Matthews Band and Israel ‘IZ’ Kamakawiwo’ole fill the air of Hendricks Chapel, as it did Wednesday afternoon.

Friends, family and members of the Syracuse University community came together to honor and remember Babak Najafi, an SU student who died on Dec. 4, 2005.

Najafi, or Bob, as his friends referred to him, was a freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences and lived in Day Hall on the seventh floor.

A picture of Najafi, a display of flowers, a New York Giants T-shirt, a Livestrong-style rubber bracelet and a jar of Tostitos Con Queso appeared in the front of the chapel.

Thomas V. Wolfe, dean of Hendricks Chapel; David Potter, associate dean of The College of Arts and Sciences; Shannon Cross, the residence director of Day Hall and an assortment of Najafi’s friends spoke at the service.

Several groups of Najafi’s friends comprised the majority of the service. They all told stories of Najafi they said they felt best represented him.

‘He taught me to have no regrets,’ said Stephanie Lindahl, a friend of Najafi’s and a freshman in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, of an incident where Najafi and she launched shaving cream bombs at a friend’s dorm room door.

‘It was hard not to get along with Bob,’ said Steve Mendelsohn, a friend of Najafi’s and a sophomore in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Mendelsohn said he only has good memories of Najafi.

Other students, like Kristen Kirby Meindl, a friend of Najafi’s and a freshman in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, said she thinks about him every day. She gave an example of how warm and sunny the weather was on Wednesday.

‘Maybe Bob has something to do with that,’ she said.

Chris Warren, another friend of Najafi’s and a freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences, told a humorous story of how he and Najafi didn’t like waking up early in the morning. He said Najafi and he would eat together, play video games and listen to music.

Warren said Najafi and he would sit around on days when it was snowing outside and ask each other if they were going to go to their classes. Najafi used to look out the window and say, ‘Well, it’s snowing, ya know. It’s kind of cold,’ Warren said, smiling.

Wolfe began and ended the service with words to calm and soothe all in attendance.

‘We come together with a wide range of emotions,’ Wolfe said. He continued to say Najafi was known as a lovable, humorous person as he pointed to the photograph of Najafi posing for the camera.

Wolfe reminded all in attendance of the importance of living life to its fullest and how important each and every person’s relationship was with Najafi.

‘I can’t imagine living life without a relationship or a series of relationships,’ Wolfe said.

Next to speak was Potter. He left the lectern to speak intimately with the attendants.

‘I want to do what deans often do,’ Potter said, speaking directly to a group of students sitting on the left side of the room in the first few rows. ‘I want to think about you.’

Potter went on to say he never knew Najafi personally, but he looked through Najafi’s files to get better acquainted with him. Potter said he found Najafi was a wonderful person, playing varsity football and wrestling all four years of high school, in addition to being involved in student council as the secretary and then president his senior year of high school.

Next to speak was Cross, who recalled Najafi as a great resident, one that stood out of the crowd.

She said even though she oversees more than 600 residents, Najafi was one that stood out for promoting togetherness among those on his floor and in his building.

‘Bob took advantage of the little moments,’ Cross said. ‘Bob made memories.’

Residents from Najafi’s Day Hall floor picked Dave Matthews Band’s ‘Where Are You Going?’ and Israel ‘IZ’ Kamakawiwo’ole’s cover of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ as the musical interludes between those who wished to speak during the service.

The songs allowed time for all in attendance to reflect.

Livestrong-style plastic wristbands, with ‘Bob 1987-2005,’ on one side and ‘Stay for a while’ on the other, were available for all in attendance alongside a program with a candid photo of Najafi on the cover.

Published on February 22, 2006 at 12:00 pm