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2003 honors graduate of Hope High School, April Love was a junior
at the University of Arkansas, majoring in political science, communications,
and African American Studies. April was found dead in her Fayetteville
apartment on September 15, the victim of a homicide. The Arkansas
Medical Examiner’s office ruled that she died of asphyxiation.
April, a member of the UA Honors College, was active in a wide array
of campus organizations at the U of A. She was a member of Alpha
Kappa Alpha sorority, the Order of the Eastern Star Youth Fraternity,
and Young Democrats. Her interest in politics extended beyond campus,
with her spending the summer of 2005 interning for the Congressional
Black Caucus in the nation's capital. President of the Diversity
Alliance on campus, April was also an accomplished musician and
served as a church pianist for seven years.
“She vowed to make a difference and she was making a difference
on this campus and she vowed to make a difference in the world,”
said Johnetta Brazell, vice chancellor of Student Affairs at the
U of A.
Chancellor John White said while it was tough for him to know all
17,000 students on campus, it was easy to know April.
“She had a presence, poise and courage beyond her years,”
said White.
April Love was born in Texarkana, Texas on May 1, 1985, and
then raised in Hope, AR. Funeral services were held on September
21, 2005 at the Rising Star Baptist Church in Hope.
Brandon Sanders, 20, of Nashville, Ark., who is being held in the
Washington County Jail on $500,000 bond, has been charged with first-degree
murder.
Her friends established a Web site to honor April. In addition
to some 20,000 visitors to the site, more than 1,000 virtual candles
have been
lit and prayers offered in remembrance of Love (http://april-love.memory-of.com/About.aspx).
“April was an incredible young woman with enormous potential,”
says Todd Shields, chair of the political science department. “She
was hard-working, personable, and ambitious. In class, she was calm,
but always had wonderful insights and easily demonstrated how well
she knew the material. She was also very concerned about her fellow
students — unlike many political discussions these days that
quickly rise to the level of shouting, April sincerely cared about
others’ opinions and listened carefully, even when she disagreed
with what someone was saying.”
Shields says April also took her community involvement very seriously.
She was active in her sorority, her church in Fayetteville, in her
home town of Hope, and in the student organization Diversity Alliance.
“Despite all these wonderful qualities, however, what I miss
the most about April is her smile. She had one of the best smiles
I have ever seen. She would simply light up the room,” says
Shields.
Charles Robinson, director of the African American Studies Program,
remembers April as the type of student who made teaching enjoyable.
“The quality of her thoughts, the eloquence of her speech,
her bright, beautiful smile helped to create an atmosphere that
positively influenced my energy for instructing the class,”
says Robinson, “I’m sure that many of her classmates
also basked in the ebullience of her spirit. She is sorely missed.”
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