Students honor life of Chukwudi Benjamin Onyeaghala

Nathaniel Nelson / Winonan

After more than a week of searching, Winona State University student Chukwudi Benjamin “Ben” Onyeaghala, 19, of White Bear Lake, Minn. was found dead in the Mississippi River on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Students gathered on Sunday, Oct. 23 to celebrate his life with a candlelight vigil at the gazebo followed by a balloon release and flower toss into the Mississippi River.

At 6 p.m. Sunday night, more than 100 people gathered at the gazebo at the center of campus to honor Onyeaghala’s life. The ceremony began with a prayer and a reading from the scripture, since Onyeaghala was born and raised Catholic.

Attendees were then invited to come forward and speak about their memories of Onyeaghala. One of those speakers was Tejay Garjaye, who was close to Onyeaghala

“Ben was a really interesting person,” Garjaye said. “The kid is probably one of the funniest persons I’ve ever met. He’s a bright kid; he had a bright future.”

Garjaye, along with his two roommates Eric William and Achidi Oketch, were good friends with Onyeaghala. All three of them referred to Onyeaghala as their brother.

The loss of Onyeaghala hit them particularly hard, since Onyeaghala made it a habit to visit their home almost every day.

“The last place that he was at, too, was my house, and I wasn’t in town that night,” Garjaye said. “It hurt me that when he went missing I wasn’t there.”

Onyeaghala was a sophomore at Winona State, studying  health exercise and rehabilitative sciences with an emphasis in movement science. He was known for his relaxed nature, which, can be uncommon among college students.

Angel Tarwoe also spoke during the event, recalling how she met Onyeaghala. He came up to her and began flirting, after which she said he looked like her brother. They both laughed, and Tarwoe said this kind of loose attitude was unique to him.

“Nobody really touched on that, but he was really chill,” Tarwoe said. “He’d be late to class, and he’d just go, ‘Eh, I’m gonna eat dinner first.’ Nothing really phased him. It was admirable.”

She added how whenever she saw him, Onyeaghala was always in a lighthearted mood.

“No matter where you were or who you were with, he was always joking with you,” she said, “He never had a bad thing to say about anybody, and he was always full of positivity and light.”

Aside from his school studies, Onyeaghala was often seen at the Integrated Wellness Center on campus, playing basketball with his friends.

He was friendly to everyone around him, and the effect he had on his friends and acquaintances was palpable.

Onyeaghala was remembered as a lighthearted, uplifting man with a tendency to make any room light up. Achidi Oketch told a story of Onyeaghala to showcase his trademark humor.

According to Oketch, Onyeaghala had just gotten over to their house after a stint at the fitness center. It was cold inside, and he was wearing shorts and a sweatshirt, but he did not say anything about being cold, Oketch said.

“I heard some ruffling to the side, and he’s just like ‘Ugh, I had to do it.’ And I was like what do you mean?” Oketch recalled. “And then we look at Ben covering himself with the futon mattress. We’re like ‘Bro, if you were that cold, we could’ve given you some sweatpants!’ He had such situational humor, and you never expected it.”

Eric William also spoke at the vigil, along with his two roommates. He talked of Ben as his brother and said losing him was like losing a member of the family.

“Me and my roommates took him under our wing, and when we got the news, it was just shocking, as if your brother had died or your sister had passed away,” William said. “As of right now, we’re just trying to commemorate him and the positives. I’m at a loss for words. It’s just too shocking.”

The joy Onyeaghala brought to members of the community came out in full force at the end of the ceremony, when balloons were released over Levee Park and flowers were thrown into the Mississippi River, an upbeat dance party followed soon after in commemoration.

“It just shows what people are willing to do at times like this. Come together, share memories, and that’s what I want people to remember about Ben,” Achidi Oketch said, “He always shared wonderful times with everybody and shared wonderful times with me. And I don’t want anyone to feel negative about the situation.”

Onyeaghala will be remembered as a kind, relaxed and humorous young man who brought smiles to everyone around him. His friends remember him as a man who always found a way to connect with people and improve their lives, bringing positivity to a dark world.

“That’s what made him genuine, that’s what made him stand out more than most people. Just the fact that he was willing to go out of his way for someone else, even if he didn’t have to,” Oketch said, “As college students, we face a lot of stress in our lives and sometimes, we don’t act in the most positive ways. For someone to do that on a daily basis, that’s amazing.”

-By Nathaniel Nelson