Members of the Dickinson community gathered together in Allison Hall to remember Jigme Nidup ’19 on April 17. The memorial service comes after Nidup was reported missing in the fall, and subsequently reported dead on Sept. 20, 2015.

His body was recovered from the Conodoguinet creek, where he was reported missing after swimming on Sept. 19. According to the autopsy report released by Cumberland County Coroner Charley Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 22, Nidup’s cause of death was fresh water drowning. His death was accidental, Hall said. Nidup was last seen swimming in the North Middleton Township creek with his friends when he was reported missing, according to an email sent out by Dickinson College President Nancy Roseman.

The hour-long service commenced with a talk from Donna Hughes, director of Community Service and Religious life, who helped prepare the memorial.

“[Nidup] was a young man who was only here a short time but yet really captured the hearts of fellow students. He was just such an engaging young man that people were captured by him in his short time at Dickinson,” Hughes said.

Dan Cozort, associate professor of Religion, then spoke of the sand mandala dedication to Nidup, which took place in November at the end of the five-day residency of Buddhist monks from Drepung Monastery’s Gomang College. The monks, in tradition with the Buddhist culture, swept the completed mandala away after its completion and traveled to the Conodoguinet Creek where they deposited the sand in the water in tribute to Nidup.

Nidup’s family traveled from Bhutan to Dickinson in honor of the memorial service. Nidup’s mother, Sonam Choetsho, shared with attendees that Dickinson was Nidup’s “dream school,” and that he was just starting to find his niche at Dickinson.

Vice President and Dean of Student Life Joyce Bylander and Associate Director of International Admissions Ruth Lopez then both spoke in remembrance of Nidup, as did Alexander Schwartz ’16, who was Nidup’s First-Year Interest Group leader. Along with Andrew DiNardo ’16, Nidup’s Pre-Orientation leader, Schwartz spoke of the cre-ation in Nidup’s memory of a water safety course with the local YMCA, which will start at the end of April, and is intended for children who have been unable to participate in lessons due to finances.

Attendees then had the opportunity to speak, and several students shared their memories of Nidup and their condolences to his family. The service then concluded and guests were invited to a reception.

“I didn’t know Jigme but I had friends who knew him and they always told me stories about how enjoyable he was to be around,” said Kelsey Hutchinson ’19, who attended the memorial. “I thought the memorial was very beautiful and it was great to hear stories about him from people who knew him and to get to know who he was as a person and I feel like I know a lot more about him now.”

Preeti Khanal ’19 also offered her thoughts on the memorial. She said, “Jigme was the friend I never got tired of talking to, he made me laugh, and enjoy working in the place I least liked. The memorial service gave me a chance to remember all these happy moments I had with him and wish the best for his family. RIP Jigme.”

In remembrance of Nidup, Lham Nidup presented a thangka, a silk painting often used for meditation featuring Buddhist imagery to Dickinson College. The painting will be displayed in the Waidner-Spahr Library in the East Asian Studies Room, along with two books on the topic of Bhutan and Buddhism also donated by Nidup’s family.

According to the pamphlet handed out at the service, the college also has arranged to plant a Bhutan pine on campus “at a later date.”