Prickly Pear, Yearbook of Abilene Christian University, 2002 Page: 167
303 p. : ill. ; 32 cm.View a full description of this yearbook.
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NEAR-EATHI EXr
Tosin Oyedele loses
five of her best friends
O n March 31, the campus was devastated
by the news that five of the
school's Nigerian students were
killed in a horrific car accident. No one was
more shocked by the news than Tosin
Oyedele, freshman biochemistry major from
Lagos, Nigeria.
The three girls who died were Tosin's best
friends. She first heard about the accident on
her way back from Easter break. The five students
traveling back from Houston were supposed
to pick her up from the Greyhound Bus
Station, but they never showed.
One of her other friends was picked up at
the bus station by a mutual friend who knew
about the accident.
"He broke the news to me gently, but I
couldn't believe it," Tosin said. She had just
been talking about her friends on the bus and
was anticipating seeing them.
Upon hearing the news, Tosin said she
began screaming and crying.
"At first I thought it was a joke," she said.
She said she couldn't believe it was possible
and just kept yelling "No!" over and over
again. Her friends held her tightly and comforted
her.
The loss of her friends affected Tosin
deeply.
"It's not easy and I'm still not over it," she
said. "We used to do everything together. It's
not easy doing it alone."
Tosin wasn't able to concentrate in her
classes for a while. She still cries when she sees
their pictures.
To deal with her heartache, Tosin and herERIENCE
other friends have pulled together. They talk
about their five friends as if they were still
alive and that brings them comfort. In addition
to this, they also pray together, hoping to
lessen the pain.
Tosin's view on life changed as a result of
the accident.
"I almost went to Houston with them. I
was very close to being in the car," she said.
The tragedy has reminded her to be prepared
for death and the unexpected at all
times. Throughout all this, Tosin said she has
drawn closer to God and knows healing will
come in time.
- Teri Price
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Abilene Christian University. Prickly Pear, Yearbook of Abilene Christian University, 2002, yearbook, 2002; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39886/m1/170/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.