TU gathers, remembers Mzi Ncube
A candlelight vigil was held with hundreds in attendance Tuesday to honor the life of sophomore Mzi Ncube, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash Saturday.
December 11, 2018
Towson University’s campus came together Tuesday night to honor the life of Mzi Ncube, a sophomore pre-accounting major who was killed Saturday night when he was struck by a vehicle on Charles Street.
More than 1,000 students gathered on the lawn above Speakers Circle as night fell Tuesday, as members of TU’s Greek Life and student community led a candlelight vigil in Mzi’s memory.
The first to speak was Clay Smith, the president of Alpha Sigma Phi, a fraternity Mzi joined this semester. Smith thanked the TU community for its support in recent days.
“Mzi was an extraordinary man. He was always a delightful person to hang out with. He could make friends with anyone,” Smith said.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain. With Mzi in our hearts, we will learn to dance again.”
Noah Jones, a brother of Alpha Sigma Phi, extended his condolences to Mzi’s family.
“It is amazing to see the impact one person can have on the masses,” Jones said. “Looking around tonight, that impact is so clear.”
Mzi was not only a member of his fraternity, but was also a mentor and volunteer on campus.
Jones said recent words of advice from TU’s Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Carly Heasley, have resonated this week.
“It is in sad and dark moments that bring our community closest together,” Jones recalled of Heasley’s words. “The outpouring of support we’ve received the last couple days have shown my brothers and I that this is not a community. It is a family.”
Eduardo Hernandez, Mzi’s “Big” in the fraternity, said that though Mzi was younger, “he was always somebody I looked up to… because of his personality and how much of a hard worker he was.”
Mzi’s family attended the vigil. He was the youngest of five siblings. His sisters spoke during Tuesday’s event.
Towson University’s Counseling Center is available to assist any students, faculty or staff needing support.
Baltimore County Police continue to investigate the crash, and are still seeking the driver of the first of two vehicles to strike Mzi. The second vehicle stopped and rendered aid, police said. But the first vehicle — a Toyota Tundra or Sequoia — left the scene with damage to the front end and driver’s side mirror. Police ask that anyone with information about that vehicle call 911 or 410-307-2020
President Kim Schatzel was in attendance Tuesday at Speaker’s Circle to support the student-led event.
In a message to campus following Mzi’s death, Schatzel wrote: “We’re saddened by the loss of this young life — a student philanthropist and mentor, with a most promising future. Mzimazisi will be sorely missed by all.”
On Tuesday night, it was clear how many people’s lives Mzi Ncube touched.