Grishma Rimal
News Editor
A man who “truly lived up to his name” is how friends of Joy Noel Mathew Cherkupally Moses describe and remember him in the wake of his loss.
“Even when he spoke for the first time, we spoke as if we had known each other forever,” said Madhu Sebastian, a computer science graduate student from Hyderabad, India, recalling the time he spent with Moses. “And that’s the best part about him—he got along with everyone very easily.”
Sebastian had known Moses for over a year, having worked with him in India. He also referred Moses to Troy University.
“He was more like a brother to me,” Sebastian said.
Moses, a 24-year-old computer science graduate student from Hyderabad, India, died on Saturday, Feb. 20, following a head-on collision with another car on Highway 167.
Moses, along with four other Troy students, was returning from Enterprise when his car collided with that of 19-year-old Elizabeth English of Elba. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Southeast Sun.
Two of the passengers in Moses’ vehicle suffered minor injuries, while the other two were in critical con-dition following the wreck and were hospitalized.
“They are still recovering,” said Darlene Schmurr-Stewart, dean of international student services. “They both have family with them, and that’s really supportive to the students.”
Schmurr-Stewart said that she remembers Moses as a student leader and as a wonderful, outgoing person.
“He was just one of those effervescent kinds of people,” she said.
Seema Dhital, a graduate computer science major from Kathmandu, Nepal, said she hadn’t seen Moses for a few weeks but was able to do so a few hours before his death.
“He asked me how I was doing and said that he was heading towards Enterprise,” she said, remembering the fist-bump he gave her right before leaving.
Dhital shared stories of his cheerful and fun demeanor, which others collaborated with.
“He would sit behind me in a few classes and he’d benignly mimic our teachers, making everyone laugh,” she said. “I’ll miss listening to his voice and laughing.”
Anoosha Arja, a graduate computer science student from Vijayawada, India, said that she hung out with Moses regularly and will miss every moment they spent together.
“You can ask anyone; they can only answer that his name said it all… so joyful,” she said.
Prudhvi Naidu, a human resource management graduate student from Tenali, India, remembers the exact date and time he first saw Moses.
“I saw him for the first time on Aug. 12, around 5:45 in the morning,” he said.
Moses — with his three suitcases and loose “hip-hop style” clothing — as Naidu described, had just arrived from India and immediately went to sleep for a “long, long, long time.”
He didn’t leave a great first impression on Naidu, but that changed as the two spent more time together and got to know each other.
“He was the only guy in Troy I had never expressed my anger out on,” he said. “He just brings out the best in people and he never lets people down. He lived up to his name; he is joy. He was a star among all of us and now he is with the stars.”
A memorial will be held for Moses at the arboretum on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.