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Fatal Shooting of Student Journalist Stuns N.C. Central

New York Times Student Journalism Institute Denita Smith was a student at the New York Times Student Journalism Institute in New Orleans and a photographer at the Campus Echo at North Carolina Central University, where she was a graduate student.

By Shelbia Brown
Black College Wire

Whoever shot and killed Denita Monique Smith couldn’t have had any idea of the grief it would cause her family, friends and schoolmates.

At North Carolina Central University, Smith wasn’t an ordinary student.

“She was an outstanding and promising student whose life has been cut short,” said Chancellor James H. Ammons, speaking of the graduate student who earned her bachelor of arts in English at the university in 2004.

The Eagle scholar sang in the Worship and Praise Inspirational Mass Choir; she played the saxophone in the Sound Machine band; she helped students at the Writing Studio; she shot pictures and wrote stories for the student newspaper, the Campus Echo; and she was active in student government — and all this as an undergraduate student.

Durham police said Smith was shot. Her body was found by a maintenance worker around 10 a.m. on Jan. 4 on the ground floor below her second-story apartment at the Campus Crossings Apartments, a complex leased by the university.

Police say a woman seen leaving Campus Crossings at approximately 8:30 a.m. in a burgundy Ford Explorer is a person of interest in the case. A witness described her as looking distraught.

Smith, who was from Charlotte, N.C., had just turned 25 on Nov. 20. She attended West Charlotte High School and graduated from NCCU in 2004. She was a graduate student in English working on a master’s thesis, which explored the expression of black male identity in the works of novelist Richard Wright and rap icon Tupac Shakur. She was expecting to graduate this spring and was engaged to marry Jermeir Stroud, an NCCU alumnus and a police officer in Greensboro.

As an undergraduate, Smith had been a staff photographer for the student newspaper in 2001-2004. She attended the New York Times Student Journalism Institute internship program in 2004. She had held internships with the NCCU Office of Public Relations and Democracy South. She was a member of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honors Society.

As a graduate student, Smith worked for NCCU’s Writing Studio, helping students with their writing assignments, and continued to write stories for the Campus Echo.

Alumni, students and faculty remember Smith for her graceful composure, her friendship and her ability to excel academically.

“For anyone who knew Denita, sadness will be in the air,” said Gerard Farrow, a former Campus Echo arts and entertainment editor who worked closely with Smith. Farrow was on his way to a graduate class in film studies at Howard University when he received the call that he said ruined his day.

“I don’t even think I remember what went on in class,” said Farrow. “That was the only thing on my mind.”

Saria Canady, a former Campus Echo copy editor now working at the Naples Daily News in Florida, was close to Smith. “We knew what was going on in each other’s lives,” said Canady. “She was not the type of person to have any enemies.” Canady recalled that Smith would call people by their first and last names and that her favorite expression was, “Keep God first.”

Julius Jones, a former Campus Echo staff reporter working in events promotion in New York, said he had fond memories of Smith.

“She gave me so much help,” he said. Jones said that the last time he spoke with Smith, they discussed her marriage plans. “She was so excited when she told me about it,” said Jones. “I was ready to see her go through her bride phase.”

Jenise Hudson, a co-worker of Smith in the Writing Studio, said she was not prepared for such news. "I just lost it," said Hudson. "We had gotten closer to one another within the last couple of weeks. She was very giving and very family- oriented."The news has hit faculty hard as well.

"She was one of the most thoughtful people, and she was a very good student," said English associate professor Michele Ware and Sigma Tau Delta International English Honors Society adviser. "Denita worked hard to do her best. She was excited about pursuing her master's degree,” said Ware. "We had great hopes for her."

Bruce dePyssler, Smith’s adviser at the Campus Echo, said it was especially difficult returning to the office after hearing the sad news. “I just broke down when I looked in the photo editing room where she used to image her photographs,” said dePyssler. “It’s so sad. She was doing everything right.”

Louise Maynor, chair of the English and mass communcation department, said Smith planned to pursue a Ph.D. at either Ohio University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was interested in studying rhetoric and popular culture.

“I’ll always be stunned by this,” she said.

While those left behind struggle to cope with their grief and loss, some of her friends on Facebook.com have one more task for Smith. They left messages for her to deliver in heaven:

“Tell my grandfather I said Hello and I Love him,” wrote friend Ebony Robinson.

“Tell my mom that I said I love her and I miss her,” wrote friend Gilbert Harper.

Smith is survived by her brother Jonathan Maurice, 21, her sister Jaleesa Renee, 17, and her parents Calvain and Sharon Smith.

Her funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at the University Park Baptist Church, 6029 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte. A family hour will precede the funeral at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Denita M. Smith Scholarship Fund at the University Park Baptist Church.

Shelbia Brown, a student at North Carolina Central University, writes for the Campus Echo.

Posted Jan. 8, 2007