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By Evan Allen, Globe Correspondent More than 200 people came together in a University of Aucklandchapel in New Zealand on Saturday to mourn the loss and celebratethe lives of three Boston University students killed a week ago ina car crash near Taupo. The service opened with the lighting of three candles to honorAustin Brashears, 21, of California; Daniela Lekhno, 20, of NewJersey; and Roch Jauberty, 21, of Paris, who grew up in California.They were killed when a van they were riding in flipped over duringan early-morning drive to a volcanic park, where they planned tohike. Friends and loved ones took turns sharing their memories of thevictims. More than 100 photographs of their adventures in NewZealand were shown to the audience. The service ended with arousing rendition of the song Free Fallin , according to FredWilliams, a BU student who was Jauberty s roommate in New Zealand. The overall message was honestly to live life to the fullest, said Williams. All three individuals who were harmed and killedin that accident all lived life to the fullest, and were arepresentation of how young people should truly live their lives. Brashears, Lekhno and Jauberty were part of BU s study abroadprogram in the country. A fourth student, Margaret Theriault, wasseriously hurt in the crash, which happened on Saturday May 12 NewZealand time. She is in critical-but-stable condition at WaikatoHospital in New Zealand, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The student who was driving the van, Stephen Houseman, 20, ofMassapequa, N.Y., has been charged in Auckland with three counts ofcareless driving causing death and four counts of careless drivingcausing injury. Houseman, his arm in a sling, spoke at the service, said ReverendUesifili Unasa, Maclaurin Chaplain to the University of Auckland,who officiated the service. He spoke movingly of his admiration for Austin, to whom he wasparticularly close, Unasa said. One of the things that he saidabout Austin was that Austin inspired him, and no matter how bigsomething was, that Austin challenged him to get out of his comfortzone. During the service, which Unasa said lasted for about two hours,students stood in a semicircle behind mourners as they shared theirmemories, hugging and comforting them. None of us wanted to stand alone in the church behind thepodium, said Williams. Williams said he spoke in memory of Jauberty, who he said was hisbest friend in the program. He was and is and always will be a bright light and a trueinspiration to every single student my age, said Williams. Brashears father, Thomas, also spoke at the service, Unasa said. He was very proud as a father to hear new things, as well as thegreat things that Austin meant to students, said Unasa. No othervictims family members spoke, said Unasa. As the service ended, a single guitar player began singing FreeFallin , but he was soon joined by every voice in the chapel,Unasa said. We couldn t help ourselves, he said. It was people singingbecause they want to sing. BU students are still reeling from the deaths, said Williams, butthe service was about celebrating their friends lives and movingforward. The University has said it will allow students the option ofreturning to the states before the end of the program, according toa university spokesman, who said that more than 40 BU students arestill in New Zealand. Several students have indicated that theywish to leave, he said, but declined to say who or how many. Williams said that as of right now, he plans to stay, and said thatmany of the students with whom he had spoken were also planning tostay. People are still figuring it out. The trauma of the week is juststarting to become a reality, he said. The sense of communityhere and the sense of family -- it s truly becoming a family.Unfortunately, and fortunately, we ll share this experience forthe rest of our lives. Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as IPod Flex Cable Manufacturer , Screen Guard for IPhone 4 for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits IPod Video LCD Replacement.
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