Student death punished, commemorated

Facebook picture of Beau Arndt.

It has been eight months since the death of Beau Arndt shocked the Emporia State campus. Arndt, an ESU freshman at the time of his death, was shot and killed December 15, 2007 in a hunting accident in rural Lyon County.

Strong memories of Ardnt have resurfaced throughout the trial of his killer, Theron Thomas Kent, and the creation of “Love for Outdoors,” a scholarship created in Ardnt’s name.

“The trial seemed to bring everything back,” said Jacquelyne Leffler, a freshman majoring in kinesiology and business at Kansas State and former close friend of Arndt. “It was almost as if we had to relive it. Hearing the 911 dispatch with Derek Jackson was probably the hardest. It broke my heart to have to hear that.”

Arndt, an Americus resident and graduate of Northern Heights High School, not only had deep ties to the university but to the Emporia and Lyon County communities as well. Arndt was only three days away from his 19th birthday on the day that he was killed.

That day, Ardnt decided to celebrate by doing what he loved the most - hunting. He and two friends had set up a number of goose decoys when a truck pulled up and fired a single shot. At the time, it was presumed the shot was being fired at the decoys. The shot that hit Arndt in the chest was fatal. The driver of the truck fled from the scene.

It was later revealed that Kent was the man that had fired the fatal shot. Kent’s trial took place over the summer and he was convicted on June 30. As reported by the Emporia Gazette, Kent stated that he believed he was shooting at a coyote from his truck.

The Gazette also reported that Kent was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and two misdemeanors, which include criminal misdemeanor and criminal discharge of a firearm. These convictions resulted in Kent being sentenced to approximately three years in prison. At the time of the Gazette’s press release, the Arndt family had filed for a wrongful death suit against Kent.

A great deal of Arndt’s family and friends were present in court for the proceedings this summer. Although the trial brought forward many emotions, many felt that the final result brought about justice, including Ardnt’s family.

“I believe that the trial got the job done,” said Bob Arndt, father of Beau. “It carried out the law. If you do something wrong you will be punished for it. We got justice.”

Others felt that justice can never be fully granted where Ardnt’s death is concerned.

“Honestly it didn’t matter to me if he got max sentence or just one day,” Leffler said. “No matter what, nothing is going to bring Beau back”

The healing process continues to be a long journey for the friends and family of Beau Arndt. The outpouring of support from the communities surrounding Emporia, as well as the university, has been a great help to his family.

“We of course have our good days and bad days,” Bob Arndt said. “We have support from our great friends as well as the college. Beau went to the university for a semester but since his death we have had so much support from them.”

Now the greatest concern for Ardnt’s family and friends is to be certain that his name, as well as the circumstances of his death, are not soon forgotten. Arndt’s life and story have inspired many organizations to step forward and create a variety of programs in his memory. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has created a video through their Hunter Safety Education program which details the story of Arndt to promote smart hunting. The video is six minutes long and can be viewed at the organization’s Web site.

To be certain that Arndt will always have a tie to ESU, a scholarship has been created in his name. The scholarship “Love for the Outdoors” was proposed by Chuck Gardner and the organization “Hunt for Hunger,” a local group that hosts hunting competitions in which all collected meat is given to families in need. All hunters must pay an entrance fee in order to participate in the event. Gardner decided to use the funds from this event to help the Ardnt family start a scholarship in Beau’s memory.

The Arndt family joined forces with Mike Crouch, the development officer of special projects at ESU, to lay out the foundation work for the scholarship. It was decided that the scholarship would be made available to incoming freshmen majoring in Biological or Earth sciences with a 2.5-3.5 grade point average. The department of Biological Sciences will award the scholarship and preference will be given to students from Northern Heights High School.

“The scholarship is an endowed scholarship, meaning that it will be available annually,” Crouch said. “It is way for Emporia State to have something with Beau’s name on it for decades.”

The amount of the award has yet to be determined. Funds for the scholarship are still being accepted and those who would like to make a donation can send checks to the ESU Foundation with the name Beau Arndt in the memo line. “Hunt for Hunger” will continue to donate money to strengthen the scholarship.

The death of Arndt has shocked and touched the lives of many throughout the Emporia community. However, his death has brought forth much support for his family and friends as well as many memorial efforts throughout the community. Arndt’s parents encourage ESU students to remember the story of their son and live life to its fullest.

“I used to tell Beau to have fun and be safe,” Bob Arndt said. “I hope that everybody is safe. Have fun and be safe.”