Thursday, April 19, 2007
Partahi Lumbantoruan: Ph.D. candidate wanted to teach in native Indonesia
Partahi Lumbantoruan
- Age: 34
- Status: Ph.D. candidate
- Concentration: Civil and environmental engineering
- Hometown: Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia
- Father: Tohom Lumbantoruan
- Blacksburg residence: University City Boulevard
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Partahi "Mora" Lumbantoruan was a tall man from a military family in Indonesia, but was known more for his shy demeanor and work ethic.
Lumbantoruan, 34, was killed Monday in Norris Hall.
He came to Virginia Tech in early 2004 seeking his master's degree. Marte Gutierrez, who served as his academic adviser, said Lumbantoruan was a quiet student who was focused on furthering his education.
"He wanted to get a Ph.D. and go back to teach in his country," Gutierrez said.
Soon after he arrived, Lumbantoruan met up with Soonkie Nam, 33, a grad student from South Korea. The two shared an interest in civil engineering, and because they were five to seven years older than most students, they became friends.
"He was very shy and calm," Nam said. "He had a lot of thoughts inside. He was very sincere. He was like my older brother."
The two spent most of their time studying in the library. Lumbantoruan, still new to the United States, frequently looked to Nam for advice on dealing with cultural differences.
"He told me he was not accustomed to traditional American behavior," Nam said. "He'd ask me how to act so he did not make others uncomfortable."
After earning his master's degree, Lumbantoruan began to seek his Ph.D. and received his own desk and chair in a room in the civil engineering department.
One day, Nam said, another student came along and took Lumbantoruan's desk without asking.
"The one guy just occupied Mora's desk," Nam said. "Mora told me he has to move to the other desk. I told him, 'Mora, complain about that officially and take the desk back.' Then Mora told me, 'Oh, it's OK. There are several desks there, and I can just move to the other one. If I ask the guy to move out he might be uncomfortable.' "
Rhondy Rahardja knew Lumbantoruan as one of his 14 fellow Tech students from Indonesia.
"He had a military background and was a really straight person," Rahardja said. "He looks like a really tough guy, but if you know him he was a really sweet caring person. He would help you no matter what."
The Indonesian ambassador called to inform Lumbantoruan's family early Tuesday, according to Riaz Saehu, press secretary for the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
His father, Tohom Lumbantoruan, is a retired Army officer.
"This is the destiny I have to face," he told Indonesian news Web site Detikcom.
"Since media ran reports of the shooting rampage, I have been praying the Lord for my son's soul to keep," he said. "I kept waiting a phone call from my son. But it was a phone call from the Indonesian ambassador in the U.S. that came to me, telling my son was one of the victims."
The family has requested the body be transported back to Indonesia for a funeral.
Rahardja said that Sunday he saw Partahi Lumbantoruan at Virginia Tech's international street fair, where the group of Indonesian students had been selling food. As Rahardja drove Lumbantoruan home, they celebrated their success. Rahardja suggested the group go out to eat this week.
"He was like, 'Oh yeah, that'll be fun.' The sad part is we did get together yesterday, but it was not what I expected."
"It was everyone minus him."
-- Mason Adams
