By Ben Brown ’14
Photo by Ally Hill ‘15 | The Lafayette
It’s been a year now.
Teary-eyed students locked arms, blew into tissues, and sniffled as they observed the vigil and memorial service for Everett Glenn ‘15 on Saturday night and Sunday morning, respectively.
The day was also a reminder of the drawbacks of excessive alcohol consumption.
Glenn, widely recognized for his friendly and energetic demeanor, died of acute ethanol intoxication on May 5, 2012. It was also his 19thbirthday.
At the Saturday service, songs were sung, poems were read, and biblical verses were recited in Glenn’s memory. College Chaplain Alex Hendrickson also read aloud a letter from the Glenn family, who chose not to attend.
“We hope that his death has provided some new life lessons,” the letter read. “And that the Lafayette community now has a better understanding of the potential dangers of irresponsible alcohol consumption and will begin moving toward more responsible behaviors in the future.”
The day of Glenn’s death will also go down as the last “All-College Day” in Lafayette history, this year being replaced by the Spring Concert.
“The entire program was designed to help students have a fun break from study at the end of the semester, enjoy a musical concert of a performer that they really like—this is a big get for us—but not behave in destructive ways,” said President Daniel H. Weiss on having the Spring Concert on the former All-College Day. “And All College Day had devolved in recent years into an exercise in excessive drinking and self-destructive behavior. So we’ve changed it.”
Candles were distributed to those who attended the vigil and were lit in Glenn’s memory. Glenn’s freshman year roommate, Stephen Bezer ‘15, opened the vigil and shared his feelings.
“Everyone loved him,” Bezer said of his former roommate. “I feel like a broken record saying that, but it’s true.”
Summer 2012 was difficult, Bezer said, because of the grieving he endured over his roommate’s death. He has taken comfort in talking about his feelings and sharing his memories about Glenn.
“It’s just a time for us to be close,” Bezer said to the mourners at the vigil. “[Glenn] might be gone, but his presence is still here.”
Mourners were invited to share their own experiences and thoughts. There were long silences between the shared stories.
Luke Chiarolanzio ‘15 lived on the second floor of Kirby House with Glenn and knew him well.
“What I felt most was anger,” Chairolanzio said on dealing with Glenn’s death. “I was angry about it; I didn’t want to come back to school. I don’t want to mourn his life – I want to celebrate it.”
“I called him ‘Hips’,” Jessica London ‘13 said. “He would always go up to people he did or did not know and just try to dance salsa. It was just one of the highlights –” London then cut herself off, overcome with emotion.
Glenn’s legacy was further honored by the dedication of a bench and a plaque in front of Kirby House.