I suspect that some posters suggesting that the fall was during a sports initiation may not really be speculating, but may have a connection to the Lafayette community. However, they may not want to admit that.
Lafayette is a small and close knit school and that type of information often spreads more quickly though the community than it does to the press.
Much2learn, so you are speculating that the others are not speculating? FWIW, my kid is a freshman at Laf and had no more details yesterday to offer than those that have been reported in the press.
…and sometimes the information that spreads via the grapevine isn’t accurate.
I saw online speculation like this about a kid who died in his dorm room early on a Sunday morning at my kid’s school. Some people assumed his death was due to drug or alcohol use whereas it turned out he died of natural causes due to a preexisting medical condition.
I may have my suspicions about how events unfolded for McCrae Williams, you may have suspicions about how events unfolded, but so far none of us here know what really happened and until we do I’d like to see people stop the speculations. This kid’s family and friends must be hurting terribly right now. Let’s not contribute to their pain by spreading gossip.
M2L, you said “I suspect” which means that my observation about your speculation was not speculation. I prefer not to speculate in matters like this and agree with Sue22. And whatever happened, it’s a tragedy.
Let’s just say that one thing matters, regardless, and what matters really has nothing to do with Lafayette college specifically.
The facts are that students drink. When students drink they sometimes fall. When they fall they may incur trauma, and the severity of the trauma can be masked by the alcohol. The result is that a lot of alcohol related deaths actually involve falls.
Therefore, students need to know that a trauma/fall significantly raises the degree of caution needing in assessing a drunk person, and so they should decide to call 911 sooner.
They should call 911 if an intoxicated person experiences trauma/falls and:
The trauma/fall was significant. (Such as falling down a flight of stairs, or out a window, or off of a roof, as opposed to falling down on the ground)
The person is unconscious, even briefly. (It's different from being asleep. If they are asleep, you can wake them up.)
The person is confused, has slurred speech, is not making good eye contact, is tired, or feels cold.
There is significant head, face, chest, or abdominal bleeding or bruising. (Bruising may not appear at first)
The person stops breathing.
If you are unsure: call 911! Alcohol plus trauma is dangerous.
If even one person in the group thinks 911 should be called, always call. Do not dispute it.
Even one person in a group that understands the increased risk/danger of alcohol plus trauma/falling may save a life.
Here’s another #8. Even if you think the person will be mad at you the next day for calling 911.
My daughter’s freshman roommate while upchucking from overuse of alcohol, passed out with her face in the toilet. My daughter thought she would drown, and got the RA who called the ambulance. She was as mad as a wet hen the next day, oh yeh, but better that than DOA.
Terribly sad. My D lost a friend her freshman year at Lafayette who was a freshman member of the fencing team. Day drinking, passed out/fell asleep on his back, choked on his own vomit, found unresponsive. This was 6 years ago and I believe this is the first since then. One is too many and two in 6 years at a school with only 2,400 kids is not good. M2L and preppedparent have it right about awareness. If any doubt, get help.
@prepparent - something similar happened with my step daughters suite mates. One of the girls was so drunk and she was throwing up everywhere, the others got worried and called the RA. The RA of course called an ambulance and the girls parents found out etc. But yes, she is still alive to be mad.
IMO all colleges (certainly including Lafayette) should do a MUCH better job of educating incoming freshmen about drinking dangers – maybe have a one day or half day in person program during orientation. I think colleges don’t always discuss it head on because freshmen are officially underage – but there is no getting around the fact that college students drink and freshmen are most apt to have an issue as they are the most inexperienced drinkers.