SDSU Copes After Death Of Student

by Breanna Fuss, Reporter
December 12, 2012 6:08 PM


Student and faculty at South Dakota State University are mourning the loss of a fellow Jackrabbit Wednesday. According to school officials a 19-year-old from Pickstown was found dead in his Binneweis Hall dorm room late Tuesday. School officials said friends described him as someone who was always smiling.

“He had a lot of friends, he was always smiling. And he played a guitar, he was always playing in the hallway,” said Marysz Rames, Vice President of Student Affairs at South Dakota State University.

Marysz Rames is the Vice President of Student Affairs at South Dakota State University.
She said the loss of the sophomore advertising major is an out of the ordinary tragedy for the school. But she said when someone does pass; school officials work quickly to make sure students know they are not alone.
 
“We started working with students on the floor. Students are up studying for finals anyways so they were already moving about in the halls,” said Rames.

Rames said once faculty and student leaders were notified, a hall meeting was held to inform students. Then immediately after, students were able to seek counseling.

“Some students have already seek out counseling last night and councilors were in the hall,” said Rames.

Rames said she and her staff wanted students who knew the boy to know they had someone to talk to.

“It’s important that you talk to our certified councilors about how you are feeling and that you work through the situation with them and reach out appropriately,” said Rames.

And with it being finals week, Rames has also reached out to those school officials in charge of students’ academics. She said right now finals could wait until students are able to cope and mourn.

“We have worked through that side too, it is finals week, so we can continue to provide resources to those students,” said Rames.

SDSU is a giant family according to Rames. And she and her staff have worked tirelessly since late Tuesday to make sure that entire family is taken care off.  

Police and University officials have now confirmed the death as a suicide.