Freshman dies after falling from Briscoe

Freshman Michael L. Green was found dead on arrival early Sunday morning after falling from a ninth-floor window of Briscoe-Gucker, said IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger.\nStudents gathered Sunday night in memoriam and held a candlelight vigil for Green, a transfer student from Purdue.\nThe 19-year-old was spotted as IUPD Officer Randy Frye was on his way home after being on duty Saturday night.\n"Frye turned left from Fee Lane onto 17th when he noticed the male lying on the ground in front of Briscoe, the side facing Fee Lane," Minger said. "At this point, it appears there was no foul play involved. Nobody else was involved, and his last known contact was between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m."\nMinger said, so far, the case is not being classified as a suicide or an accident.\n"There will be no final determination until (the coroner's office) have completed their report, after we complete our investigation and determine what was the final cause," Minger said. "We still have to wait for the medical reports, toxicology analysis, and we'll talk to witnesses."\nEarlier that evening, Green had consumed alcohol and was given a citation by IUPD officers, Minger said.\n"He was cited for illegal consumption on the south side of the Sigma Pi fraternity," Minger said. "At the time, he was not so intoxicated that the officer had felt he needed to be arrested for public intoxication, so it was probably a relatively small amount of alcohol that he had."\nMinger said though Green had been issued the citation, he would not speculate as to whether alcohol played any role in the incident.\n"Who's to say what would tip the scales one way or the other?" Minger asked.\nStudents in both Briscoe-Gucker and Shoemaker had mandatory meetings with their Residence Assistants where they were told about the incident. Flyers were posted around the dorms with numbers and contacts for counseling service if students needed it.\nLast Monday, an IU student survived a jump from the eighth floor of Ballantine Hall in an apparent suicide attempt.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said students undergoing stress should seek some of the counseling services IU offers. "We certainly want the word to be out to students that counseling and support services are available if students are feeling stressed," McKaig said. "I know that our RA's are doing the best they can do to be on the look-out and reach out to students who are stressed. I think this message is just a reminder for us all that, if indeed there are students who need assistance, we need to be there for them."\nMcKaig said while the approach of finals may cause some concern, the emphasis should remain on helping out those in need.\n"Clearly at the end of the semester, all kinds of additional pressures are placed on students, and so, in that sense, I think there's certainly heightened concern when you have any kind of a tragedy at the end of the semester," McKaig said. "In that sense, certainly there are additional concerns, additional reasons for people to seek out others if they feel themselves having stress and to be sensitive to our friends and those around us if they seem to be having difficulty dealing with some issues."\nWhile the investigation into Green's death continues, students gathered together to remember their friend for the way he lived. Nearly 40 students gathered outside the dorm where Green died to light candles and mourn.\nOne student played the guitar as others embraced each other and cried around the candlelight memorial the students had made. Hometown friends came together with new ones to remember Green. Some knelt before a cross and could only bow their heads in prayer.\nSome of Green's friends described him as "a saint" and a guy who would "give you the shirt off his back," while others were too upset to bring themselves to talk.\nEarlier, students spoke about their memories with Green and said he was "the type of guy who didn't want you to know he was hurting and always wanted to be seen with a smile."\nOne student said even though she wasn't best friends with him, she didn't have to be because he was the nicest guy to everyone.\nA hometown friend said the large gathering serves to show what type of a guy Green was.\n"We don't want him to be just another number," he said. "We don't want him to be remembered by the way that he died, but, rather, by the way that he lived."\n-- Contact staff writer Mallory Simon at mgsimon@indiana.edu.