"If you can dream, you can do it!" \nThis single quote from Walt Disney dons Ashley Crouse's Thefacebook profile. Underneath are photos of her friends. They are the many people whose lives she has touched while spending a majority of her years giving her time and enthusiasm to different campus organizations. The news of her sudden death left those who knew her with an irreplaceable void.\n"Her best attributes were her energy and spontaneity," said her brother Charlie Crouse in a tired voice. "She was one of those people that brought everybody up around her because she was so social and outgoing. I feel she was sometimes over-involved, touching as many people as possible."\nCrouse, who was a senior by credit hours, made her home at IU at the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, where some of Crouse's closest friends remain, grieving over their loss.\nThe women of Kappa are bonding to provide comfort as each mourns in her own way, said Kappa Kappa Gamma President Andrea Whitehead. The sorority's Little 500 team will ride this weekend in honor of Crouse, who would from time to time train with the group.\n"Everyone is really holding on tight to each other," Whitehead said. "The entire house has pulled together."\nYet Crouse did not limit herself to bicycle races, as she became active in political contests this year by running as treasurer for the Kirkwood ticket in the 2005 IU Student Association elections.\nJim Hoff, who ran on the same ticket as Crouse, recalls one of his favorite memories with her from the campaign.\n"There was one time when over the summer when we were making banners for the Kirkwood campaign at her house, and her and my cousins started a spray paint fight," Hoff said. "That's the kind of person Ashley was, always finding humor in a situation."\nIU President Adam Herbert said many at IU are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Crouse's tragic death.\n"Our hearts go out to her family and friends, who have our most profound sympathies for this devastating loss," Herbert said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them."\nEven in high school, participating in organizations was an important priority for Crouse. She was the student body president of Carmel High School in 2002 and an Academic All-American lacrosse player.\nAfter receiving a phone call from IU Police Department officers on the scene, Dean of Students Richard McKaig went to Bloomington Hospital and spent close to four hours with Crouse's friends and family.\nMcKaig said he felt "a sense of what a tragedy it is that such a fine person has lost her life." He said he felt "a combination of helplessness and sadness" as he tried to give whatever support he could to those devastated by the accident. McKaig also stopped by the sorority at about 4:30 a.m. to provide counsel to members still awake.\nThroughout the day those who knew Crouse spoke about the way "she brightened everyone's life" and the way "she made the little things really seem big to people that barely knew her."\n"She just carried almost an aura with her of giving," Charlie Crouse said. "She was so outgoing. That is why people remember her from just meeting her once. You are always going to remember someone who asks you how your day is with the utmost enthusiasm."\nIn a space left for friends to communicate with Crouse on her Facebook wall, one of them echoes the feelings and thoughts of hundreds beginning the grieving process this week.\n"We will miss you Ashley. You and your family are in our prayers."\n-- Contact Campus Editor Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
Senior touches lives, leaves lasting memory through volunteering time, energy, enthusiasm to several organizations on campus
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