Student dies at weekend formal in Louisville

Junior Christine Wampler, 21, died at the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Ky., Sunday morning, said Robert Fraction, a deputy coroner from the Louisville coroner's office.\nLouisville Metro Police Officer Dwight Mitchell, who is investigating the death, said the cause of Wampler's death is still unknown. Fraction said an autopsy has been performed, but that officers will wait for the results of a toxicology test to determine the cause of death, which could take six to eight weeks.\nIU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said he had been made aware of the situation and that Wampler had been in Louisville on Saturday night for a formal event Phi Kappa Sigma, the fraternity commonly known as Skulls, was holding.\nMitchell said Louisville officers were dispatched to the hospital Sunday morning. He said officers were told that Wampler and her date had been staying in the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville after the formal event.\n"Apparently she must have had several drinks throughout the night, and when she returned to her room, she complained of being sick," Mitchell said. "Her friend said that when he woke up, he found her in the bathroom, unresponsive."\nMitchell said an ambulance transported Wampler to the University of Louisville Hospital. Fraction said Wampler died at about 9:30 a.m.\nPhi Kappa Sigma President Evan Hareras said the fraternity is providing grief counselors for brothers who are mourning, and that they plan to hold a private vigil for close friends of Wampler and fraternity members.\n"The brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic event," he said in an e-mail. "Our prayers and sympathies go out to the Christine Wampler family as they mourn for the loss of their daughter."\nDean of Students Dick McKaig said his staff had to help respond to the death because he had been out of town Monday attending the funeral of Nichole Birky, a junior who had died not even a week earlier.\n"We're trying to provide support through counseling for her friends and associates that we were able to identify," he said.\nMcKaig urged anyone who is grieving to visit the Counseling and Psychological Services at the Health Center. He said the counseling staff is available on a walk-in basis.\n"They are available if you have a strong need to talk to someone now," he said. "Also, we always encourage friends to provide support for each other."\nMcKaig also urged anyone to let administration officials or counselors know if they have friends who they believe need help coping with their grief.\nMcKaig said the University will talk to members of Phi Kappa Sigma in an attempt to find out exactly what happened.\n"We'll certainly be talking to representatives of the organization to see if they could provide any additional information," he said. "I'm sure they have been \ncooperative with the coroner's office down in Louisville."\nIn addition, MacIntyre said the University is waiting for the outcome of the police investigation and said, depending on the results it receives, could open its own investigation.\n"We don't know what happened yet, so it's really too early to speculate," he said. "Once we know what happened, there may be other University actions, but it's way too early to speculate."\nHamilton Smith, executive director for the Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity, said the national chapter has opened its own investigation but is currently focusing on providing support for Wampler's family and any members of Phi Kappa Sigma who might be experiencing grief.\n"We've been in discussion with the chapter to make sure that the family is being cared for during their time of grief and also to support our brothers," Smith said.\nSmith said he did not know when the investigation would be complete and that it would be dependent on written statements.\n"Our main concern at the moment is for the girl's family and our brother," he said.\nHareras said, so far, he had not been informed that an investigation was taking place.\n"I am unaware of any immediate investigations," he said. "Regardless, my focus remains on helping my brothers deal with this sudden and tragic loss."\nAssistant Dean of Students Steve Veldkamp did not return calls by press time.