Student found dead at Delta Zeta sorority

Junior Nichole Birky, 21, died Wednesday morning in her Delta Zeta bedroom from causes unknown at this time, said IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger.\nMinger said Birky's roommate discovered her dead at about 10:30 a.m. after she went to wake her up before leaving for class. Members of Delta Zeta told police they had last spoken with her at about 2 a.m.\nMinger said the cause of death has not yet been identified, but it is under investigation by the IU Police Department and the Monroe County coroner.\n"They did say she had been feeling ill for the last few days," Minger said. "There was no evidence or indication of foul play at all."\nMinger said EMTs arrived at the Delta Zeta house shortly after 10:30 a.m. and when they found Birky in her bed "it appeared that she had died sometime earlier."\nDean of Students Dick McKaig said representatives from the University's Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of Greek Affairs and the Campus Ministry were at the house throughout Wednesday, trying to respond to the needs of Birky's family and friends.\n"We're still in the process of trying to be sure everyone is notified and providing what support we can," he said.\nMinger said officers notified Birky's family, and McKaig said IU is extending its counseling services to the family, as well.\n"At this point in time, we're trying to respond to any of the needs of the family," McKaig said. "I talked to (Birky's) grandmother, but I haven't talked to her parents yet."\nMcKaig said IU offers a variety of services for grieving students and urged friends and family members of Birky to take advantage of them. He said students can visit CAPS, which is located on the fourth floor of the health center, without an appointment. He also said representatives from the Student Activities Office and the campus religious groups have said they are "eager to help."\n"Those are some of the first resources people would turn to," McKaig said. "Obviously, they would also want to turn to their friends and family."\nIU Health Center director Hugh Jessop said that although the cause of death is unknown at this time, officials have been given no reason so far to believe there is an issue of public health at stake.\n"What we've asked is that the coroner let us know if there is a public health connection," he said. "There's nothing right now that suggests there is a public health communicable problem."\nMinger said Monroe County Coroner David Toumey indicated that an autopsy would be performed, but Toumey was not available for comment by press time. Jessop said the health center will wait for autopsy results. If the results indicated that the cause of death were a result of a communicable disease, he said, the center would take action from there.\n"There won't be a whole lot more to guide the investigation until we hear from the coroner," Minger said.