A 22-year-old senior at Fordham University tragically passed away over the weekend after she fell from the peak of the campus bell tower.
According to a report from the New York Times, Fordham University senior Sydney Monfries passed away over the weekend during an unauthorized trip with friends to the top of the campus bell tower. According to the report, Monfries slipped and fell down the inside of the tower. She was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she passed away on Sunday evening.
“There are no words sufficient to describe the loss of someone so young and full of promise — and mere weeks from graduation,” Fordham University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, said in an email to the community.
Monfries has captured the earlier portion of her trip up the bell tower in a Snapchat video. The video which included the caption “Bell tower,” was posted to her Snapchat account on Sunday morning.
Fordham students have admitted that a trip to the top of the bell tower is a rite of passage for some students before their graduation. The Fordham University student newspaper even featured quotes from students who had climbed to the peak of the tower.
“It’s like a senior thing to go on the most popular building on campus,” one student said. “Recently people heard the door was open or found a passageway. They usually go late at night at around 1 or 2 a.m. to drink and see the view.”
Monfries was scheduled to graduate from Fordham University in May.
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