What to Know
- A 22-year-old senior at NYC's Fordham University plunged from the campus' iconic clock tower to her death early Sunday
- Officials said it appears Sydney Monfries fell through a hole in one of the tower's stairway landings when she climbed it for a better view
- Fordham officials said they were investigating how the students gained access to the tower, which is normally locked
The 22-year-old Fordham University senior who fell to her death from the school’s iconic clock tower will be laid to rest Monday, according to reports.
Sydney Monfries, a senior, went to the Keating Hall clock and bell tower with friends around 3 a.m. April 14 to see the sprawling skyline and somehow apparently fell through a hole in one of the stairway landings.
Emergency responders found Monfries lying on the ground inside the tower with trauma to her head and body.
She later died, weeks before her college graduation.
A viewing will be held for Monfries’ family and friends at 10 a.m. Monday at the Mt. Neboh Baptist Church on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem, according to the NY Post. The private ceremony will be followed by a public service at the church at noon and then her burial at 3 p.m.
According to the Post, Monfries’ family also announced plans for a memorial service to be held in Portland this upcoming Saturday and asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Heart Association.
Local
In a statement to Fordham students and faculty late Sunday, Fordham University President Joseph McShane said the school would award Monfries a posthumous bachelor's degree and present it to her parents "at an appropriate time."
"There are no words sufficient to describe the loss of someone so young and full of promise -- and mere weeks from graduation," McShane said. "Our hearts go out to Sydney’s parents, and her family and friends -- theirs is an unimaginable loss, and we share their grief."
The Gothic clock tower is off-limits to students, according to a 2013 article in The Fordham Ram. But the ban makes it all the more appealing for students to sneak up and witness breathtaking views, according to multiple reports.
Fordham officials said they were investigating how the students gained access to the tower, which is normally locked.
