Campus Mourns

First-year student Eric Van de Laar passed away in his residence hall Thursday evening, SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian said.

Christian sent a series of campus-wide emails in the aftermath of Van de Laar’s death. The first, which notified the campus community of the tragedy, was sent the evening of his passing. According to the email, investigators found no evidence of foul play.

According to the email, Van de Laar was found unresponsive and non-breathing in his dorm room. University Police responded immediately once a call from residence life had been made.

Christian encouraged email recipients to seek out grief counseling if needed.

“The death of a student is one of the most difficult issues a campus community can deal with, and this is a time to come together to support all who are affected by this loss, including the student’s friends and family,” Christian said.

An email identifying Van de Laar was sent out on Friday, Feb. 7. Christian said Van de Laar’s parents had been notified, and they would soon receive a medical examiner’s report. He also said police had officially ruled out foul play, and that a cause of death was pending.

The final email from Christian was sent out on Feb. 10. In it, he said funeral services for Van de Laar, who was a native of Monroe, N.Y., would be held on Thursday, Feb. 13 at Sacred Heart Church in Monroe at 10 a.m. Visitation hours were on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m.