Sadness

TigerBlog was all set to tell you about the amazing experience he and the men's lacrosse travel party had at the Barcelona-Villarreal game last night.

Today's not the day for that, however. Not with the news of the passing of Princeton junior Misrach Ewunetie. Here is the University's official statement:

It is with great sadness that we share heartbreaking news about the death of Misrach Ewunetie ’24.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Public Safety have announced that Misrach’s body was found on campus earlier today. An autopsy will determine her cause of death, but they said there were “no obvious signs of injury and her death does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature.”

Since Misrach was reported missing on Sunday, the Department of Public Safety has been working closely with local and state law enforcement and does not believe there is any related threat to campus or the surrounding area.

Misrach’s death is an unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her.

We are planning an opportunity for students to join together and remember Misrach. Information about the gathering will be shared separately when details are known.

We know this is an upsetting time for our community, especially Misrach’s fellow students. There are many people and resources on campus that are here for you. Members of the University community may contact the following resources for support, guidance and counsel:

Students

Counseling and Psychological Services

• Call 609-258-3141 during business hours.
• After hours, contact the counselor on call by calling our main number 609-258-3141 and pressing 2 to speak with the counselor on call.

Faculty and staff

Carebridge

• To speak with a licensed professional and begin counseling, call Carebridge at 800-437-0911. Counseling services are available 24/7.
• Carebridge offers free, in-person counseling at the Employee Wellness Center at 350 Alexander Street on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Schedule your appointment online. Parking is available onsite.

All other inquiries should call the Princeton University Emergency Hotline at 609-258-7000.

Princeton is a close-knit community, and we mourn Misrach together.

My thoughts are with you all,

VP W. Rochelle Calhoun

As the parent of a recent Princeton grad, TB can't possibly fathom the pain that the Ewunetie family must be feeling. It's impossible to comprehend.

When TB went to goprincetontigers.com yesterday, he found the lead story was of the passing of the great Ralph DeNunzio. He was a giant among Princeton alums, not to mention a real gentleman who had a huge kind heart and always a nice word. 

Ralph was 90 years old. You can read more about him HERE and HERE.

All of this comes one week after TB attended the funeral of 28 year old Brett Incollingo, who played high school lacrosse with TigerBlog Jr. and then played at Stevens Tech when current Tiger head coach Matt Madalon was an assistant coach and current men's lacrosse Director of Operations Drew Cottrell was a teammate. 

Brett was an intense athlete with a huge personality. TigerBlog saw him grow up and develop into a great player, not to mention a super nice kid from a great family. He was also about the best looking guy you ever hoped to see.

Brett took his own life for reasons that TB cannot understand. Whatever happened to Misrach, TB again can't begin to understand. Ralph was fortunate to have lived such a long and wonderful life, and yet learning of his passing still stung.

The other thing TB was going to write about tonight was the football game at Harvard. It's a very big game between Ivy unbeatens, to be followed tomorrow by another showdown of Ivy unbeatens when Yale goes to Penn. The game tonight kicks off at 7 and can be seen on ESPNU.

If you watch the game, enjoy it.

At the same time, though, please think of the Ewunetie family, the Incollingo family and the DeNunzio family. Think of the pain they're in, and share the sadness that they are all feeling today. 

TB will tell you about the Barcelona game next week. And he'll talk about the big football game too.

Today, though, is a day of sadness. It's not a day to try to understand or contemplate the unfairness. It's just a day to be sad, and to recommit to caring deeply about those you love. 

TB sends his deepest condolences to those who are mourning.