By Lauren del Valle and Ehlayna NapolitanoNEWS EDITORS
On Sunday, April 19, sophomore Olivia McClellan passed away in Enterprise Hall. The cause of her death remains undisclosed. However, her memory has elicited an outpouring of condolences and aid to her family in an effort to cope with the tragedy as a community.
Friends and those that knew her described her as passionate and reserved. However, as one of her professors said, she had a strong sense of justice and admirable strength.
“You didn’t really know her that well but she was part of [the] community... how much somebody matters... creates a wound,” said Dr. Lauren Kozol, an Honors College faculty mentor and Writing Studies professor.
Kozol reflected upon her time as McClellan’s Culture and Expression professor and stated that she was a “highly intelligent” student, with insight and a “fire in her eyes.” The young woman was a deep thinker with a sense of humor that Kozol felt was important to remember. However, she was also a reserved person, who was quiet in class, but always with an insightful comment when called upon.
“She was somebody who kept her guard up but she did have close friends,” Kozol said. She remarked that she felt McClellan was a good friend to those close to her.
Luke Pelton, a graduate sports science student who was friends with McClellan, agreed that friendship was a very important thing to her. “She really valued the friendship that people offered her,” Pelton said. “Coming to Long Island was really rough and having that close group of friends meant a lot. You could tell she valued it.”
Kozol was a part of several events held in memory of and in support of the community after McClellan’s death. These events have included bracelet making and an open forum for people who wanted to share emotions and memories. According to Pelton, McClellan loved bracelets and often made bracelets for herself.
Other events included a memorial service in front of Hofstra USA and a small, intimate gathering of a few students in HUHC offices with Kozol and Dean Warren Frisina.
In that discussion, Kozol said, there was a feeling of pervasive responsibility and wishing that more could have been done to prevent what happened to McClellan.
“It was helpful to discuss it and realize, of course, the people that feel that [way] are the people that did the most,” Kozol said.
On Thursday, April 23, the formal University memorial service was held in front of Hofstra USA at 7 p.m. Dozens of people gathered in front of of the building and shared memories of McClellan. Kozol and others spoke about their personal connections to McClellan and to her story. A moment of silence was observed.
Attendees could also take rainbow-beaded bracelets that were found in Olivia’s room that she had made.
Members of various faculty departments and student religious organizations were also part of the memorial. McClellan’s father spoke as part of the memorial service on Thursday and thanked the community for sharing the side of her that her family at home did not get to see. The small tribute displayed for the memorial service remains in front of Hofstra USA.
The memorial was a “community effort” among several different departments, that collaborated to create the event, said Dean of Students Sofia Pertuz. It allowed those gathering in McClellan’s memory to “come together and support each other as a community,” according to Pertuz.
A notice was sent to students on Wednesday, April 19, which stated that McClellan had passed away in Enterprise Hall on Sunday.
“The entire Hofstra community is saddened by the loss of Olivia McClellan,” an official University statement said. “... As a community, we mourn for Olivia and extend our thoughts and prayers to her friends and family during this difficult time.”
McClellan’s family also issued a public statement for the media, which thanked everyone who participated in the gofundme campaign started by McClellan’s aunt, Dina Ferrell Acreman. The page exceeded its initial goal of $3,500 to cover the family’s plane tickets to New York. The campaign has now begun working toward a goal of $15,000 to cover funeral costs as well. Of that, over $10,000 has been raised.
“Olivia was a beloved daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, cousin and friend – a caring, creative spirit who will endure in our hearts and memories,” an official statement from the McClellan family stated. “We know that the outpouring of love that we have received will sustain us, and we will always be grateful for the kindness so many have shown us and Olivia.”