Boyarski Update           Top of  page                           Article

Reported that the coroner's office has determined that Colin Boyarski died of acute alcohol intoxication. Colin was found in a field near the Kenyon College campus.

Remembering Colin                        Top of  page                      Article

Provides remembrances of Colin Boyarski by friends and family.

 By Nick Worner, News Staff Writer

Reported on questions are being raised about alcohol use among college students and what can be done about it. Included was the following from the parent of a student:

“No one can genuinely be surprised that such a tragedy has taken place,” Humphrey stated in the letter. “Regardless of the exact outcome of the toxicology investigation, the school’s lax enforcement of Ohio’s laws on under-age drinking added up to a disaster waiting to happen.”

The administration responded: “We are very much of the opinion that students are responsible for their lives and we encourage them to make responsible choices.  Every case is different, and while we have some standard sanctions for alcohol violations, our process is educational, so we want to assess each student’s situation independently.”

The article further reports on the difficulty the parent has in accepting the situation and the challenges the College encounters in controlling the abuse of alcohol.

Death on campus

Under the Influence / An occasional series on college drinking            Top of  page

Sunday, April 01, 2007                                                                                               Article

Reported on alcohol use on campuses using Colin Boyarski's sad fate as an example of the consequences.  Cited the results of Colin's autopsy which revealed he  had a blood-alcohol level of 0.43, more than five times the legal limit for an adult in Ohio.

Kenyon College revisited their policies but  ""Just a few weeks ago we had an unresponsive female in a dorm," said Knox County Sheriff David Barber, recounting another alcohol emergency at the school.  The difference, he said, was that Kenyon student survived."

Included in the report were other recent deaths on campuses in Pittsburgh such as University of Pittsburgh student Leland Holly IV, 23, whose acute alcohol intoxication contributed to his death when he  fell down the concrete front steps of a home during a party and sustained a fatal brain injury and  Duquesne University student Meredith Kenneff, 20, who died of alcohol poisoning.

The article extensively covers the extent that alcohol abuse is present on campuses, the college's reaction to the problem, and the challenges faced in mitigating the risks of alcohol abuse.

(Bill Schackner can be reached at bschackner@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1977. )

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