Madie Nicpon, a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences, suffered a tragic accident on Saturday and has since died, according to a series of emails signed by Dean of Student Affairs Camille Lizarríbar, University President Anthony Monaco and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences James Glaser.
Nicpon, of Suffern, N.Y., was a biopsychology major and a member of the Tufts women’s lacrosse team.
Organizers of a GoFundMe fundraiser to aid the Nicpon family in covering medical and funeral expenses remembered her warmth and kind spirit.
“Her contagious smile and laughter lit up every room," they wrote. "Her generosity and kindness has left a lasting impact on those around her."
A gathering of support was hosted by the University Chaplaincy on Sunday evening in the Gantcher Center. An email sent to the Tufts community on Monday noted that approximately 3,000 students, faculty and staff attended the gathering.
“The number of community members who turned out to lend support to each other, to Madie’s friends, and to her family was a testament to how many lives Madie touched during her time at Tufts,” Lizarríbar, Monaco and Glaser wrote in their email.
At the gathering, Monaco, University Chaplain The Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger and Catholic Chaplain Lynn Cooper shared remarks, and it was announced that Nicpon had died earlier that day. Those in attendance received candles and then processed to Bello Field, where candles were laid down around Nicpon’s lacrosse jerseys in the center of the field.
In their email, Lizarríbar, Monaco and Glaser listed resources available on campus, noting that the University Chaplaincy, Counseling and Mental Health Services and Dean of Student Affairs Office are all available for students. CMHS is holding drop in appointments all week between 12–1 p.m. Students can reach the counselor-on-call or the dean-on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 617-627-3360, and faculty and staff are encouraged to access the Tufts University Employee Assistance Program if they are in need of support.
The email noted that more information on a celebration of Nicpon’s life will be shared at a later time.
The Daily plans to publish another, more in-depth piece on Madie Nicpon to celebrate and memorialize her life and impact on Tufts and those closest to her. If you would like to share memories of Nicpon for publication, please email the Daily at daily@tuftsdaily.com.
