Respecting the Life and Memory of Sydney Monfries
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On the morning of Sunday, April 14, members of the Fordham community received an email from Public Safety informing them that a student was critically injured in a fall from the Keating Hall clock tower.
Updates from Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, on the condition of Sydney Monfries, FCRH ’19, continued throughout the day, notifying individuals of a mass held in her honor and of her ultimate passing.
The coverage of the incident by the New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily Mail and Inside Edition, among others, was offensive and irresponsible journalism.
There are opportunities for exciting storytelling in news journalism, and there are moments when this style of reporting is completely inappropriate. Similarly, there are times when the sharing of sensitive information is justified and times when it is, unquestionably, not.
Fordham lost a valued member of its community this past Sunday.
The aforementioned outlets’ romanticization of the “forbidden” campus clock tower from which Sydney fell and the sensationalizing of the incident through its vivid description were as disrespectful as they were abhorrent.
The use of The Ram’s 2013 feature article in an attempt to portray the incident as the latest development in a systemic phenomenon involving mischievous student trips up the tower was misguided and misleading.
The positioning of her death as an attempt to “get a good picture for Instagram” and of Sydney as just another selfie-obsessed young person was obnoxious and despicable.
It is not the media’s place to create blame for an incident that is, at its core, senseless.
Sydney did not die because she and her friends succumbed to the “irresistible” “allure” of the iconic structure. Her death was not a failure to fulfill a mythicized “rite of passage” or a symptom of a student-wide thrill-seeking craze or social media takeover.
Sydney’s death was just tragic. Any news coverage that paints the incident with dramatic macabre or presents it as an indicator of some wider trend instead of the heart-wrenching accident it was is a shameful and inexcusable exploitation of her memory.
There are stereotypes that cast journalists as manipulative and ruthless storytellers who take advantage of high-interest situations for fleeting moments of visibility in return. It is unfortunate that many reporters fed into those tropes on Sunday.
The Ram chose not to disclose intimate details of the incident or to release Sydney’s identity before the university put out a statement in an attempt to be considerate of her loved ones. We wish other outlets had treated the incident with the same care.
We cannot imagine what it must be like for those close to Sydney to be exposed to such harrowing and exploitative depictions of an event that is already likely to stay in their hearts and minds forever.
The best way we at The Ram can show our respect to Sydney, her family and all those affected during this time is by reporting on her death with integrity. The best way we all as individuals can show our respect is by discussing her death in the same way.
We urge you — for this incident and all going forward — not to share or engage with the sort of journalistic coverage that exploits tragedy for its shock or entertainment value. We urge you to keep in mind the realities behind the dramatized narratives, as well as the real people behind them.
Sydney’s death was a life-altering occurrence in the lives of many people, on Fordham’s campus and elsewhere. It is a painful tragedy. It is not part of a larger phenomenon, and it should not be used as click-bait.
There is a palpable air of devastation at Rose Hill that outside reporters and readers do not nor cannot experience for themselves. This devastation has been exacerbated by the spectacle with which the tragedy is circulating throughout the media. The reporters and their respective outlets should feel ashamed of themselves for compounding the grief of a community so already heartbroken.
The Fordham community has a beautiful and organic tendency to come together during even the most difficult of times. Lean on the support systems — those offered by the university and those you have built yourself — that are available to you at this time and continue to expand those networks with care and integrity going forward.
Honor Sydney’s memory by strengthening your connections with one another and with all things genuine, and honor her by condemning the sensationalism surrounding her passing.
The Ram continues to send comfort and support to those close to the incident and to the Fordham community at large.
Counseling services are available in the Counseling and Psychological Services office in O’Hare Hall. They can be contacted at (718) 817-3725.
Residential Life staff is available in residence halls, and campus ministers are available around campus to speak with at any point. Campus Ministry can be reached at (718) 817-4500.
Bravo and kudo’s to the entire Fordham community that contributed to the thoughts and words that were directly and indirectly related to this article.
May her soul rest in peace and may her family, friends, fellow students and acquaintances receive the blessing of our Lord to deal with this event for the rest of their lives.
Grandfather of one of her fellow students.
Thank you. As the parent of a Fordham senior and good friend of Ms. Monfries, I was distressed to see much of the new coverage regarding this tragic event. I had the pleasure of meeting this amazing young woman and her family. My heart goes out to her family and to all of the other friends and family she touched. This was a horrible accident. Nothing more. Sydney will be missed (and remembered) by many.
As the parent of two Fordham grads my families thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends. No one can really understand what they are going through.
Very well said. As an alumni, I saw many of these articles shared on my Facebook feed this past week. I had many of the same thoughts and feelings in reading them. Truly tragic.
Thank you for this much needed editorial! It’s perfect.
This is incredibly well written and I hope whoever wrote this becomes a journalist because theirs is a voice to be heard. It’s regrettably rare to come across an article with such poise, passion, and respect as this one had.
What a genuine, moving article. A breath of fresh air among the reporting agencies covering this terrible accident. You are to be commended for taking the high road out of respect for Sydney and her tragic death. One can only hope that the well made points are heeded by others in the journalism community. Thank you for your effort to minimize the titillation factor and to treat the subject matter with dignity and respect.
Highest regards,
Deanna Unger
To the Fordham Ram:
Thank you for much for this trenchant and heartfelt editorial. We at Jesuit High School in Portland, OR, Sydney’s high school alma mater, also mourn Sydney’s loss,. We are doing our best to support and pray for and with Sydney’s family and friends in this moment of heartbreaking loss.
Your comments are right on point. Thanks again for your integrity and cura personalis.
Peace and prayers to all of you in the Bronx from your Ignatian sisters and brothers in Portland. We are feeling the agony of Good Friday right now, but looking to the promise of the Resurrection and an Easter rising for Sydney, and all of us.
Paul J. Hogan
Principal
Jesuit High School
Thank you for writing this and speaking out against the injustice from other articles published. I went to high school with Sydney, and while we were merely acquaintances, I was shocked when I woke up to numerous articles on Facebook and Google about her passing, detailing the grief her family suffered through in those early moments, and depicting her as careless and vain; as if trying to make light of the incident. I can’t even begin to imagine how articles like those must have affected her family and those close to her. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and the Fordham community. Again, thank you for speaking out and standing up for Sydney and her family.
My prayers are with Sydney’s family. My hope would be that the Class of 2019 starts a tradition which somehow honors her life and the causes she believed in. We would love for her to be remembered for the way she lived!
I love this article. It gives such poignant perspective and how easy it is for folks to get caught up in salacious media habits.
Our son is a freshman at Fordham, living on Rose Hill campus, and although he didn’t know Sydney personally, he felt the impact of this horrible nightmare. Our family’s hearts & prayers go out to the Monfries Family as well as our Ramily.
My condolences to the family. There are no words for the loss of a child. May she rest in peace. The family of the late Matthew Dower Fordham ’96.
Thank you
I would like to believe, the great journalism professor Ray Scroth, SJ would be very proud of that article, as am I, class of ‘81.
I commend our students, who have shown wisdom beyond their years with this well composed editorial. As a first hand observer in this tragic situation, and many others that have taken place before it, they are absolutely on point. The behavior of those in the external media in this instance was disrespectful, intrusive and showed a complete lack of regard for a grieving family and community. I will spare all the details that would support this characterization, but they exist. Those in the world outside our gates could learn something from our students.
BRAVO! We, the Fordham family, stand by this tragic accident of one of kids in unity with our hearts broken . Her death shouldn’t be used by the sensationalistic media to sell fake news! Her passing must be respected for her family, her fellow RAM peers and all of us who are sadly mourning the tragic departure of one of our kids. My daughter knew Sydney and she sad and extremely troubled by her departure. All comments about Sydney in such a lose way are inadmissible and we, her Fordham family will not tolerate it! . May God bless her soul. May God give her parents the peace and strength during this time.
Thank you for this article. I did not know her. She was a human being and this is truly heartbreaking. As a parent I can’t imagine what her family must be going through. They deserve all the respect and privacy that can be given.
A compassionate, thoughtful and well written editorial.
Father of a junior at Lincoln Center
Thank you for your article shaming the news and their senseless sensationalism of this tragic incident. As a proud Fordham parent I highly respect and admire the university’ s sensitivity to the family and the entire student body and staff at Fordham. This is why we sent our daughter to Fordham.
God bless Sydney’s family and may she rest in the arms of our lord.
Sydney is my great niece. Lots of fond memories of her. Love her so much. Thanks for this article. I think it does her justice. She was such a beautiful, talented and incredible young lady. She will always be in our heart. Beautiful memories!! Rest In Peace Sydney, FLY HIGH !!
Thank you for your thoughtful, intelligent and truthful article. I have witnessed “the Fordham community having a beautiful and organic tendency to come together during even the most difficult of times”. This is a lifelong gift to be cherished. I cannot imagine the pain and sorrow for Sydney’s family and friends. I pray for their peace.
God bless,
Mary
Thank you for writing this. As someone who has lost a child I am glad you have pointed out that the unthinkable is often just an accident, a tragedy that could happen to any of us. It could have been us or our child . Sensationalizing it and subconsciously writing to apply blame to refute the thought that this couldn’t have happened to any of us is irresponsible and lacks any empathy.
Thank you for your eloquent and fitting reprimand. My heart goes out to her family and friends.
The Post should be ashamed of themselves and I grieve for Sydney’s parents having been exposed to such trash. The Fordham community will rally around those that need support, that’s what we did during our time on campus and have taken with us into our adult lives. Our time at Fordham taught us all to be better people, especially during the hard times. A wise man once told me “people’s true colors come out during difficult times” and that couldn’t be more true of the media vultures that devoured this unfortunate story.
Well presented. Thank you for reminding us to pause, stop the sensational storytelling and to focus on what is most real and most important. Sydney’s death was tragic and our focus should be on supporting her family and the Fordham student body. As a childhood classmate of Sydney’s dad, I believe he would want us to celebrate her, her life and the way she lived life out loud and not focus on how she died.
Thank you!!
Beautiful article, beautiful approach to such an enormous tragedy! Thank you for challenging us all to think before we speak, to pause before we write or post, to value human life above everything, and respect each other’s need for privacy. As a professor at Fordham, I am proud of our community, and especially proud of our students, often mature beyond their age! As a mother of a Fordham graduate… my heart goes to Sydney’s family. This is a loss that no words can describe! And I am so sorry that on top of such an unimaginable loss they had to deal with an invasion of their privacy and a distortion of the accident that took Sydney away from them… from us. Yet I do hope that this article gave them a different message: one of love, and care, and respect for them, and a commitment to honor Sydney’s memory as a wonderful Fordham student, and a beautiful human being!
This tragic accident was indeed treated in a sensational manner by a number of media outlets. The Ram’s editorial was spot on.
Many Sydney rest in the arms of Jesus and may her loving family find peace.
Bernie Gilmore
FCRH, 1963
Ram Reporter
Well done and thank you for this piece.
May comfort, grace, and peace overshadow the family, friends, and community as a whole in this tragic loss. May Sydney’s life speak beyond this tragedy and serve others as a reminder of the sacredness of life and the brevity of time. May leadership respond with sense of wholehearted commitment in their efforts to stem any possible opportunities for such an incident to reoccur. God bless all concerned.
Very thoughtful article and well written. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends and the Fordham community.
Proud Fordham Alum ’96