Cornell Blog: An unofficial blog about Cornell University

Warren J. Schor died of complications from H1N1 swine flu at Cayuga Medical Center on September 11, 2009. The sophomore was attending Cornell University to study economics and management in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Schor was hospitalized since September 3rd after being admitted with flu symptoms; the presence of swine was diagnosed one day before Schor died. Schor lived in a fraternity house on campus.

Untitled photo, Facebook, May 22, 2008

Schor’s family has created an In memory of Warren Schor website with photographs; there are also several Facebook groups in his memory: Warren Schor RIP We Love You and In loving memory of Warren J. Schor.

At least 520 students at Cornell have reported flu-like symptoms. For more information about swine flu at Cornell, please see CU and the Flu.

I was surprised to get this message from a guy on Facebook I didn’t know. It didn’t make any sense at the time:

I just heard about a Cornell kid dying on Slope Day (but havent read anything on the Cornell Sun/Cornell Chronicle, etc.) — All I know is that it was a student who drank a lot and ended up drowning in a pool (at a fraternity house? — but I dont even know if thats true). Just something I heard from a friend of a friend. Was wondering if you knew anything more.

Well, thanks to an article “Alex Holiat ‘06 Dies at 22“, now we know where this rumour came from:

Alex Holiat ‘06 died earlier this week in Tempe, Ariz., the Arizona Republic reported. Holiat, 22, was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday. According to officials, Holiat suffered a head injury. Police are still investigating, but found no indications of foul play. According to Facebook, Holiat was a native of Havertown, Pa. and attended Archbishop John Carroll High School.

Click to see the full version…

Summer heat in Arizona, dehydration, sunstroke, and a large swimming pool don’t play well together. On average, only 90 people die in Arizona of drowning each year, about 1/3 in swimming pools. It’s a shame that a promising Cornell alum would go like this. Remember Alex as the smiling friend you knew. Rest in peace, Holiat.

Update: We retract our strong speculations that alcohol was involved in Alex Holiat’s drowning, as there has been no public finding released to this effect. However, according to the CDC, “Alcohol use was involved in 25-50% of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation.”