A memorial service was held for Alan Ebersole '07 Monday evening in the University Chapel to remember the student who was called a "force" and "presence" by his peers.
Hundreds of family members, friends, teammates and others gathered to remember Ebersole, who died Oct. 29 while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast during a training trip with the men's swimming and diving team.
After several Bible readings and a recitation of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If," Ebersole's friends Alexander Chiang '07, Meir Hasbani '07, Miles Cava '07 and Ryan Darby '07 and Spanish instructor Reem Iverson gave remembrances.
Referring to Ebersole by his nickname "Big Al," Ebersole's teammate Chiang said he was "so much more than the sum of his parts."
"When you were with him, you knew that you were getting complete honesty — it was contagious, too," he added.
Ebersole had a great impact on the rest of his teammates as well. He will be remembered for his consistently friendly and open character, they said.
"Everyday he would smile and say hello," said Catherine Wolpe '08, a member of the women's swimming and diving team.
"For a lot of freshmen he was the first friend we had on the team," she said. Darby, one of Ebersole's roommates, reflected on the little things he will miss about Ebersole. "What I miss about Al are the things that you take for granted . . . [such as] the laughter . . . the constant chatter that dominated our room."
"The thing about talking with Al is that the future always somehow looked better than the past," Darby said. "He was much more than a friend; he was a force, a presence."
Iverson, who taught Ebersole in several Spanish courses, reflected on the strength of Ebersole's intellect. "I saw Al blossom," she said.
"I feel fortunate to have known a young man who was so easy to love," she added.
Following the remembrances, Dean of Religious Life Rev. Thomas Breidenthal offered a meditation over the Bible readings and their relation to how the community should come to grips with Ebersole's passing.
"I hope this is just the beginning of [our] remembering," he said.
The ceremony concluded with a Final Commendation by Rev. Thomas Mullelly of the Aquinas Institute, and a Benediction by Associate Dean of Religious Life Rev. Deborah Blanks.
Following the service, a reception and dinner were held in the Wu Dining Hall of Butler College, where Ebersole lived.
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