Dear Members of the Ithaca College Community,
It is with great sadness that we notify our campus community of the tragic loss of one of our students. Blaze Myers, a sophomore in the School of Business, took his own life on June 15. Blaze was a graduate of Boyertown Area Senior High School in Pennsylvania and had transferred into IC from Bloomsburg University.
Blaze was a proud participant in the Ithaca College/Cornell ROTC program and had been involved with a number of activities on campus, including Hillel at Ithaca College, Recreational Sports, and ICTV. In high school, he held leadership positions with the student newspaper, creative writing club, and debate club and ran on the track and field team.
Please join us in keeping Blaze’s family, friends, classmates, fellow ROTC members, professors, and everyone whose life he touched in our prayers.
During the summer, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is open for virtual and in-person services Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. To make an appointment call 607-274-3136 during these hours. Counselors are also available to IC students at any time when the Counseling Center is closed by calling 607-274-3136 and selecting the #5 prompt. Students in distress and needing immediate assistance should contact the Office of Public Safety at 607-274-3333.
Free and confidential support and resources for those experiencing crisis and their loved ones can also be found 24/7 by calling 988 to reach the national Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
Faculty and staff can access the counseling services of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 1-800-327-2255.
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life has a website dedicated to grief resources and is also available to provide support for all campus community members by emailing spirituallife@ithaca.edu. If you would like assistance navigating the supports and resources available to you, please submit an ICare referral.
We will have an opportunity to come together virtually as a campus community on Tuesday, June 27, from 10-11a.m., at this zoom link. This will be an occasion for listening, healing, and celebrating Blaze’s life as we all process this tremendous loss.
In the meantime, we ask that you continue to take care of yourselves and one another, and to keep Blaze and his loved ones close to your heart.
With sad regards,
Bonnie Solt Prunty
Vice President, Student Affairs and Campus Life
Marsha Dawson
Dean of Students, Student Affairs and Campus Life