BU Academy Student Dies
A Boston University Academy student collapsed and died Wednesday evening on a school field trip to Camp Wing, in Duxbury, Mass. James S. Berkman, BU Academy head of school, says Haley Morrill was playing with friends after dinner when she fell to the ground and stopped breathing. First aid was administered immediately, Berkman says, and within minutes Morrill was rushed to Jordan Hospital in Plymouth.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Haley Morrill,” Berkman told a crowd of more than 300 BU Academy students, teachers, and parents who came together to remember Morrill last night in the Small Ballroom of the George Sherman Union. “There are not enough words in the universe to express the emotion of the people in this room.”
Berkman told the crowd that Morrill had been “frolicking” when she fell, rose to her feet, and fell again. He said the 10th grader appeared to respond to medical treatment at Jordan Hospital, but later took an unexplained turn for the worse. “Part of what is so hard about this is the mystery surrounding it,” he said. Medical doctors have yet to identify the cause of Morrill’s death.
The head of school says all classes at BU Academy have been canceled for Friday, September 28, and Monday, October 1. The normal class schedule will resume on Tuesday, October 2. He says that counselors will be standing by at the academy from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
Berkman says the Morrill family has asked that, instead of flowers, donations be sent in the name of Haley Murphy Morrill to Boston University Academy. The family has requested the academy to set up a scholarship fund so other students might have the learning experiences enjoyed by their daughter.
Morrill, who lived in Medford, was one of many students attending the academy’s annual 9th- and 10th-grade outing. This was the fourth year the outing has been held at Camp Wing, according to school officials, and the day’s events consisted of team-building activities, such as constructing miniature rafts.
John Friborg, director of advancement at BU Academy, which is an independent high school located on the BU campus, says that the University is offering support for students, faculty, and staff across the campus. Chaplains are available in Marsh Chapel throughout the day, he says, and counseling services are available at Student Health Services, 881 Commonwealth Ave. Counselors can also be reached at 617-353-3569.
A wake for Haley Morrill will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 30, at the Doherty Funeral Home, 855 Broadway, Somerville, Mass. The funeral service will take place on Monday, October 1, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Clement’s Church in Medford, Mass.
Kenneth Elmore, dean of students at Boston University, says the University will do everything it can to support the students and staff of Boston University Academy.
Art Jahnke can be reached at jahnke@bu.edu.