Cause unknown in student’s death

Courtesy Facebook

André Narcisse ’12 in a photo from his Facebook page. View full image

More than a month after Yale sophomore André Narcisse died in his room in Branford College, there is still no word on what caused his death. Narcisse, 19, was found unresponsive by his suitemates on the morning of Sunday, November 1, and was pronounced dead after emergency medical personnel tried to revive him. According to an official Yale statement, there was no evidence of foul play.

As of mid-December, the state medical examiner’s office had not yet determined the cause of death. In a conversation with the Yale Daily News, Yale College dean Mary Miller ’81PhD said that it was inappropriate to speculate on the cause of Narcisse’s death, but she expressed general concern about drug and alcohol use on campus. (Eight people had received alcohol-related medical attention on October 23, the night of the Safety Dance, a popular undergraduate party.)

Narcisse, a resident of Roosevelt, New York, attended Phillips Exeter Academy before coming to Yale. He was remembered by friends at a November 2 vigil in the Branford courtyard for his gregariousness, enthusiasm, and curiosity. “You could never stop learning when you were around him,” said a friend, Jonah Quinn ’12. “He was in love with every moment he experienced.”