The Penn State roller hockey club's homepage now reads: "We'll miss you Dax," in memory of the club members' president, teammate and friend.
The Web site, www.clubs.psu.edu/rollerhockey/, was changed yesterday to feature a picture of Dax playing in a winter tournament in Las Vegas.
Dax (senior-finance) died in a car accident this weekend on his way to a tournament in Williamsport. He was in the car with teammates Rane Kocan (freshman-film and video) and William Willett (senior-finance), who have since been released from the Jersey Shore Hospital.
The three were travelling north on Route 220 when, in an attempt to pass traffic in the left lane, the vehicle slipped and struck the guardrail. The car returned to the snow-covered left lane and was hit by a truck, according to a Pennsylvania State Police report.
Dax was being transported to Hershey Medical Center when he died of blunt force trauma to the head and chest and other internal injuries. He was pronounced dead at Williamsport Hospital Saturday afternoon.
Viewings will be held tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Devlin Funeral Home, 806 Perry Highway, in Pittsburgh, said Doug Stagerwald of Devlin Funeral Home. The funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Sebastian's, 307 Seibert Rd., in Pittsburgh, Stagerwald added.
Those wishing to contribute can send donations to the "Ron Dax Memorial Roller Hockey Fund" through Penn State's Development Office in 105 Old Main, according to the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA) Web site.
The ECRHA also remembered Dax on its homepage at www.ecrha.net, by commemorating Dax with a picture and a release about the weekend tournament that Dax was en route to when the accident occurred.
"The ECRHA will dedicate a place on the Web site as a memorial to Ron Dax as well as a place for anyone to make a tribute, a statement that may bring about any healing, or just something that they would want the world to know and remember of Ron," the ECRHA release said.
At Penn State, the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is prepared to help any student in grieving.
"For any student that might need counseling, CAPS is available and they should contact CAPS," Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said.
Dax is the third student to be killed in a traffic-related accident in the past two months. Shellie Smarowsky, 21, died on Dec. 3 when a school bus struck her on the corner of East Beaver Avenue and South Garner Street. In a return trip to State College, John Henry J. Cox, also 21, died in a single-car accident when his Jeep crossed over the centerline and in overcorrecting, his vehicle flipped several times.
Smarowsky was granted a posthumous degree last month. The university granted it because she had completed all of her major requirements and had exceptional grades, Mahon said.
Because Dax was planning to graduate in May, his roommate Dave Doernemann said Sunday that he was interested in obtaining a copy of Dax's business degree for his mother.
Mahon said the process takes a few weeks and usually is not underway until weeks or months after a student has passed away.
"I don't know if there's been any formal request or if the university's taken any action," Mahon said. "There are some other issues that need to be dealt with immediately."
David Davis, secretary of the Black Caucus, said his group, along with other student groups, is working to memorialize Penn State students who have died this year.
"One of the things that stemmed out of the meeting that we had last week to figure out how to celebrate the lives of these students, was that many of the roommates aren't ready," Davis said.
He said he plans for a tree to be planted in the Peace Garden in honor of each of the students that passed away this year.
"This is a student initiative, this is a human initiative," Davis said. For now, Davis plans to wait and give Dax's friends, family, teammates and roommates some time.
"We feel that now we want to give them the opportunity to grieve and mourn the loss of their friends," Davis said.
