Salvador "Peter" Serrano was always recognized by the smile on his face.

"He was so open to everyone, and I shared so much with him," Jon Kravitz (junior-ecology) said. Kravitz and Serrano were friends from high school and freshman-year roommates at Penn State Mont Alto.

Last night, Kravitz and a group of Serrano's friends gathered outside the back entrance to The Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave., in remembrance of Serrano's life. A small memorial was constructed at the site of Serrano's death portraying who he was.

Serrano, 21, died early Sunday morning after State College Police Department officers found him restrained by a bouncer from the All-American Rathskeller, 108 S. Pugh St. Officials have not determined Serrano's cause of death, which occurred after the fight on the 100 block of East Calder Way.

Friends remembered Serrano, a junior majoring in advertising and public relations, as outgoing and friendly.

"We all went to Mont Alto together. He made it a point to get to know everyone," Candice Reagan (junior-human development and family studies) said. "There wasn't anyone who didn't like him."

Serrano was engaged and lived with his fiancée in an apartment on College Avenue.

"You could tell that they really loved each other. Every time I saw him this year, that's all he talked about," Kamensky Aurelus (undergraduate-nondegree) said.

Mennlay Aggrey (junior-broadcast journalism) said Serrano tried to be close with everyone he knew.

"He had a connection with a lot of people," Aggrey said.

Serrano loved China Buffet, enjoyed volleyball, joined his high school swim team just to wear a Speedo and always had room in his car for another person, Jaime Conway (junior-television and film) said.

"You could hear him running up and down the halls yelling, 'China Buffet, who wants to go to China Buffet?' " Conway said.

Serrano was known as a gentle guy, and would never fight with anyone, Vanessa Fiore (junior-journalism) said.

"He could always make you laugh, no matter what you were doing, even if it was nothing, you were having fun with him," Conway said.

The incident involving Serrano's death occurred as he and a few friends were walking down Calder Way.

Police responded one minute after being dispatched to the scene.

Matt George (senior-marketing) said there was a pretty big crowd and everyone was quiet. There were also two girls standing closer that were crying, he added.

"We just saw bouncers from the 'Skeller standing around," he said. "We were there for probably 10 or 15 minutes."

There were three police cars and about 50 people surrounding Serrano when Brian Krivanek (senior-accounting) arrived on the scene around 2 a.m.

"Everyone was in awe," he said. "No one knew what happened."

He said he noticed there was someone lying next to Serrano with his head next to him.

"I could tell they were trying to get him conscious before they put him in the ambulance," Krivanek said. "They were really desperate to help him out."