Bruce Curtis was a dedicated member of the Marine ROTC program, an engineering student, and an "enthusiastic" and "easy going" guy, friends said.

Curtis, a 20-year-old Penn State sophomore, died New Year's Day in a car crash when his vehicle hit a tree in Ontario County, New York.

According to the Associated Press, troopers said speed and alcohol may have been factors in the crash.

Curtis's family could not be reached for comment yesterday, but several of his friends at Penn State talked about his dedication toward ROTC as well as his amiable personality.

Dan Mendoza (sophomore-nursing) was in ROTC with Curtis.

"Being in ROTC, we went through a lot of s--- together," he said. "I had a lot of good times with him, he was a good friend."

His involvement in ROTC and his willingness to serve his country characterized Curtis's dedication, said Gabe Murray, Curtis' roommate from fall semester.

"[ROTC] was important to him," Murray said.

Murray recalled Curtis's alarm clock going off at 4:50 a.m. for ROTC training, when most college students are sound asleep.

"That certainly indicates dedication as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Despite being roommates for part of one semester, and the fact that each had quiet personalities, Murray said he and Curtis got along well.

Curtis intended to major in mechanical engineering and lived in the special engineering housing in Beaver Hall both his freshman and sophomore years, Murray said.

Mendoza said Curtis socialized with everyone on the floor and used to play poker with them.

"He made a lot of friends; he could relate to a lot of people," he said. "He had an open personality; he was very easygoing."

Although Curtis lived on a different floor as a sophomore, Mendoza said he would still visit his old friends.

"He'd always just randomly stop in and say 'hi,' " Mendoza said.

Mendoza said he remembered a time when he taught Curtis how to "beat-box" when he was on the same basic drill team as Curtis.

"... He had to beat-box for a rap that my friend and I had to do and it was ridiculously funny," he said.

Sami Boulos (sophomore-architectural engineering) lived across the hall from Curtis and said he remembered Curtis as "a great kid" who was "always doing his work."

Curtis was smart and modest, Boulos said.

"He'd always want to help you out. I had problems with chemistry and math. He'd always ask you 'What are you doing?' and 'Do you need help with anything?'" Boulos said.