Scott Fitzgerald once said “there are all types of love in this world, but never the same love twice”. This week our community suffered the loss of a very special individual whose love touched many here at West Chester University. Kelsey Hannold was a senior in the College of Heath Sciences who lived in the South Campus Apartments. During her time as an undergrad, Kelsey was a teammate, colleague and co-worker. She fit into many different roles here on campus, the best memories of her are those as a friend, confidant, and jokester.
I met Kelsey for the first time when I moved into Wayne Hall the first day of school my freshman year. It turns out that, deep in the heart of the Eagle’s territory, we shared a love for the Steelers. I found out she was going to play softball for the University, and I introduced her future teammate, my roommate Melissa, who would also represent alongside her the purple and gold. Suffice to say the three of us did everything together.
My fondest memories I have of Kelsey start with the three of us sitting on my dorm room floor eating Chinese together. From there, we embarked on adventures of which any college kid would be jealous. One time, she tried to convince me and Melissa we could take the elevator back up to the 9th floor of Wayne during a fire drill if we simply ran to the 2nd floor where the RA’s could not see us…needless to say the elevator did not work, and although we had to trek all the way up to the 9th floor, that night it was a bit more bearable with Kelsey by our side cracking jokes. Perhaps my most favorite memory of Kelsey, is when she convinced Melissa and I that it would be a good idea to move her bed into our room so we could have an ‘official sleepover’. Three people stuffed in a dorm room is a little tight, but Kelsey’s attitude overpowered any feeling of being cramped. There was always something about Kelsey that pulled people close to her. So, what else could we do but to take her bed from her room across the hall and plant it into the middle of the floor? We spent that night watching stupid Youtube movies, eating Chinese, and plotting ways we could get the boys down the hall to talk to us. We never did figure out a way, but in reality, we never needed them, we had each other and that was more than enough.
On Monday November 24th at 7pm the community will be coming together to celebrate Kelsey’s life across from public safety in the grassy area, next to 25 University Avenue. The event will take place rain or shine and all are welcome to share memories of Kelsey’s journey and immortalize the mark she made here on campus. I encourage all to attend and remember the unique once in a lifetime love that Kelsey gave to all those around her.
Until the next sleepover,
Colleen