A freshman who died in an apartment off campus Saturday, will be remembered for his bear hug, which friends say made any person feel like they were doing something right.
Muncie Police and the University Police Department have not yet released the cause of death. Swager’s hall director, Alexander Trout, sent an email later that day to residents on the sixth floor of Studebaker West Complex to say Elija Swager had died. University spokesperson Tony Proudfoot confirmed that Swager was found dead Saturday.
Amanda Lovell, a freshman zoology major, said Swager was the kind of person who never hesitated to take time out of his day to listen to people’s problems.
Lovell first met Swager in their small middle school in Angola, Ind. But the fondest memories she has of him are from high school.
“I always remember, if I was having a rough day, [Swager] would walk by my locker and say, ‘Hey, keep your chin up,’” she said.
Lovell said Swager was always gentle, though people may not have known from his large athletic frame he used to play football, rugby and to wrestle.
“He always had a hug for everyone,” she said. “Even if he just met you, he would take a bullet for you. He was everyone’s best friend.”
Lauren Honer, a freshman political science major at Michigan State University, will never forget the fun she had with Swager in high school.
Honer also remembers Swager for being a leader, especially to her younger brother, who played on the high school football team with Swager.
She said school wouldn’t have been the same without Swager.
“He was important to us a lot,” she said.
After high school, Lovell said Swager did what most freshman do — spent a lot of time partying with friends and let his first semester grades fall. But that was about to change.
She said Swager came to her after the beginning of Spring semester to tell her he was going to begin focusing on grades again.
“He said, ‘my parents are counting on me, I can’t let them down,’” Lovell said. “He just told me about how he was going to turn everything around.”
Proudfoot said in situations like this, Ball State works with families to ease the situation in whatever way is best for them.
He said the university’s counseling service is available for students that are affected by Swager’s death.
Lovell said Swager was the person she turned to when something was going wrong. She said dealing with this tragedy is going to be difficult, but she will be okay. Lovell just wants to make sure everyone knows what a great man Swager was.
“I want people to know that he is the most caring person you could ever meet,” she said. “If anyone deserves to be an angel, it’s him.”
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