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The university confirmed the death of Sydney Paige Monfries, which occurred around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, April 14.
Monfries, of Portland, Oregon, was climbing to the top to take pictures of the New York City skyline with a group of fellow seniors when she tripped on a landing and fell 40 feet through an opening in the stairs, according to police.
"It is with great sadness that I report that Sydney Monfries, a senior at Fordham College at Rose Hill, died today after sustaining a fall inside the Keating Clock tower in the early hours of the morning," School President Joseph McShane wrote in a letter to students. "Our hearts go out to Sydney’s parents, and her family and friends — theirs is an unimaginable loss, and we share their grief."
A journalism student with a focus in digital technology and emerging media., Monfries was working as a photo editor intern at InStyle Magazine.
Monfries' bachelor’s degree will be presented posthumously to her parents "at an appropriate time," the university said.
Monfries' father, Wayne, is a White Plains native.
“There are no words sufficient to describe the loss of someone so young and full of promise — and mere weeks from graduation,” McShane said.
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