Among those who will not graduate with the Class of 2000 is Jenica Rosekrans '00, whose sudden death last spring from meningitis spurred an outpouring of grief and concern.
Loving, beautiful and introspective, Rosekrans, a 21-year-old psychology major who was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, was known by friends and family for her affection and compassion.
At a tearful memorial held this fall at Rollins Chapel, fellow Tri-Delt members described Rosekrans as "our biggest cheerleader."
Through speeches, poems and songs, friends expressed their gratitude for having known Rosekrans and their sadness for having lost her.
Kathleen A. Alexander, Rosekrans' mother, spoke of her daughter's first visit to Dartmouth and her immediate love for the school. According to Alexander, Rosekrans remained devoted to Dartmouth throughout her college career, and was upset last spring that she was nearing her last year on the Hanover campus.
"One of the last things Jenica said to me was, when watching all the seniors beginning to depart, 'I can't imagine in one year I'll be leaving here. I've loved it,'" Mrs. Alexander said in an interview with The Dartmouth last June.
"[Jenica] loved Dartmouth and cherished the friends she made," she added.
Friends described Rosekrans as an affectionate woman who frequently told them how much she loved them.
"She always told us that she loved us and she knows she was loved," Emily Ramee '00 said last June. "She knew she was such a huge part of our lives and had so much of our love."
Kerry O'Connell '00, who said she was Rosekrans's best friend, said she "had the ability to make you feel so special. Like you were the only person in the world she had any interest in."
Her friends also spoke of a contradiction in Rosekrans, being so intimidatingly beautiful but affectionate at the same time.
"She would be the first one you'd look at in a basement, because she was so beautiful and so perfect," Betsy Querna '00 said. "But then she'd go run over and hug you and spill beer all over you."
Following Rosekrans's death during Senior Week in June, Nicholas Calamari '01 was diagnosed with a non-fatal meningitis infection.
Rosekrans's death was the sixth fatal case of meningococcal disease last year, prompting a national debate over the need for colleges to mandate vaccines against the potentially deadly infections.
