Last night, close to 700 members of the Dartmouth community gathered in Rollins Chapel for a service to honor and celebrate the life of Blaine Steinberg ’15, who died of a heart attack on March 7.
Rabbi Edward Boraz opened the service by welcoming faculty, staff and students. After extending his condolences to the Steinberg family, Boraz called on Dartmouth community members to assemble and share their love with one another in Steinberg’s memory.
College President Phil Hanlon then took the podium and reflected on the rareness of death in the College community. Echoing the words of former President John Sloan Dickey, who led the College from 1945 to 1970, Hanlon emphasized the unity of the Dartmouth community.
Hanlon also welcomed Steinberg’s sister Leigh, who was accepted early decision to the Class of 2018.
After Hanlon’s remarks, a number of Steinberg’s childhood and College friends reflected on her life, sharing memories of their time together.
Elizabeth Blackburn ’15 said that Steinberg made her feel loved and lucky, while Florence Gonsalves ’15 remembered Blaine for her genuine nature and natural beauty. Carrie Wolf ’15, the last student to speak at the service, closed the remarks from the Dartmouth community by reflecting on Steinberg’s fun, loving, generous and brave character.
Gonsalves is a member of The Dartmouth staff.
The Steinberg family took the stage to thank Dartmouth for its outpouring of support and to encourage community members to “live like Blaine,” a saying her high school best friend coined in the days following her passing. The saying encourages others to live life to the fullest, understanding that family and being relentlessly positive and optimistic are what matters, her family said.
Leigh Steinberg added that her sister allowed her to see the love that truly binds the Dartmouth community together.
“She called this place home,” Leigh Steinberg said, “and Dartmouth was her family.”
The memorial service concluded with a performance of “Dartmouth Undying” by the Dartmouth Aires. Following the service, community members proceeded to the Green for a candle-lighting ceremony and the Aires’ rendition of “Brown Eyed Girl,” a song requested by the family.
In Steinberg’s honor, Dartmouth Broadcasting has planned a “Radiothon” in conjunction with the athletic department. The event will occur this weekend when Dartmouth takes on the University of Pennsylvania in a double-header baseball game. Steinberg was Dartmouth Broadcasting’s sports director, and baseball was one of her favorite sports.
Dartmouth Broadcasting plans to air a 30-minute original broadcast between the two games, while an extended broadcast from will be available online, said Dartmouth Broadcasting assistant general manager Gilbert Whalen ’14.
At the request of Blaine’s parents, Dartmouth Broadcasting and the athletic department will be promoting two charities — Camp Walden’s “Main Idea” Fund and the William Penn Charter School’s “Women’s Legacy Fund.” Steinberg attended Camp Walden for seven years, and was known for her love of the place. The Main Idea Fund provides girls who might not otherwise be able to attend summer camp with a chance to experience a 10-day camp, according to the fund’s website.
The Women’s Legacy Fund provides financial aid to female student athletes who demonstrate leadership, persistence and dedication, according to its website. Steinberg was recruited to Dartmouth to play lacrosse, though two concussions during her freshman fall left her unable to compete.
In note of Steinberg’s contribution to the women’s lacrosse team and to Dartmouth sports reporting, the College athletic department has agreed to include the aforementioned information in Sunday’s game notes and programs, with an accompanying picture of Blaine. They will also hold a moment of silence in her honor before the first game, Whalen said.
Friday night, Chabad will host a Shabbat dinner in memory of Steinberg, Chabad Rabbi Moshe Gray informed students in an email sent on Thursday afternoon.
