In memoriam: Michael Scott

Michael Scott was known to be on the quiet side, and those who knew him described him as a great… Michael Scott was known to be on the quiet side, and those who knew him described him as a great listener.

After starting his freshman year, Scott planned to major in biology and eventually become a doctor. He graduated from Gwynedd-Mercy Academy and La Salle College High School near Philadelphia. He ran track and played soccer at La Salle.

Pitt police found Scott unresponsive in his Lothrop Hall room last month. The county coroner and police concluded that there was no foul play, and the death was an apparent suicide.

The son of David and Alicia Scott, he was born in Abington, Pa. He is also survived by a younger brother, Matthew Scott.

David shared some memories of Michael last week. David said he used to give him hair cuts once every two weeks, a tradition they continued for about a year before he moved to Pitt.

“I looked forward to that hair cut because it gave Michael and me a chance to talk and become close,” David said.

Michael and his brother Matthew also were very close, David said.

“Michael and Matthew went from just living in the same house as brothers to becoming close friends,” David said.

David said that he and Alicia enrolled Michael in La Salle College High School to help him develop friendships and memories beyond the classroom.

David said that La Salle seniors typically went to wing night each Tuesday at a local restaurant.

“It was amazing that Michael had homework every other night of the week except Tuesday for his entire senior year,” David said during the funeral service. “He would usually remember when he got home that he might have a few homework items that he had forgotten.”

David said that Michael’s friends were like “blood brothers.” They used to spend the night at the Scotts’ home and Alicia and David would make pancakes and bacon for them in the morning.

James DiMezza attended the same high school as Michael, and said he knew him for almost 13 years.

“He was probably one of the most loyal people I knew and he always went out of his way to help you out with something that was going on,” DiMezza said in an e-mail.

DiMezza said that one of Michael’s best characteristics was his sense of humor.

Michael could often keep a straight face for long periods of time while making a joke, and his friends sometimes called him “the one-face Mike Scott.”

“For some reason we could not stop cracking up,” DiMezza said.

Michael spent two weeks over the summer in Germany and France with his friend Max Oster, with nothing but backpacks. Having known Michael since their elementary years, Oster didn’t second guess himself when he approached Michael about accompanying him through Europe.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion,” Oster said in a Facebook message.

Oster and Michael bonded as children through sports and any physical activity. But Oster said that beyond the physical activity, Michael had a “refreshingly honest and down-to-earth disposition.”

“Michael is a presence that will forever live on in my heart and memories,” Oster said. “I thank him for the friendship he gave me and the positive energy he was in my life.”

Morgan Felt knew Michael for about a year before his death, meeting him through a mutual friend. To Felt, Michael was caring, nonjudgmental and loving.

“He was a person I will never forget, because he changed the rest of my life,” Felt said in an e-mail.

She and Michael became a couple on Valentine’s Day.

“Mike was just that type of person, who never judged anyone,” Felt said. “He was the type of guy I knew I could turn to when I had a serious problem, the type of guy every person deserves to have in their life.”

Her favorite moment with Michael was a time the pair stayed up one night taking about their plans for the future.

“We stayed up under the stars just talking about life, our aspirations, our dreams and our goals in life,” Felt said.

“We had a plan. Mike was going to be a doctor, and I was going to be a teacher. We were going to get married and have kids together. Mike was the type of person who always had something very interesting to say and our conversations were never silent or boring.”

Suicide prevention tips and warning signs:

Experts say suicide is often preventable. The University Counseling Center and the Jed Foundation, a national group working to reduce suicide rates among college students, offer tips for spotting warning signs, as well as a list of resources to consult if you or someone you know is considering suicide.

Warning signs:

-Difficulty sleeping for several days

-Problems concentrating

-A change in mood (often becoming anxious or agitated)

-Hopelessness

-Acting recklessly

-Feeling trapped

-Withdrawing from friends and family

-Threatening to hurt or kill him/herself or looking for ways to kill him/herself

-Talking or writing about death/suicide (when these actions aren’t usual for the person)

Factors known to decrease a person’s chances of committing suicide:

-A strong support system, which can include friends and family

-A sense of community/becoming involved on campus

-Effective clinical care for mental health problems including, but not limited to, depression

Resources available if you or someone you know is considering suicide:

-University Counseling Center, 334 William Pitt Union, open Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 412-648-7930; after hours, call the Pitt police at 412-624-2121 or the city police at 911

-re:solve Crisis Network, 1-888-7-YOUCAN or 1-888-796-8226

-National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255

-Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 412-624-2000

Editor In Chief Liz Navratil contributed to this report.