4A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2009
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Mary and Jay Wren, parents of Jason Wren, the 19-year-old Littleton, Colo., freshman who was found dead in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house March 8, grieve at a memorial service for their son March 12. Several hundred people attended the service on the SAE lawn. Though a final coroner's report will not be available until June, a preliminary autopsy indicated that alcohol was present in Wren's body when he died.
Tyler Waugh/KANSAN
Vicky Wren, sister of Jason Wren, speaks alongside her mother, Mary, during Jason's funeral in Littleton, Colo., on March 16. Vicky fought back tears as she shared her favorite memories of her brother with the mourners.
Jason receives a kiss from his girlfriend, Channing Ahbe. The night before his death, Jason told another member of his fraternity that, although he and Chu
JASON WREN (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
son. Who drove Jason — who did not have a car — to get the alcohol he drank that night? Where did he get the fake ID he used to buy alcohol? Why didn't anyone call for help that night?
That these and other questions remain unanswered nearly two
nniño were a
months after Jason's death may be testimony to the sensitive issues his case has raised.
Many close to Jason chose not to speak publicly about his death because of the pain it would cause them, while
"Well, I may as well get wasted tonight. I'm going to have to run all week; I may as well have some fun tonight."
On Saturday, March 7, Jason woke up at about 5 a.m. to get ready for a 6 a.m. charter bus ride from the Lied Center to Iowa City, Iowa, for a club lacrosse tournament. In one of his last conversations with his dad, Jason, who played football in high school, shared his excitement about possibly becoming a starting midfielder for the team. But partying Friday night, an SAE freshman said, had left him tired.
others chose not to because they were not authorized to speak. Two SAE members, Jason's lacrosse teammates, his father and others who knew him provide new details about Jason's final weekend and his time at the University of Kansas.
JASON WREN
He went back to sleep, later
later friends he had planned to
just "lie down for a second."
JASON'S LAST DAY
That second turned into several hours and Jason missed the bus.
"I'm screwed! My coach is going to make me run forever," he told a friend after he woke up again about 10:30 a.m. It was about then that a teammate received a text message in Iowa City. It was from Jason: "Hey, man, tell the coaches I'm sorry. My phone's broken. My alarm just didn't go off."
that the penalty for missing the bus would be strenuous workouts. But Jason was never one to spend a day moping around.
Jason told his fraternity buddies
"Well, I may as well get wasted tonight," he was quoted as saying. "I'm going to have to run all week; I may as well have some fun
Jon Goering/KANSAN
tonight."
Around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jason went with a group to a local restaurant, where he used his fake ID to buy pitchers of margaritas.
Kelley James, the acoustic pop performed, was a member of the city when he was a student at that of Southern California. He played original and popular cover songs crowd of people who talked, laughed gathered to show respect to a friend what's more, they did it all soher
By 9:30 p.m. he was back at the SAF house. He decided not to go out to The Hawk as planned. A heavier
"The sober part of it is to raise Jonathan Nehring, LeRoy sophor SAE social chair said. "We've all be
More than 100 members of th and KU communities gathered a Alpha Epsilon fraternity house, I Campus Road, Monday night for honor Jason Wren, Littleton, Cold who died earlier this month; app alcohol poisoning.
watching him this whisky pull, and he took a very large whisky pull — very large — and I was like, "Damn," the freshman said. "After that it was clear he was very drunk."
house, and friends carried him to his bed. But he woke back up and started to drink again.
thunderstorm also kept several other members inside that night.
Instead, Jason socialized with his friends. And Jason drank.
Jay Wren, Jason's father, said that Lawrence police told him his son drank 10 to 12 beers inside the SAE house that night. An SAE freshman said he did not know how many beers Jason drank, or who had taken him to buy the beers, but that Jason also drank Franzia wine and took at least one long swig of whiskey from a bottle. He said drinking straight from a bottle of hard liquor was a common occurrence within the hallways of the house.
"He kept waking up, completely coherent, actually wanting to drink more," an SAE junior said. "They took alcohol away from him because they found him in a room drinking, just chugging by himself, and they were like, 'What are you doin?' We just put you to bed. Go to bed.'"
Both the junior and the SAE freshman said no one called for help that night because no one thought Jason showed any signs of alcohol poisoning.
Both the junior and an SAE freshman said no one called for help that night because no one thought Jason showed any signs of alcohol poisoning.
"I never puke, I never puke," Jason replied.
He said he
A 'PASSIONATE' MAN
Jason was a kid who loved sports and socializing with his friends. He started drinking in high school, something Jay Wren says he now painfully regrets turning a blind eye to.
He said he teasingly warned Jason, "You better not puke on my couch."
Musician Kelley James performs during a tribute concert for Jason Wren on Monday night at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. The proceeds from the concert were donated to the Jason Wren Memorial Fund, a charity created by Jason's father.
"The reality of this moment—the 'couldas,' 'shou' las,' 'wouldas'—in light of the hopes and dreams of a young son, brother, teammate, friend and boyfriend, are crushing," said Brett Garrettson, the
Jason reportedly passed out on a bench on the first floor of the SAE
Fraternity holds c
Many of the 12 people who spoke at jason's funeral at Cherry Hills Community Church' on March 16
Jason Christopher Wren was born May 1, 1990, and grew up in Littleton, Colo., with his father, his mother, Mary, and sisters Katie, 22, and Vicky, 15. Jason grew up playing Little League baseball and pick-up football. He had always been athletic and outdoorsminded, like many of the residents of Littleton, a suburb of Denver at the base of the Rocky Mountains.
conveyed the weight of a death that could have been avoided.
service's religious leader.
Nick Parker, Jason's childhood friend and one of the pallbearers, spoke of Jason's passion for life, his big heart and his natural magnetism.
"He was like an earthbound sun," Parker said. "Whenever someone was in Jason's gravitational pull, he always warmed them."
jason's lacrosse t e a m a t e s commended him as a leader among the freshmen on
the team. Mark Barrath, St. Louis graduate student and Jason's coach, said Jason was in the running for a starting spot because of his skill and his commitment.
"Whenever someone was in Jason's gravitational pull, he always warmed them."
NICK PARKER Jason's childhood friend
"He was a talented player, but it really was his work ethic and his constant dedication that set him apart," Barrath said.
Jay Wren's voice was strong and proud as he spoke of his son, who showed all the qualities he had hoped for — compassion, athleticism, leadership.
"The University of Kansas lost a great person," said Ben Fohrman, St. Paul, Minn., freshman, after the service.
Members of the team made the eight-hour drive to Littleton for Jason's funeral, as did several friends from the University.
Still, he did not have a girlfriend at the University. Instead, as his family and his close network of high school friends from Colorado all enthusiastically said, his heart was reserved for his high-school
their memorial service on the SAE lawn on March 12. They said he was a huge hit with the ladies everywhere he went.
An SAE member described Jason as good-looking, outgoing and magnetically charming at
"Jason got the nickname 'the
Channing Ahbe, a freshman at the University of Vermont, described Jason—her boyfriend since the seventh grade — in a single word: "Passionate. He was passionate about everything he did. It
mayor' in Little League," he told the crowd of mourners. "He was always the leader — of everything."
sweetheart.
When Channing's father disapproved of Jason's dating her, Jason went out of his way to gain his respect. Eventually Jason and Channing were inseparable.
got him in trouble sometimes, but
that what he was — passionate.
An SAE freshman learned about Channing the night before Jason died.
The freshman said that Jason told him he and Channing had grown apart somewhat since he had come to the University and she went to Vermont on a hockey scholarship
"Friday night, we started talking about girls," the freshman said. "He said, 'Yeah, I already know who I'm gonna marry — I've been dating this girl since seventh grade.'"
but said, "Once I get out of college,
want to be with her."
JASON THE JAYHAWK
oncer
hed and end. And
"Jason was so excited about KU. He always talked about it — 'I'm gonna go to Lawrence, it's gonna be great, it's gonna be great,' Ahbe said, mimicking Jason's low voice and terse, short sentences.
Jason Wren was thrilled at the opportunity to come to the University last fall. His childhood friends said he chose the school because he wanted branch out and make new friends. It was a great place for two of Jason's favorite things, they said: sports and parties.
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