Hundreds of people attended the service, as well as a prayer vigil Thursday night at the university chapel. The DeVercelly family flew in from California and spoke at the service. In a statement, they said of their late 18-year-old son, "It seemed that everywhere he went, Gary touched people and impacted them in a positive way. He was a man you could depend on who had an easygoing manner. He knew what he wanted to do and who he wanted to be very early in life. He always had a goal and a plan to achieve it. But the people in his life were his first priority."
Rider President Mordechai Rozanski announced that a scholarship will be created in DeVercelly's name.
Detectives from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office searched the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house and seized numerous bottles of alcohol. They also interviewed students and seized several computers to try to ascertain if the fraternity practices traditions that involve binge drinking.
Depending on the outcome of the investigation, there could be misdemeanor hazing, felony hazing or manslaughter charges.
The administration at Rider prohibited the fraternity from holding events while authorities investigate DeVercelly's death.
Dean of New Students Paul Rockwell said that at Amherst, "There has been, this year, a very high number of [first-years] coming in with alcohol violations-higher than normal. There have been quite a few [hospital visits]."
Campus Chief of Police John Carter said that alcohol-related hospital visits are "not an uncommon occurrence." However, in his nine years at the College, Carter says that they have not filed any charges for a criminal violation of hazing. He attributes the hospital visits primarily to inexperience and faulty monitoring of quantity consumed. "They're drinking from … a keg, punch bowl or [playing] drinking games like beirut, and they are not able to monitor how much they're having."
"I suspect that there are incidents [of hazing]," said Rockwell. "But I have not heard about any with [first-years] this year. I've heard some rumors that some of the club teams have had regular drinking gatherings, but I do not know if there was hazing involved there or whether it was a voluntary gathering."
Students have confirmed that there are incidents of hazing at the College, although they do not necessarily entail drinking. Many students claim that gatherings for the purpose of excessive binge-drinking are commonplace as well.
Underage Amherst students caught drinking must speak with their class dean and attend mandatory, confidential sessions with the health educators.
Gretchen Krull, Assistant Director of Health Education and Sexual Harassment Specialist, said, "I do feel that at Amherst, students watch out for each other. Students who are under the influence are typically not left alone and students feel confident calling ACEMS when they are worried. I also believe that other groups such as Resident Counselors, Student Health Educators and Student Security are well trained to know how to identify someone in trouble and how to get help."
Carter encourages students to call ACEMS if someone has consumed too much alcohol. He says that sometimes students are reluctant to call, for fear of getting the individual in trouble.
"The 'trouble' people often speak of is really having to go through an education process to learn about alcohol and how much is in a drink and what your limits are so next time around they're much more careful," Carter commented. "It's not that punitive, it's much more educatory."