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The body of a 41-year-old man was found in a Memorial Union guest room Tuesday morning — though police say there is no reason to suspect foul play.
“There is no sign of forced entry, no visible wounds, no sign of foul play,” said University of Wisconsin Police Department Lt. Eric Holen.
While he could not speculate on the cause of death, Holen emphasized citizens should not see the body as reason to believe there is a continuing danger to the community.
According to Union spokesperson Mark Kennedy, the man was found in the guest room portion of Memorial Union. He was found and reported by a member of Memorial Union’s staff, after which the police were contacted.
Details on the cause of death have yet to be released by the Dane County Coroner’s Office, according to Holen.
He said the man’s identity is awaiting confirmation by family members. Once his name is confirmed, it may be released to the public.
The coroner’s office declined to comment directly on the case.
Kennedy said in incidents concerning the health of Union patrons, such as injuries or in this case a fatality, it is protocol to contact the police.
“Any situation where somebody hurts themselves or somebody needs assistance, we call the police,” Kennedy said. “It certainly is an unfortunate situation and we express our condolences, but we really can’t say anything else.”
Memorial Union contains six guest rooms, according to Kennedy.
Union South previously housed 20 rooms. The new building will include updated rooms that are expected to be major generators of income for the university.
The rooms operate similarly to a hotel and are located on the fourth floor facing north toward Lake Mendota.
Kennedy said the rooms are available for use to anyone affiliated with the university and are usually booked by Union members looking for a place to spend the night or people visiting campus to attend a conference.
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Union South only had 13 or 14 rooms, fyi.
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Why it is the responsibility of the State of Wisconsin to operate a hotel is beyond me.
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@12:27: It’s not a responsibility, it’s revenue from almost zero increase in overhead.
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haha, who cares about the union south’s guest room capacity? this story is weak as hell
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It’s not a hotel anyway. All the Union offers is a place for guests to sleep for a fee. There is no room service or breakfast included in the fee.
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“It’s not a hotel anyway. All the Union offers is a place for guests to sleep for a fee. There is no room service or breakfast included in the fee.”
Most hotels do not have room service or breakfast included… I work at a four-star hotel, you’re saying because those amenities are extra, I no longer work at a real hotel?
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They check in. They don’t check out.
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Dead guys we hear about. What you don’t hear about are the people who disappear at the Union, never to be seen or heard from again.