Friends of Matthew Paris know him as outgoing, affectionate, caring -- and always there when you need a hug.
The Penn community has come to know the name Matthew Paris because of a critical fall he suffered early Sunday morning -- but to those close to him, Paris is a hard worker, avid snowboarder and all-around good friend.
A College junior majoring in communication and Pi Kappa Alpha brother, Paris was injured in a two-story fall at a University-registered party at the Psi Upsilon fraternity house. He remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Known among his friends for his seemingly ceaseless smile, Paris is described by many as "fun-loving" and "upbeat."
"The one thing about him is that he's always smiling. He enjoys life, and you can see it in his smile," said College '04 alumnus Joe Caulfield, who was on the sprint football team with Paris last year.
"You look forward to seeing him, because it can brighten your day."
College sophomore and former teammate Masamba Sinclair added to Caulfield's description of Paris, a Medford, N.J., native.
"I don't think I've ever seen him in a bad mood. [He's] very happy, always smiling. For the most part, that's how I've known him," he said.
Paris played on the sprint football team during his freshman and sophomore years as an offensive lineman, but is no longer a member of the team, because he exceeded its 175-pound weight limit, according to Athletic Communications Assistant and sprint football contact Kelly McCarthy.
"He played hard," said fifth-year College senior and former teammate Hasani Sinclair, who is the brother of Masamba.
"He was actually one of our best offensive linemen when he was on the team," he added.
College senior Doug Pires, a sprint football co-captain, also lauded Paris' work ethic.
"He was always working hard, always trying to make weight. Lots of practices, he'd have to stay after late to run laps," Pires said.
"That's the kind of guys you want to play with. People that work hard. People that want to be there," he added.
Described by College sophomore Nina Lior as "an active guy, really on top of his game," Paris also has a passion for snowboarding.
"He loves snowboarding. He's really good at it, actually," College junior and PIKE brother Chip Stewart said.
A group of friends "got a house up in Vermont last year, and we went snowboarding there. Every time we went was an adventure," Stewart said. "He and I were always competing to see who could do better."
According to Stewart, Paris is extremely dedicated to the sport. Stewart recalled one time when the friends left at 2 a.m. for an eight-hour drive to their Vermont time-share and hit the slopes as soon as they arrived.
Also brimming with positive sentiment, several of Paris' friends note his ability to get along with so many different people.
"He's friendly all the time. I don't think anyone's ever had a reason to be mad at him," Masamba said.
Stewart expressed a similar sentiment.
"I don't know a single person who has anything bad to say about him," he said.
"He's happy to be around people -- he makes other people comfortable," said Stewart, noting Paris' somewhat comical tendency to hug almost everyone he meets.
"He's very vivacious. He's really fun to be around," Lior said, adding, "He's really caring of his friends."
Paris' strong ties to his friends are evidenced in the outpouring of well-wishing that can be seen on a message board established by those close to him following his injury.
"One thing that is really apparent ... is that he has so many people rooting for him," College junior Kim Thompson said.
"He's touched so many people in his life. He's just that incredible of a person."
