"AJ" Jinah, 20, A Competitive Spitter
Bill Schenley
contests. And, apparently, he is seeking out the "smartest,
most polite" and "classiest" people ... with "maturity"
beyond their ... years ... to participate in these events.
FROM: The Ottawa Sun ~
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/News/2004/02/23/357639.html
A CARLETON University engineering student participating in a
spitting contest with friends plunged 11 floors off a
downtown high-rise to his death late Saturday night. Ameer
"AJ" Jinah was celebrating his 20th birthday in his
11th-floor apartment at 199 Kent St. with about a dozen
friends when the accident happened at about 11 p.m.
Police said it appears Jinah took a running start to try to
spit further than his two friends when he unintentionally
vaulted himself over the balcony railing.
"It was purely accidental," said Ottawa police Sgt. Joe
Simpson. "Momentum carried him beyond."
Police said alcohol was being consumed at the party.
Apartment building security guard Jason Armstrong, who was
working Saturday night, said he heard a thud and immediately
knew something was wrong.
PEOPLE SCREAMING
"Two ladies came in and started screaming for me to call
911," said Armstrong, adding a group of about eight of
Jinah's emotional friends rushed to his side.
Armstrong, who had known Jinah for about eight months, said
he was surprised to learn the circumstances surrounding his
death.
"He was one of the smartest, most polite guys I ever met in
my life," he said. "I think he was one of the classiest
guys. He had a maturity beyond his age."
Armstrong said Jinah always made a point to stop and chat on
his way into the building and seemed to make friends easily.
"I'm going to miss him around here," said Armstrong.
His roommate, Eric Hwang, was too distraught to comment on
what happened.
Family members said Jinah was in his second year at
Carleton.
Last year, Jinah acted as the first-year representative for
the Carleton Student Engineering Society.
He had returned to Ottawa from Belleville, where he was
visiting his family, only hours before his death, his
grandfather said yesterday.
"When he got to Ottawa he called and said, 'Papa, I'm here
and I'm all right,' " he said.
Family members, including Jinah's father Alnoor, travelled
to Ottawa yesterday.
Terrymelin
>contests. And, apparently, he is seeking out the "smartest,
>most polite" and "classiest" people ... with "maturity"
>beyond their ... years ... to participate in these events.
>
>FROM: The Ottawa Sun ~
What can we expect? It's Canada.
Terry Ellsworth