Cornell University Concerned with 3 Suspected Student Suicides
Three student deaths, suspected suicides, in one month have forced Cornell University to rethink what went wrong that forced the students to end their lives in the spectacular gorges surrounding the university.
Following this, university teachers have started showing to the students that they care for them by going from door to door offering help. The university has taken the extraordinary step of posting lookouts on bridges.
At least three students have ended their lives during this academic year, taking the total number of deaths to six. However, the university maintains that the suicide rate is similar to the national average, validating their statement by saying that there had been no student suicides since 2005.
Still, the suicides have rung emergency bells for Cornell University, which has dispatched a number of staff members to the six bridges on campus. Apart from this, many others have been asked to visit every student living on the campus to provide counseling.
The beautiful gorges lying on the way to Cornell University have now contributed to the university’s reputation as a "suicide school." However, Marchell, clinical psychologist in Cornell’s campus health services, wrote in a video on the school's "Caring Community" website: "It's well known that Cornell has a reputation as a 'suicide school,' which is not consistent with the reality of the statistics."
On February 17, Bradley Ginsburg’s body was recovered from under a bridge linking a gorge. The recovery came a day after Ginsburg was reported missing by his roommate. On Thursday, 19-year-old sophomore William Sinclair’s body was recovered from a gorge. The body of 21-year-old junior Matthew Zika of Lafayette is still missing.
Concerned over the rising number of student suicides, the school is planning events to help students during the spring break, which is around the corner. However, various other reputed institutes have reported student suicides, such as New York University. In 2003, New York University installed barriers around the entrance into its Bobst Library following the death of two students, who had either jumped or fallen there.
Now Cornell University does not want to take any chances, especially as a stressful exam week begins soon, which truly reflects in university President Dr. David J. Skorton ad in the campus paper, The Cornell Daily Sun, saying: “Your well-being is the foundation on which your success is built. If you learn anything at Cornell, please learn to ask for help.”
