Six suicides at Cornell University

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Unbelieveable! As students at many colleges and universities begin Spring Break, the students at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York are feeling the pressure of their academic studies. Six students have now died from suicide. While one suicide is too many, how is it that six have been allowed to occurred?

These are all intelligent, hard working students who excelled in high school in order to gain acceptance into an IVY league college as Cornell University. Yet, the stresses and pressures of the Spring semester were too much for these students.

What are your thoughts regarding the loss of these young intelligent students who had so much to offer in the future?

How well does your college or university assist its students when feeling so much stress and pressure?

Did they all die at the same time, or on different occasions, because if they died at the same time this might be the act of a Cult.

thats six roomates with grief 4.0 averages

I don't know them personally, are you saying these kids had AS?

I personally went through a lot depression while in college. That also around the times where I attempted suicide.

So in my own personal experience, I know the pressure all too well, however this was before I was diagnosed with AS. There's sort of this shame to "need" help or assistance. I remember feeling like I was in another world. Everyone understood the instructor and had things finished except me. I found it even more painstaking to have to ask for help from other students. There was so much pressure that I literally had to rushed in the hospital for seizures and suicidal attempts. Both my parents thought it best to get me out of there. So now I'm still taking it a step at a time.

I've never told anyone this except on a forum so this is a bit personal for me. I wouldn't recommend giving up but just realize if you are struggling through college, you're not alone. It can be very tough especially in the real world. Unfortunately people expect you to "act like an adult" about it and not get help or at least that's the subliminal message I get. It's ashame not all colleges encourage people with "special" needs or difficulties to get the help they need. I think there's still this expectation in our society that we're suppose to learn and function all the same.

@MissC: I went through the same phase in school, college is comparatively easy in India compared to HS.

Which is why I support groups like FUNDAEC trying to reform the educational system.

http://www.fundaec.org/en/

Sorry my mistake, it was 6 over the past school year, not all at once. How can it be allowed to occur? Well, I don't think you can really stop someone who is about to commit suicide, especially if they are suffering from depression in silence.

Suicides are acts of free will. How does one prevent them?

ruveyn

I wonder if the economy could have been a factor in these students' suicides. From what I've heard, New York has had a pretty bad economy recently.

That's just an urban legend, they don't actually do that.

Actually, this story is rather believable. If my memory serves me, Spring Break was situated where it is due to the fact that there was a spike in suicides of students during this time.

It has been theorized to many causes such as seasonal, delayed stress reaction &c. I have not thought of the topic since I was in university my self. Thus, I no longer remember my references for this.

There are often warning signs, but it is hard to catch them. Those who actually say they feel overwhelmed and want to die would most likely get the attention they need, but someone who isnt that forthright would slip through the cracks. And the other students are busy too, so they may not catch on to the subtler signs.

Tragic. I feel very sad for the families, friends, and community

Did you mean to use this phrasing? "Allowed to occur"? Seems like it'd be impossible to prevent suicide if someone really wanted to die. I'm referring to the people that don't broadcast what they're about to do because they don't want someone to stop them.

It's quite different than what we tend to see on WP (and something that I find quite confusing). There seem to be (and have been) a few members who broadcast that they've tried suicide "N times in the last <insert time period>." While I realize that all "cries for help" should be taken seriously, this latter form seems to be a cry for attention rather than help.

We've actually had member here who did in fact take their life. I don't want to get in too deep but you could tell this individual was deeply depressed looking at their blogs.

As for the rest I know a few including myself who were put in the hospital. So I know what you mean by "attention seekers" but I'd still be careful using that assumption on all people who are trying to get help or are having trouble verbalizing their trouble with other people.

Maybe their feelings of helplessness and being overwhelmed could've been partially linked to the economy. Ivy league schools are SO expensive, and the average college senior graduates with thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Maybe it all got to be too much, and there was no way to get out.

The new Cornell hymn:

Far above Cayuga's waters
Is a private hell
There some students take the gas pipe
'cause they hate Conell

ruveyn