Campus Discusses Aftermath of Student Deaths
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Despite air, ground and water searches of Fall Creek Gorge and the waterway leading to Cayuga Lake, police said Tuesday that they were still unable to recover what is believed to be the body of Matthew Zika ’11.
The Ithaca Police Department, which is leading the investigation, said it planned to further expand the multi-agency recovery effort Wednesday by bringing in resources — including an underwater camera and sonar equipment — from the Yates County Sheriff's Office and Broome County Emergency Services.
The recovery efforts began Friday afternoon when witnesses observed a person — who investigators have identified as Zika — drop from the suspension bridge over Fall Creek Gorge in a suspected suicide. Zika's death followed the death of William Sinclair ’11, which investigators also suspect was suicide, according to the University.
Questioned by national media outlets this week, the University has released more details about the other student deaths this academic year. Besides the two suspected cases of suicide last week, medical examiners have determined that four other enrolled students died by suicide this year, according to Deputy University Spokesperson Simeon Moss ’73.
Moss said that privacy rules still precluded him from discussing the circumstances surrounding individual student deaths.
The University and student groups continued their mental health outreach efforts Tuesday as planning went forward for a large community-wide event scheduled for Wednesday. Cornell Minds Matter, a student-run mental health advocacy group, held a discussion with students, staff and faculty Tuesday afternoon to discuss the unease facing the campus community.
Assistant Dean of Students Casey Carr ’74, the CMM advisor, addressed possible reasons for the recent increase in student deaths.
“We know that when there’s a loss, sometimes it triggers other losses,” Carr said. “There’s somewhat of a myth here that we have it worse than anywhere else. I think that [myth] isn’t one that serves you well; many people in college feel life is difficult.”
Kathleen Davies ’12 recently joined the organization because she said she wants to improve community attitudes and help prevent future deaths.
“I’d like to fix the culture of stress, and getting that message to the faculty and other students is how we can make that change,” Davies said. “I don’t think anyone can deny that there isn’t a problem here after what has happened.”
Carr said that the number of deaths since August were “unbelievable, huge [and] very unusual.”
However, Carr also emphasized that Cornell’s average suicide rate over the past five years is not as high as what people perceive. There were no suicides recorded between 2006 and 2008, which puts the University under the national rate of 1.5 per 20,000 students per year, Carr said.
Other attendees pointed out the need for an increased awareness of symptoms of depression and signs of suicide. These signs include unusually high or low levels of activity, eating and sleeping, as well as increased irritability, social isolation and talk of death.
Discussions at the meeting also focused on the importance of helping others and seeking a balance between grades, responsibilities and relaxation. Students mentioned music, exercise, meditation and social gatherings as ways to reduce stress.
Students also expressed concerned about the lack of gathering places and the impression that the University is only a place of instruction. Libraries are places for students to meet, but people are asked to keep quiet in most areas.
Earlier this year, CMM members distributed a handbook to help faculty identify students under stress and create a program that is not stressful. In addition, the organization will play an active role in Wednesday’s “Lift Your Spirits” event on the Arts Quad by providing playdough, candy and a table where people can write thank you notes.
CMM also hopes to hold more “How to Help a Resident” training sessions for R.A.’s and expand their “Random Acts of Kindness” program, which involves volunteers giving candies and hugs to students before prelims.
Holly Lau ’11, president of CMM, said Tuesday’s meeting had a “really good turnout,” since it was advertised beyond their regular listserv as a resource for anyone who needed to talk. Lau said she hoped that “people become more aware of this need to take care of their mental well-being” and realize that seeking help is less stigmatized than years ago.
Ellen Abrams, director of after trauma services at the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service in Ithaca, also attended the event.
“You are not alone here on campus, anyone can call any time — it doesn’t have to be suicide,” Abrams said. “We have posted signs around all the bridges and we have been working with the Cornell Police within the past few days.”
When asked about how recent events have impacted her organization, she cited an increased number of calls, although she said she could not provide specific numbers because of privacy concerns.
“Since there’s a lot of discussion given what’s happened, it feels like a lot because that number is being inflated by hype,” Abrams said. “There has certainly been an increase in media coverage and college communities like Cornell can easily feel insolated.”
Carr noted the Dean of Students office offers support meetings to combat these feelings of insulation.
“If you know anyone who’s specifically affected, please let us know,” Carr said. “If any group wants help, Cornell University provides these meetings to support that.”
This story was written and reported by Brendan Doyle, Michael Stratford, Tim Becker and Andrew Hu.
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Reader Discussion (7 comments)
Carol Serna '06 (not verified) says:
Even four years out of Cornell a death of a fellow Cornellian is extremely saddening. My thoughts and prayers go out to the famiily and friends of the deceased. While reading the three articles that have been published on the recent deaths it was good to see that many of the resources at Cornell were included.
I was shocked however to find that no mention of EARS (Empathy Assistance and Referral Services) was made. I believe this to be one of the best resources on campuses. EARS provides counseling services with trained counselors who spend on average 3 semesters of training and more, including suicide counseling. You can call if you wish to remain completely anonymous or you can walk in. Walking in does not require that you give a name or leave any information and is centrally located on campus at Williard Straight Hall. EARS also provides training which is open even to those who do not wish to become a counselor. This training includes information on suicide, depression and its signs and symptoms. Whether you want to call, walk in or attend training EARS and its counselors provide a safe, warm and welcome place to share difficult problems and issues and learn how to effectively help someone going through a difficult time.
TexAlum (not verified) says:
As a parent of a Cornell student and an alum, I find it sad that it takes the tragic loss of 3 young lives within less than one month for the Cornell Community to take notice. Rather than posting videos expressing sympathy and having events with PlayDoh, Cornell's administration should require professors to be attentive to individual students and mandate that academic advisors actually advise students and monitor course load and other stressors (including, but not limited to, feelings of isolation and loneliness). Perhaps then these highly-regarded professors would actually become the mentors we wish they were and do a better job of identifying members of the Cornell Community who may be at risk.
leo (not verified) says:
It does not surprise me that Cornell has a big number of mentally unstable students. Students these days can rely only on themselves: the professors are totally detached from the students, who, in order to pass their courses, are forced to basically learn by themselves. Colleges should be small, with limited class sizes, and individual approach to teaching. It makes no sense to hire professors who just do research most of the time and "teach" 10 hours a week. It would be also wise to extend the length of certain programs, like engineering, to, let's say, 5 years, without adding more courses to the curriculum.
Anonymous grad student (not verified) says:
I think Sun journalists should perhaps have a period of reflection on their policy for reporting campus suicides. As I understand it not all of them get reported. I understand that there were probably good intentions for not reporting all suicides - avoidance of sensationalism and fear of triggering another suicide being among them - but I don't see why I should have to read the New York Times to find out that there have been 6 self-inflicted deaths at my school in the past year.
It's possible that some of these deaths could have been prevented if the student community (particularly the undergrads) as a whole were better educated about mental illness, its prevalence on campus and what signs to look out for in the people around you. It's pretty bad that it takes 6 deaths and a national media investigation for the administration to say how many people have died and to make a concerted effort to talk about mental health to students. We need to have a more honest conversation about mental health on campus and the Sun should be part of that.
Although I think CAPS is on the whole a good service (I've used it in the past year) and medical personnel at Gannett are good at directing people to CAPS, I think they need to be more transparent about the process of actually using it. I'm pretty sure there are people who should use it and don't because they don't know what its policies on patient confidentiality are, or fear being hospitalized or forced to take medical leave when that might not actually be the case.
Anonymous '98 Grad (not verified) says:
I saw this quote from Anderson Cooper in an article about his brother, who committed suicide:
"My brother was a sweet young man who wanted to be in control. In the end, he simply wasn’t. None of us are. We all dangle from a very delicate thread. The key is not to let go."
Recent Grad (not verified) says:
TexAlum brings up a great point; Advising at Cornell does need some serious attention. During my time at Cornell, I had an excellent advisor who genuinely cared about me. My advisor would meet with me once a month either in the office or over lunch to find out how I was doing academically, socially, and psychologically. If I was struggling academically, my advisor would help me to identify resources to help me improve, such as "00" supplementary classes, the Learning Strategies Center, tips on how to effectively use office hours, etc. My advisor took the same approach with my social and psychological wellbeing, taking my advisory group out for ice cream every now and then, making sure I did some sort of stress releasing activity, and introducing me to "emotional mentors", EARS, and CAPS. Cornell is a tough and rigorous place, and I definitely had my fair share of lows, but I know that one of the most instrumental things that got me through it was an advisor who genuinely cared about my personal well being. Because of my advisor's commitment to my success (in every meaning of the word), I was eventually able to find a balance between school, work, and socializing, and I truly enjoyed my Cornell experience. Unfortunately, I feel like my experience was the exception rather than the rule. The majority of my friends met with their advisors once a semester, and it was only to get the advisor code necessary to enroll in courses. My friends who were in majors that did not require advisor codes to enroll in courses rarely, if ever, met with their advisors after the first semester. They didn't get the support I had and were forced to figure it out themselves. Most were able to, but one had to take a semester off in order to cope.
I think that advisors can really be instrumental tools in helping students to navigate the academic, emotional, and mental mountain that is Cornell. They can be great resources and great mentors. I hope that Cornell can realize this and revamp the advisory program so that advisors play a more active role in the student experience.
Keith McPhail (not verified) says:
To the Cornell Community, when I was in Ithaca ('83-'85), there were deaths of students then, as well. And we felt terrible that it happened. We just could not understand how it could occur. But, my classmates and I were in our late twenties / early thirties, and perspective changes a lot in that decade between 20 and 30.
Please, please, please, if you feel that you are in a corner, and cannot get out,... reach out to someone. You are the most important thing at Cornell. Not the name, not the professors, not your family's expectations. It's you. You come first. Every time. No exceptions. Step away from school if it is proving to be too much to handle at the moment. You can always come back. You can go to another school. You can do something that fits the "you" of this moment in your life.
You have the ability to make that choice to be in a better place because you are the most important thing in this conversation. We, your friends, the other students, the people in and about Cornell, want you to be the best that you can be. But, not at the expensive of your health. Reach out to us.
regards,
Keith