Desperate Crossings
Cornell students race across the bridges spanning the Fall Creek Gorge on their way to class, to the town of Ithaca, or to some other activity. Rarely do they stop to enjoy the magnificence of the gorge or listen to creek bounce off boulders below. During the last few days many probably paused and glanced over the edge. Two students jumped to their deaths off these spans in recent weeks, raising the Cornell suicide total to six in this academic year. For survivors peering down 100’ to the creek, it must seem like an abyss.
Statisticians are spinning the ‘facts’ that Cornell’s suicide rate is normal, if you pull data all the way back to 2005. Nearly 8 U.S. college students, out of every 100,000, end their own life each year. That compares to the 11 suicides per 100K for the U.S. population. The death of a youth is sadder, more like a hole in your soul. Why? Couldn’t they see through their personal fog at a bright future?
The pressure on each college students is immense. As a professor, you see it in their eyes. It is beyond grades. There are expectations from friends and family. There is self-esteem. There is fear of failure. There is the end of relationships. Whether these are real or perceived, it is important not to judge. Add depression to the mix and a bridge for some becomes a solution.
The Ivy League campus is on a ‘suicide alert.’ Strange term! Is taking one’s own life a virus? Does one jumper embed an idea into another? Do you post bridge patrols? No doubt such an alert is asking the community to keep their eyes and ears open. There are clues to observe. Most importantly, students need listeners. Tragedies tear through emotions like the gorges carve through Ithaca. Getting counseling and support will help both the survivors and potential victims.
The rails over the gorge are cold. An early thaw feeds Fall Creek into a roaring torrent. Sunshine sparkles across the rapids. You pray all of those that seek-out this vista, enjoy its beauty, and walk on.
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