When help is not enough, students fail to look within

In September 1987, Laurence Myers '89 slit his wrists and stabbed himself in the abdomen and chest. Two months later, Michael Siegal '89, a graduate student in the psychology department, was found dead in his off-campus apartment.

The University has not seen a suicide in the last 15 years on campus.

For other top schools, suicides have drawn national attention, and preventing suicides has become a frequently discussed issue in higher education.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, has lost six students to self-inflicted deaths since 1998. In the past six months, the University of Pennsylvania has lost five students, two of whom killed themselves.

The University's track record may attest to the sentiment that few people "fall through the cracks here," said Gina Baral, coordinator of health promotion services.

Indeed, the counseling center has seen a 20-percent increase in the number of students who have sought help within the last year.

Across the board in professional health services and student advisers, the University has laid out an emotional safety net to catch those falling students.

In addition, RAs and MAAs are trained for crises — especially in recognizing when to seek outside help. Each residential college has its own resource staff to respond in emergencies.

"Someone is always accessible — the structure of the residential colleges and the many other support services on campus create an excellent network," Baral said. "If you choose to seek help, you can always find the appropriate resources or someone who can connect you to them."

Four undergraduates attempted suicide during the last academic year, compared to a national rate of 1.6 percent, according to the National College Health Assessment Survey in 2001.

Though a successful suicide has not occurred on campus in recent years, "that doesn't mean that there haven't been a lot of attempts and gestures," said Bob Schiraldi, a staff psychologist in the counseling center.

Twenty-eight undergraduates "seriously considered" suicide one or more times, in comparison to an average of 32 students per university.

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What these numbers reflect is the University's efficacy in dealing with crisis, in supporting individuals who have sunken to a level that requires University intervention.

Whether intervention — by the University or another source — should be implemented at a less critical level in the student's emotional spectrum remains questionable.

Support networks

The common emotional outlet for students who face critical levels is a support network of peers found through activities — or more simply, one's friends.

For Sarah Seo '02, students in the Asian Christian society Manna have become her roommates, her social network and her family.

"We're here for each other to remind ourselves of God and his blessings," Seo said. "That there is a greater reality beyond Princeton."

For many, students groups periodically offer intimate sessions to share their feelings.

But for others, time for socialization epitomizes the word "fleeting."

"People have their Palm Pilots and planners ready in hand to schedule in time to have lunch with their friends. They set appointments to be with one another," Diana Rosenblum '05 said. "Though this may seem normal in our fast-paced lives, there is something inherently wrong with that idea."

When one's life becomes grounded in the pursuit of success, a loss of perspective inevitably occurs. The issue of unhappiness at the University suddenly fails to be found in friendships — and perhaps the dearth of emotional support they offer — but rather in the individual. In her priorities. In her definition of success.

Personal evaluation

Staci Goddard '04 said a change in oneself is necessary to cope with the University environment.

"You have three options when you come to Princeton when wanting to be the best," Goddard said. "Some people give up and surrender to mediocrity. Some don't. And others just change their value system, worrying about the quality of life. I myself have chosen to live."

This refusal to surrender to a torpor that engulfs the student body lies at the heart of Goddard's beliefs. It also fuels a project that Schiraldi and Karen Wolfgang '05 are fighting to establish: a life skills course that will help students manage their psycho-social concerns.

This proposal stems from a question that Schiraldi often asks the students who file into his office — "Do I like the person I am? Aside from academics, am I still a worthwhile person?"

Though the answer from a rational viewpoint would be "yes," Schiraldi forces students to answer truthfully, given their current emotional status.

"I honestly think a lot of people would say 'no,' " Schiraldi said.

The class aims to emphasize the significance of a well-rounded person, in his intellectual capabilities, his self-esteem and, most importantly, his emotional peace.

Schiraldi and Wolfgang echo the need to step back and re-evaluate whether importance is placed on the future instead of the present, whether relationships with others have reached their full potential and whether simple things in life still inspire.