Slow on the uptake

[vernard]

So I'm sitting here in my office at GA Tech waiting on my workout partner to make it in for our regularly scheduled 7am workout (its 6:35am). I decide to read the local campus newspaper, the Technique for those of you that have never heard of it. And on the front page in the lead position is the an article entitled "Tech self-reports NCAA violations". I'm thinking, well at least we had the integrity to rat ourselves out. The next article below that was "Five thousanda turn out for Six Flags". Its nice to know that a university so hell bent on turning out the best engineers and scientists that the world will ever see can still take some time to offer cheap tickets to one of the worst theme parks in the country. *sigh* So I start scanning the rest of the page to see the little article that invariably make it there but are of little or no consequence.

That's when it hits me: "Clough: tuition may have to rise" and "Student commits suicide in Brown".

I literally shuddered. "Student commits suicide in Brown" . The entire article itself is 2 inches. Two fucking inches .
I did some digging and there was a post about it in the georgiatech here

Its just sickens me that something as significant as a student losing their life on campus (mind you, she was a freshman and had only been at GA Tech a month ) would get such a cursory mention. I guess its better than it being buried on page 12 or some such but it still feels wrong. Oh don't get me wrong, I know the standard reasons why you do it. Protection of privacy for the student and her family, lack of solid facts at the time of the story publication, etc. But it still feels so insignificant. And I can't help but think that the size of the article represents the amount of concern that Tech has. Its just an article. Its just a newspaper. Its just a brief nod

But it was also a life. And its gone. I didn't know here at all but I still feel diminished by her death.

Elesha Spencer died Wednesday evening at around 6pm from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Rest in peace.

Comments

Re: Agreed.

[arasirsul.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure V didn't mean to imply that the 'Nique considered sports more important than the suicide-- simply that there were more facts to report about the sports than the suicide. You can't exactly put it on the front page; an article that takes less space than the headline is worse journalism than you can even expect out of an engineering school's weekly newspaper...

That said, perhaps a suicide is the one case where a human life isn't very important, and doesn't deserve a lot of press time even if you can come up with more facts. In part, I think that if someone has decided their life is so valueless that they're willing to discard it, who am I to argue the point post-mortem? But even more, I think the real reason not to spend a lot of time dwelling on the subject is prevention. Extensive coverage of any phenomenon in the news tends to make it happen more often. Witness, ferinstance, the spike in suicides just after Kurt Cobain of Nirvana shot himself.

I think the 'Nique has the right idea here. Run a short story with whatever facts the cops are willing to give you, and perhaps run an editorial letter or two next week, but after that, drive on.

Re: Agreed.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

But you can't forget. You can't forget that this person was human, and that something drove them over the edge... there is a need in the human psyche to try and understand why. On the one hand, it is their choice.... on the other, for one so young... and it *does* have a *huge* effect on the folks around them. Even if for just that reason, one needs to deal with the problem before moving on. Quietly, respectfully, but it must be dealt with.

[jerseygirl1.livejournal.com]

*shudders*

IMHO, Tech really needs to pay better attention to the care of its students.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

It's not high school. Tech would be doing a disservice to its students to coddle them. On the other hand, frosh in particular should know that there are folks that can help.. teach them that all they have to do is ask... but that they do have to ask.

This is their introduction to the real world. No one is going to come drag them to class, or make them study, or be waiting with punishment if they stay out to 3am. They need to learn that.

I think the help is there. I don't know if FASET advertises it enough. But, no, running the entirety of Tech thru psych evals every semester is costly, intrusive, and just wrong. The only way these kids are going to learn to take care of themsleves is to expect them to... some don't have it. And there will be one or two that fall thru the cracks completely. But life is like that. And those who remain need to know that....

You cannot protect everyone. That way leads to madness, which I will not go into here. How you deal with what happens when you can't.... is the true measure of character.

We'll see.

[jerseygirl1.livejournal.com]

Help is not as easily accessable as you think, and especially Less at Tech. I'm comparing my experiences at Tech and at other schools.

Yes, the help is there, but no one really knows about it.

And I'm not talking about coddling students, but teaching them real life skills so they can survive... there needs to be a first quarter freshman class that addresses all these isseus. At Georgia State it is called GSU 1010, and it does a world of good!

I respect your opinion, though... Tech is not like the average school, and it is tough to survive. i just think Tech needs to remember that they may have the best and brightest, but they are still only 18 years old or so when they start. The success rate could improve *without coddling* if there was a class that simply helped students know what is available to them and teaches life skills.

*plink* *plink*

[alexanderc.livejournal.com]

Tech had/has this class. It was called PSY 1010 (I'm not sure who came up with the idea first but PSY 1010 showed up in 1994). It was run poorly because they treated it like an engineering class. You learned how to write papers, resumes, etc. yet the class was called "Adjusting to College Life". They did tell you some things about the counseling center, the health center, and other services.

[jerseygirl1.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh... I remember hearing about PSY1010... I forgot about that!

Well, I didn't have to take PSY1010 NOR GSU's class, but I do know that GSU's class was more focused on getting to know the campus, what was available, how to get help, etc.

Now, I guess I am comparing apples to oranges since GSU <> GT, but I think every 18 to 19 yr old has he same concerns when they leave home for the first time.

[firewalker138.livejournal.com]

"there are folks that can help.. teach them that all they have to do is ask"


Most individuals who are suicidal feel that they are either beyond help or just simply feel that no one would be able to help. This is usually a big reason they are suicidal in the first place. So it is actually a downward spiral that is really difficult to get out of. Yes… psych advisors are available on every campus I’ve ever heard of or been to. And, I had a friend in college who was suicidal. This person would not get help until I basicly dragged them to the counselors.

What am I trying to say? Well… I guess its that 1) most suicidal individuals do not reach out for help, they’d rather just “end it all.” 2) it’s not necessarily this individual’s fault that she didn’t get help. 3) it’s not necessarily the college’s fault she didn’t get help.

Moment of silence

[sharrainchains.livejournal.com]

I am sorry. Sorry that someone so young reached the point that she had to take her life - and that the school apparently cared so little that it could happen AND that it could be reported with such scant coverage. A more prominent place and a memorial-type layout would have been possible - and would have acknowledged the magnitude of the event, without violating anyone's privacy. I hope the school views her death as a call to provide better support for entering students - and to bring to their attention any resources that are already available.

[webwench.livejournal.com]

Often newspapers are reluctant to give much print to a suicide case. The general feeling is that giving attention to a carried-out suicide makes committing suicide more attractive as a way to get attention/publicity. This could be a factor, I dunno.

[mieper.livejournal.com]

as part of my new teacher training, i attended a workshop on suicide prevention. one of the things they really stressed was the difference between a contemplated suicide, an attempted suicide, and a completed suicide.

they said there are lots of kids who are depressed, especially at high-stress times of the year (right before prom, before holidays (lots of family time), just before finals, etc.), but most don't actually plan their way out. most of the kids who do come up with whole plans for suicide are not doing it because they can't take it anymore; they do it because they think other people will be better off without them. it's very, very seldom a spontaneous thing; major depression usually lasts for years prior to their making plans.

symptoms include drastic changes in behavior, usually negative: plummeting grades, poor attendence, extreme introvertedness, giving away stuff, saying goodbye in a strange way, etc. kids sometimes look for a sympathetic ear, but usually not (they don't think people will understand and/or are afraid of the social stigma). these may not be so visible if you don't know the person very well.

they told us that if we suspect that a kid has some serious problems, we're to confront them in private, and ask whether they've thought of killing themselves. the kid will either laugh it off ("ha.. of course not!"), give you a funny look ("where'd you get an idea like that?!"), or say "yes." the first two you can deal with and feel better immediately. the last response warrants immediate attention.