Fenced In

Video and Article by Bridget Corrigan

Cornell’s beautiful architecture has been replaced with an ugly reminder. Various bridges overlooking the gorges on Cornell’s campus have been covered by 8-foot tall barbed wire fences.

Three suicides since February as a result of gorge jumping has dampened the spirits on campus. Freshman Bradley Ginsburg jumped off the Thurston Avenue bridge on February 18, followed by a plunge off the same bridge by Sophomore William Sinclair on March 11. The following day, Junior Matthew Zika dove off the suspension bridge.

Cornell officials are taking the severity of the situation to heart.

Emails addressing the suicides were delivered to the inboxes of every student at Cornell, while every dorm room received a knock on the door as a check up system.

Prevention of future suicides are top priority for Cornell’s staff – as it should be. However, are the daunting fences that have been implemented throughout the campus going to save the lives of those with suicidal thoughts?

“I don’t think it really addresses the actual problem. It might stop people from jumping off the bridges, but it’s not the only way to commit suicide.” –Steven Plastrik, 23, from Seattle, W.A., says.

At first, patrol officers were placed at the bridges to look out for potential jumpers. The fences were implemented while Cornell students were on their Spring Break.

Students were surprised to see how the Cornell staff had dealt with the situation. Many students spoke out against the public demonstration.

“The worst part about it is marking the space as this is where these bad things happened. It’s like we’re doing something, it’s something you can actually see.” Omar Figueredo, 24, from Brownsville, T.X. commented. “It would do a lot more to foster more of a community feeling, in a more subtle and sincere way.”

A facebook group was created titled “Cornellians Who Don’t Want Bridge Fence” – with 1387 members to date. On the group description, it states: “Some studies have shown that such fences have reduced suicide rates in large population samples. Others have shown that it decreased bridge suicides while increasing other suicides. So, the effectiveness of bridge fences at reducing suicide rates, especially in a population size much smaller than that of the studies, can’t be fully conclusive.”

Concerns are spreading through the campus. Commencement is fast approaching, and students as well as professors are perturbed by the idea that the fences will still be trapping the disturbing memories in during a time of celebration. Plans to take the fences down should be implemented by June, and proposals include more aesthetically pleasing alternatives. Physical barriers are still in the plans.

Cornell administration had a huge decision to make on how to act, and how to act fast.

“While we know that our gorges are beautiful features of this campus, they can be scary places at times like this,” Susan Murphy, the vice president for student and academic services, said in a video message posted on a new Web site, caringcommunity.cornell.edu.

Some students see the silver lining in the fences, such as Corinne Zappacosta, 22, from Augusta Georgia. “Their visibility has provoked awareness and discussion about the topic versus brushing under the mat or keeping instances quiet. It has instigated a more proactive attitude towards prevention and reaching out amongst all members of the community.”

Simeon Moss, Cornell spokesman, explains how they came to the solution: “Following three deaths of students this semester due to falls from or near campus bridges, we sought advice from national and local leaders in the field of suicide prevention. They were clear in their advice to us: the recent cluster of suicides has the potential to increase the risk of suicide for vulnerable members of our community, and it was critical that we take aggressive action to restrict access to jumping or falling from the bridges.”

Sinclair and Zika’s falls came on the Thursday and Friday before the midterm exam week. The following Monday and Tuesday, President David Skorton placed a full-page ad in the Cornell Daily Sun which reads: “Your well-being is the foundation on which your success is built. If you learn anything at Cornell, please learn to ask for help.”

Although members of the community are quick to criticize the actions the Cornell staff has taken, one important message does ring clear. The prevention of future suicides is extremely important to all of Cornell, and the administration is doing all that it can to help those who may feel mentally unstable.

While some of the actions may come across in more of a policing fashion than a genuine effort, the goal is clear: to help those in need.

Cornell is suffering from a huge loss, which is causing emotions to stir among the whole community. With hopes from the staff and the student body, Cornell will overcome the challenges it has faced.

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