AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION: Cornell, Villanova try to cope with deaths

The suicide of a former Cornell University student and accidental death of a Villanova freshman last week have raised questions about the techniques college students employ to cope with stressful schedules. Both students had apparently been drinking alcohol before they died. Dustin Klingbergs jumped into the Cascadilla Creek Gorge -- part of which runs through Cornell's campus -- shortly before 4 a.m. on Nov. 4, according to information provided by the Ithaca, N.Y. Police Department. Klingbergs was walking home with a friend, the police report states, when he suddenly became despondent. A brief struggle ensued as Klingbergs's friend attempted unsuccessfully to stop him from jumping into the gorge. Klingbergs was "barely alive" when authorities found him, according to Cornell spokesperson Larry Bernard. Efforts to revive him failed. On the same day, Villanova freshman James McGarry had been at an off-campus party, evidently consuming alcohol, said the school's spokesperson, Barbara Clement. He had been back on campus -- where alcohol is not permitted -- for about an hour on Saturday, Nov. 5 before he fell while attempting to slide down a banister in a nearby train station. McGarry died on Sunday. A memorial service for him has already been held at Villanova. Cornell spokesperson Larry Bernard said the school has no more suicides per year than any other similarly-sized institution, but when students kill themselves by jumping into the gorges their deaths are more widely-publicized. "So far in 1994, there's been one suicide attempt by a Cornell student, and it was unsuccessful," Bernard said, excluding Klingbergs since he was not registered for classes at the time of his death. In the wake of the tragedy, Cornell has intensified discussions with City of Ithaca officials to place barriers under the bridges that cross gorges on campus. "The problem we see with this is that the barriers would have to run the entire length of the gorge," Bernard said. Cornell's Student Health Service continues to offer programs on stress management and relief, he added, with an on-line computer counseling service called "Dear Uncle Ezra" and a telephone hotline in place as well. And a receptionist in the psychological services division said the office had been swamped with calls and walk-ins yesterday. Ilene Rosenstein, director of University Counseling Service here on campus, said she cannot remember when a suicide last occurred at the University. Last semester, though, 1993 University graduate Ryan Taylor killed himself in his home state of California. In the event of such a death, Rosenstein said UCS would and did conduct intervention programs for anyone with connections to the victim, whether through residences, academic departments or extracurricular activities. UCS is also heavily involved in preventative services, according to Rosenstein, providing individual counseling for walk-ins and by appointment, and offering various support groups and workshops. "Pressure is definitely an issue, and I think Penn students put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the best," Rosenstein said. "We have to make sure they have the coping strategies to deal with that. "We need to learn how to live balanced lives," she added. "That's very hard when you are trying to be the best." But Rosenstein said the host of factors that can lead someone to suicide are "really very complicated." Loss, pressure and depression may combine to create a sense of hopelessness or helplessness, causing the person to believe that killing himself represents the only way out of a difficult situation. Rosenstein cited a doubling in the amount of "walk-in emergencies" seen by UCS staff last year to prove that students are not only feeling a greater urgency to get help in solving their problems, but also becoming less reluctant to seek necessary assistance. "Have high goals for yourself, but when you don't achieve those goals, accept that and keep on persevering, don't take it so personally," she said, when asked for advice on how to mitigate scholastic pressure. "Part of succeeding is failure."

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