Student death is never an easy thing to discuss. Unfortunately, it’s been on minds at Penn this semester, as four students passed away since August. The most recent death — that of College sophomore Alex Ryles — is hard to handle because his passing was reportedly a suicide.
But the disturbing event also sheds light on the University’s commendable efforts to help those who might consider taking their own lives.
Over the past 15 years, Penn has made admirable efforts to refine its suicide prevention program. Faculty and staff liaisons work with Counseling and Psychological Services to be on the alert for potentially troubled students. If the liaisons notice any alarming student behavior, they will work with CAPS to develop an appropriate course of action. In the case of a serious emergency, CAPS will go to a student’s residence and check to make sure he is okay. CAPS also trains residential advisors to be on the lookout for signs that students are potentially suicidal.
No institution will ever be able to completely prevent suicides. In addition to Ryles’ death, there have been several other suicides in the past decade. But the University’s programs and protocol are valuable to the community and have potentially saved students’ lives.
CAPS should continue to fine tune and implement its program when necessary. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and every effort counts.
