Suicide at William & Mary (Feb 3 2015)

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
1

A female sophomore has committed suicide. Her body was found early Tuesday morning Feb 3 2015. Her family has been notified and the police do not suspect foul play.

In 2010 there were 3 suicides at this school. The surge in deaths in 2010 left W&M battling reputation as a ‘suicide school.’ The school cares more about it’s reputation though then actually changing anything that will make a difference.

I have a sophmore at this school. I read about the grade deflation and pressure cooker atmosphere at the school but dismissed it. If I had known then what I know now, I would have never let my daughter enroll at this college. This school is fine for some majors, but for other majors, it’s a unhealthy pressure cooker.

The mental health resources and counseling center at the school are pretty useless. I’m sure the school will “go through the motions” and dispatched grief counselors who will tape up flyers on doors listing the warning signs of severe depression. But nothing will really change.

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OP, don’t you think it’s premature to speculate as to the reason for this woman’s suicide? It could have absolutely nothing to do with school pressure. What a terrible thing for this young lady’s family and friends.

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What a tragic thing. It is just so sad, and frightening. A nightmare for those who love her. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to any student who is struggling.

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I know a lot of schools that are academic pressure cookers, especially for certain majors that tend to be stressful anywhere. But W&M does not make my list. A suicide can happen anywhere, and unfortunately, when one happens, it paves the path for more, as it makes it a “doable”, possible thing… They tend to occur in clusters, and that is something that puts the fear in me. College is time when those mental health demons start a popping out. I hope familes, students, support systems at the school are working on this because the fact that this happened means the chances have skyrocked for more fo the same.

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I also think it is premature to speculate that the death is was a suicide caused by academic pressure. The details are still very unclear at the moment, however the email did state "A 2013 graduate of Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, VA, Saipriya first enrolled at William and Mary in the fall of that year. ** She had not yet declared a major, and was not enrolled at William & Mary this semester. ** "

If she was not enrolled in W&M this semester, I doubt it was academic pressure that was the reason for her death, as it would mean she was not taking classes. We’re all very sad about the loss. I think the best thing you can do at the moment is talk to your daughter about these issues and make sure she knows that there are resources to support her. It’s important to keep the line of dialogue open and check in from time to time to make sure she is doing well.

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So sad, the loss of a young life, with so much ahead of them, is so tragic - the apparent “reason” anyone commits suicide is so often what most of us would view as a small or passing thing. A young, brilliant, and very talented friend of mine committed suicide 35 years ago, and I still feel scarred and diminished by it - he had so much to offer this world, and I know his friends and family will forever feel regret that we didn’t somehow prevent it.

The “academic pressure cooker” as described by the OP - there are a couple of ways where there may be some truth in that. #1, most of the students that attend W&M are academically stellar - they’ve always been one of the smartest kids in their school - and they find themselves at a school where everyone was one of the smartest kids in their school.

Suddenly, the pond is full of “big fish” and for someone who’s self-esteem is tied to their class rank, this can be a difficult transition.

The second aspect is for those who are preparing for competitive post-graduate schools - for example, those in “pre-med” are notorious for their competitiveness, because med school admissions are all about competition, and GPA is a huge part of that - a poor grade or two can ruin someone’s chances at med school admission.

Neither of these things are unique to W&M - these situations, and these pressures, occur at most every school, especially any top-tier school.

I don’t think statistics bear out any particular elevated risk at W&M vice other schools - it’s a risk associated with the age of the student, and the emotional storms that can come with it.

There’s really only one thing that may make a student attending W&M more vulnerable than students at, say “Lunkhead State”, and that’s the nature of the students that attend there. W&M attracts kids who are sensitive, intellectual, artistic, and extremely self-aware. This is mostly a good thing, but often such sensitive kids, especially early in life, can be vulnerable to depression, and they can get lost in their own emotional storms.

I’m afraid that people always want to blame something or someone when a kid commits suicide. And the finger of blame is nearly always wrong.

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What is the school’s purpose in reporting this information? The student is not enrolled, they should not be reporting. BTW, this is the 2nd student THIS year that has committed suicide. This school is stressful. My child had a class last semester that the professor stated the first day of class “I am known for bringing down GPAs”. Very uplifting.

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“In 2010 there were 3 suicides at this school. The surge in deaths in 2010 left W&M battling reputation as a ‘suicide school.’ The school cares more about it’s reputation though then actually changing anything that will make a difference.”

well, there’s a factual statement, a conclusion that may or may not be correct, and a rather offensive smear, in rapid succession.

as @shawnspencer‌ noted, the victim was NOT enrolled. blaming the school for the suicide of a young woman who wasn’t even enrolled there at the time is irresponsible at best, and possibly libelous.

i expect W&M cares a great deal about this young woman and they are likely very upset about this tragedy. for basic human compassion reasons, nothing to do with reputation.

“The mental health resources and counseling center at the school are pretty useless.” I’ve very sorry to hear your daughter found their resources to be useless. I sincerely hope this is not a roundabout way of saying the victim was your child. There really are plenty of people who care - that’s why they go into the counseling field.

If it wasn’t your daughter, I hope you daughter doesn’t give up, and finds someone to help her through her difficulties in the healthiest possible way.

9

Listen, I’m a student here and i LOVE this school. It can be hard and can be a little stressful because all of us were such over achievers in high school, but everyone here isn’t depressed and this school is by no means an “unhealthy pressure cooker.” I have plenty of fun and have never felt hopeless in my schoolwork. If someone is stressed, the counseling center is is very good. I have friends who have gone there and it’s been a major help for them. If the school was more concerned about its reputation it would do what JMU and UVA did and hide their deaths. But no. Our school is wearing her heart on her sleeve and committing to make a difference in suicide awareness.

I don’t feel the school is responsible for this tragedy. Incidents like these are not unique to our school alone. Many academically rigorous schools are plagued with the same tragedies. In the fall semester, UVA had 2 suicides and JMU had 1. Suicide is the largest killer among young adults. For anyone (including prospectives) who are looking at this post, I wish you could see the outpouring of love and community on this campus. We have this saying “One Tribe. One Family” and it is 100% true. We are a community.

I’ve loved my time here so far and am incredibly happy here. The college is by no means a depressing, or sad place. It is a place of community where the people are friendly and the classes are interesting. This incident has hurt all of us here on campus and I pray for S- and her family. The college is doing everything it can to be of service to people. and to combat depression. One day we will hopefully be able to beat it.

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I don’t remember the exact stats anymore, but my kid was debating between W&M and UVA a couple of years ago and listed the suicide reputation as a reason for going elsewhere. So, I did the research and found that if you looked at the average suicide rate per year it was no higher than other similar top 50 ranked schools.

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I am a parent and I am shocked at how the country tolerates the anti-student attitude of professors in colleges. These are young 20 year old kids, and the idea is that by threatening their grades and their career we can maintain quality in education. These professors and colleges take pride in grade deflation. These kids, all college kids in the country not just WM- which is the worst example, are under tremendous pressure to excel in grades in courses like greek history or organic chemistry which very likely will have nothing to do in their future careers. Colleges charge enormous amount of money in the name of the cost of education- but really to line the pocket of college CEOs, and the maintenance of vast lawns and great victorian buildings which put students and their parents in awe. And after a celebrated admission to a great college, the killing of our children by megalomaniac professors- physical and psychological- begins.

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@cruelprofessors - if you are a parent, I will, frankly, be amazed. Most adults have long since made their peace with the fact that college-level work is … hard. No one takes Greek history OR organic chemistry if those classes “very likely will have nothing to do in their future careers.” These are not required courses except for specific majors. Majors are chosen by students. If you’re taking organic because you want a career in medicine, you SHOULD have to excel because being a physician requires discipline and the ability to master difficult material. Colleges are undoubtedly expensive, but no one will take your argument regarding that seriously when you say it’s “really to line the pockets of college CEOs.” Try running any business with a labor force of hundreds of highly-educated employees, and the responsibility/liability for thousands of young people, and see how cheaply you can do it.

Back OT - the issue of suicide at W&M has come up repeatedly on these boards. I have tried many times and failed to find a reliable source of information on suicide rates specific to individual colleges. @TV4caster, if you could point me in the direction of your source, I’d be grateful. Since suicide is a significant cause of death in the college-aged population, and because serious mental illness often arises in late adolescence, I don’t know how confident we can be in assertions that any given school causes or is an appreciable factor in student suicide.

The fact that this tragedy occurred when the student was not currently enrolled at W&M makes me wonder whether she had taken a break from school to deal with a serious mental illness. If we expect colleges to fix mental illness as well as educate their students, that’s going to make them even more expensive.

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This is a difficult topic because it hits our hearts and isn’t easily understood. I’d watch what we assume from tidbits in the news (or even something someone heard on campus or from a student or two.) And sweeping statements don’t help- not the families, not other kids who need support and not those who do try to help them.

It’s hard to hear any one college called “a suicide school,” when we don’t know the larger picture and only have a slice or a few anecdotes about who seeks help, how it’s delivered and how it works. We don’t know these kid’s lives and what their worries were. Those who study the problem talk about the range of challenges/stresses kid face. It’s far more complex than hard classes and high expectations, some mean professors or demanding parents, some issue with aid or trouble with a roommate or relationship.

What we can do is encourage kids not to hide their concerns, to seek help- and we can support that, whether they’re our children or others we know. Anyone who has had a kid who needs or needed help also knows finding the right counselor can take a few tries. It’s not as simple as saying the support is useless. Good luck, all.

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@cruelprofessors‌, Many of the professors I’ve had have been incredibly nice and friendly. My Spanish professor last semester helped me take a second look my essays and gave me tips for writing better. In my experience the professors here DO care about students, it’s just a college campus so students have to seek professors attention most of the time if they aren’t in a small class. @frazzeled1 my friend who volunteers in the admissions department says our rates are “below the national average.”

The daily beast lists us as a top 50 stress school, but we’re not too high up on that list we’re number 42 and every school on the list is an academically rigorous school. Apparently Cornell had 6 confirmed suicides the year this article was written so suicide is a huge problem nationwide.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/03/29/2011-s-most-stressful-colleges.html#slide42

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It is tragic whenever a young person makes the choice to end his or her life. I don’t think it is fair to label W&M as a “suicide school.” It is not solely a W&M occurrence. For example, UVA had two enrolled second years end their lives this past fall, in addition to the tragic murder of a second year student. I don’t think any school is exempt from tragedy.

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It is so tragic to lose a young life, but blaming the school is short sighted. Recently, a young woman I know who attended Belmont University committed suicide while at school. It had absolutely nothing to do with the school or academic pressures. She was dealing with the suicide of her BF a few months earlier and issues with his family. There are so many factors that play into suicide beyond the academic environment.

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From various sources (eg, the CDC)

This is not a W&M problem. It’s a human problem.

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I fully understand your concern @GoogleBerry . There were two completed suicides at my D’s h.s. last year. I worried about my daughter every single moment of every day afterwards.

FWIW, here are a few (non-expert) observations. Suicide can and does happen at many if not most colleges & universities. It is likely underreported, as cause of death is sometimes listed as accident. The appropriate measure of a school is not that the suicide(s) happened there, but in how the school reacts to it.

It’s risky to try to attribute a single cause to a suicide. There may be a trigger, but often the causes are numerous, and complex. It is unlikely that a pressure-cooker atmosphere, in and of itself, was the cause.

One of the biggest concerns following a suicide is the cluster effect. People who knew the victim are suddenly at a much higher risk. But people who did not know the victim well, are also at higher risk. One thing we learned in the aftermath at D’s school is that although attempts may not necessarily be increasing, lethality–especially among girls (in our area, at least)–seems to be increasing. This is of significant concern to our local psychologists.

From my own experience, the kids who seem to be doing best in the aftermath are those with close, peer relationships in which they can talk about, and “process” what happened. The scars are very deep, and lasting. The more time that passes, the more I am starting to realize that however unintentional it may have been, the act of violence was not just against the student himself/herself, but against everyone who knew them. It has been truly awful.

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<<< fall semester UVA had 2 suicides and JMU had 1>>>

UVA & JMU are both 3 times the size of William and Mary. (20,000 students v/s 8000 students)
Statistically, they should have 3 times more suicides.

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Do wonder why she isn’t enrolled? Yet she’s living right next to campus during the school year with other students?