On Nov. 3, another student from New York University (NYU) has yet again decided to end their fate inside the infamous Bobst Library. Just as NYU thought the suicide clusters were over, Andrew E. Williamson-Noble sparks up horrific memories of NYU's reputation. His body was found at 3 a.m. in NYU's 12-story library, according to Gothamist.com.
Apparently, the 20-year-old who was a film East Asian studies major text messaged a friend an hour or so prior to his death about going on a late night run for french fries. His friend never answered.
"His tendency to be up late was something Williamson-Noble had written about previously on his facebook page, saying, ‘I wish I had more friends who were on the same sleep cycle as me. There's a considerable loneliness that comes from being awake when few others are. One feels both that one owns the world, and that despite this triumph, has no one to share it with,'" Gothamist.com said.
Many investigators believe that his facebook status was a form of suicide note, a novel way a number of suicides victims are beginning to express their states of depression.
Williamson-Noble's case has enforced the school to re-renovate their safety system again. According to Gothamist.com, "Back in 2003 and 2004 there were multiple suicides in the library which led to the installation of panels on the inner balconies to prevent further attempts." And according to Nyc-architecture.com, "Security guards were stationed at some balcony points."
Although the upper levels of the library are now closed passed 1 a.m., it didn't necessarily mean the elevators were, which evidently disclosed Noble's death.
According to The New York Daily News, NYU sophomore Irvin Camarillo stated, "It's not an easy thing to do, you'd have to be tall to flop over it, unless you had a chair or something." Because this tragic event was still possible, the NYU administration states that, according to Gothamist.com, "Now the elevators will be shut off at 1 a.m."
Since 2003, ten NYU students — three being library associated, two suffocations, one overdose and four jumping from tall story buildings around the campus — have taken their own lives. These deaths still leave investigators, higher officials, friends and family members probing for explanations and answers.
According to Theicarusproject.net, "All of these issues stem from one specific idea, the idea of a suicide contagion." Once a single person boldly does it, others who are in the same mentally ill state tend to follow.
It is a sort of contagious fad that students replicate, especially back between the years of 2003-2004. The first NYU college student to commit this heinous act, John Skolnik, in the Bobst Library sadly set an example for others to imitate. "I remember reading an article in Rolling Stone magazine about Stephen Bohler, an NYU freshman, who after only six weeks of the fall semester was the second person of the year to jump to his death in the atrium of the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library," Reed stated.
Many express that the reason behind students' stress and depression is the amounts of rigorous study, which eventually leads to isolation.
Although many students do feel a great amount of pressure during the school year, in light of the suicide NYU President John Sexton sent a personal email out to students.
The email not only outlined the incident and speaks upon the dangers of suicide, he also touched upon the sense of community NYU has been striving for.
"No matter how difficult things might seem at any particular moment, your life is filled with promise, you belong in and are part of a community that cherishes your presence, you are loved, and there are many people at hand ready and willing to help you -- your professors, the staff in the residence halls, the Wellness Exchange, your family, and your friends. I am certain of this: there are many resources to help you, and harming oneself is absolutely the wrong choice," Sexton wrote.
A lot of these students who are not native New Yorkers seem to have a more difficult time assimilating. Like Williamson-Noble's situation, he was out late looking for someone he could spare some time with.
Although this city may be overly populated with an abundance of opportunities and activity, some may in fact feel lonelier with so much bustling around, but not having another to enjoy it with; or as he said, "share it with."
After all the trauma and fatalities, many officials, especially at NYU are trying to keep the sad stories at a minimal, due to the fear of increasing suicide contagion. At the city's rate, it is nearly impossible. There have already been movies, such as The NYU Suicides and endless articles revolving around the stories behind every victim. Ultimately, the media surrounding the suicides makes it even harder for the school to provide counsel to those who have been affected by other's immoral actions.
NYU continues to take steps towards preventing any more suicides from occurring on campus, giving NYU a more notorious reputation than they would have liked.
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