CNN 2010-03-27

PHILLIPS: Well, it's spring break at Cornell University and you'd think that students would be celebrating. Their basketball team's unlikely birth in the NCAA's Sweet 16 tournament.

But instead, there is a depressing reality at that Ivy¹ League school. A rash of student suicides that's now being called a public health crisis.

CNN's Susan Candiotti reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a breathtaking view from the bridges that mark the campus of Cornell University. And it's from here into a gorge² below that three students, according to a medical examiner, jumped to their deaths. Authorities say all together, six students committed suicide since last fall.

(On camera): What do the students think is behind this?

MICHAEL STRATFORD, CORNELL JUNIOR: I think they're wondering. I think that's -- there's a sense that people don't know what's going on.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): No one at this prestigious³ Ivy League school nor mental health experts can put their finger on it. Least of all parents of those who died.

HOWARD GINSBURG, BRADLEY'S FATHER: His nickname at the fraternity was Smiles. And that's because no matter what Bradley did or who he saw, he was continually smiling.

CANDIOTTI: Bradley Ginsburg, seen here at his Bar Mitzvah, was an 18-year-old freshman⁴, a straight A student, his parents say, who loved Cornell, showed no signs of stress, called home daily. They don't believe their son would have taken his life. And state police are still asking questions.

SHERRY GINSBURG, BRADLEY'S MOTHER: Nobody can believe that one of the happiest people that they knew would ever do anything like that and that's what's hurting -- besides not having him, that's what's hurting me the most.

CANDIOTTI: Last month, his body was found at the bottom of the gorge.

H. GINSBURG: It's just -- you know, my heart being torn apart every day. I'm sorry.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Do you feel like you're in crisis right now?

DAVID SKORTON, PRESIDENT, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: Yes. We definitely are in a crisis.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): In the 1990s, Cornell picked up the nickname "suicide university" prompting a model suicide prevention program, where everyone from professors to janitors⁵ are taught to look for signs of trouble. But officials acknowledge something has gone wrong.

SKORTON: There'll be plenty of time to worry about our reputation later. What I'm worried about right now is the next student in distress⁶.

CANDIOTTI: Cornell is posting monitors at its bridges 24/7 for now and plans to erect⁷ taller barricades⁸ as a deterrent⁹.

TIMOTHY MARCHELL, MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: We are placing student support staff in libraries and outside of classrooms where midterm exams are occurring with signs that say…
 

1 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

2 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

3 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

4 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

5 janitors   

n.看门人( janitor的名词复数 )；看管房屋的人；锅炉工

参考例句：

• The janitors were always kicking us out. 守卫总是将～踢出去。 来自互联网
• My aim is to be one of the best janitors in the world. 我的目标是要成为全世界最好的守门人。 来自互联网

6 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

7 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

8 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

9 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。