In an apparent reaction to the recent suicide surge at Cornell University, the school has apparently decided to take precautions. It’s closing off the bridges. According to an article by Michael Linhorst in the Cornell Daily Sun:
The University is constructing temporary fencing on several bridges around campus this week after three Cornell students are suspected to have died by suicide in Fall Creek Gorge in the past month. Security guards, who have been posted on bridges since Mar. 12, will remain in place until at least Apr. 2, according to Simeon Moss ’73, deputy University spokesperson.
Fencing was installed on the College Avenue bridge Monday, and the University plans to add fencing to all University-owned bridges by the end of this week, Moss said.
The University is talking with the City of Ithaca — which owns the Thurston Avenue bridge and both bridges on Stewart Avenue — about constructing temporary fences on city-owned bridges.
Since February, three Cornell students have died after jumping off Cornell bridges. The fences are temporary. “They’ll only be in place until a [yet-to-be-determined] longer-term solution is ready to be implemented,” said Simeon Moss. Currently the security guards aren’t guarding much, as Cornell students are on spring break until Mar. 29.
There have actually been six mysterious deaths at Cornell this academic year, though only the last three appear to have been bridge-related.
