A Modern Landscape- College Edition

Close your eyes and clear your mind of any rambling thoughts. Now, imagine yourself walking around the campus of your dream college- what do you see?

Hopefully, for many of you images of State Street and the Diag occupy your mind. However, I think most of us can agree that the ideal campus contains classically constructed buildings scattered among an abundance of greenery. And maybe, for the fun of it, we could throw in a lake and a couple of squirrels.

Recently though, certain schools have decided to infuse modern works of art into their collegiate landscapes. For example, sculptural pieces made out of wire and metal have begun to populate Cornell University’s picturesque campus. Cluttered around the school’s stone bridges, these new artistic additions are known as the “Suicide Fences.”

Okay, so they aren’t actually called “Suicide Fences,” but in the wake of recent alleged student suicides, Cornell University has erected fences (and increased security) along bridges that overlook the beautiful gorges that surround campus. Similar actions have been taken by schools like New York University who instead of building fences put screen floors on every level of dormitory stairwells.

As I read about this new development in the Cornell Daily Sun, I was extremely disheartened. Instead of spending time and money on these temporary fences, shouldn’t the university (and other schools) be trying to figure out why these students are committing suicide? Or maybe they should put in the time and effort to find new ways of reaching out to desperate students. No, instead schools like Cornell and NYU have taken to physical construction as an answer to mental and emotional strife. What they don’t realize however is that no amount of metal or security guards can stop someone from committing the act of suicide. If someone wants to jump, believe me, they will jump.