🚀 go-pugleaf

jdahl@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Jared Dahl) writes:

  +Do you think that college Deans and Presidents have the
  +power to cover up certain "unfavorable" incidents that
  +happen on campus?  
  +
  +While I attended the University of North Dakota, I never
  +once heard of a student who committed suicide.  This 
  +seems strange since there are 11,000 students at UND and
  +I attended 5 years.  
  +
  +I began to think that the university was keeping the news
  +out of the papers and off of the TV somehow, but don't have
  +any real proof.
  +
  +Does anybody know the suicide rates for the 18-24 age group?

I don't have national data for the 18-24 age group but for the 
15-24 age group in 1988 there were approximately 4,900 total deaths
from suicide.  The national rate of suicide based on 1989 data is 
13.2 per 100,000 for this age group.  BTW, the rate of death by 
suicide for North Dakota is 10.6 per 100,000.  Which is on the 
low side.

Several possibilities come to mind:  

  - UND students commit suicide, but only those from out of state
    where it's less likely to be reported.  Of course, these are
    less likely to be reported as suicides to the general campus
    population. [I don't know the number of out of state students 
    for UND, but I would expect it to be relatively low.]

  - You were there during a string of good years where the student
    population earned a relatively high GPA thus obviating the
    need for "suicides."

  - Everyone was stoned during that period and thus saw no need 
    for suicide (and probably couldn't competently execute any 
    plans to do so if they felt so inclined).

  - UND is a secret alien base populated by aliens with incredibly 
    robust constitutions and excellent dexterity thus you were the
    person wondering about suicide.

  - There may have been 1 or two but you missed it.

  - There may not have been any.

Terry "Only the college presidents that have college level CIAs" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Carpe Per Diem

In article <27560@dog.ee.lbl.gov>, twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan) writes:
|> jdahl@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Jared Dahl) writes:
[stuff deleted]
|>   +Does anybody know the suicide rates for the 18-24 age group?
|> 
|> I don't have national data for the 18-24 age group but for the 
|> 15-24 age group in 1988 there were approximately 4,900 total deaths
|> from suicide.  The national rate of suicide based on 1989 data is 
|> 13.2 per 100,000 for this age group.  BTW, the rate of death by 
|> suicide for North Dakota is 10.6 per 100,000.  Which is on the 
|> low side.
|> 
|> Several possibilities come to mind:  
|> 
|>   - UND students commit suicide, but only those from out of state
|>     where it's less likely to be reported.  Of course, these are
|>     less likely to be reported as suicides to the general campus
|>     population. [I don't know the number of out of state students 
|>     for UND, but I would expect it to be relatively low.]

Actually somewhat high.  The aviation school at UND is probably
the best in the country, and most Aviation students are from out 
of state (about 2000 from out of state).

|>   - You were there during a string of good years where the student
|>     population earned a relatively high GPA thus obviating the
|>     need for "suicides."

Large freshman class when I started, much smaller the next semester.
UND is an "open-admission" college, so there were a lot of people
who did fairly poorly and dropped out after first semester.

|>   - Everyone was stoned during that period and thus saw no need 
|>     for suicide (and probably couldn't competently execute any 
|>     plans to do so if they felt so inclined).

That is entirely possible.  

|>   - UND is a secret alien base populated by aliens with incredibly 
|>     robust constitutions and excellent dexterity thus you were the
|>     person wondering about suicide.

That is also possible.  Grand Forks Air Force Base is about twelve
miles away.  Lots of missiles and bombers.  Maybe it was a spy
station?

But five years?  There should have been One???

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
| Jared Dahl             | "My heart is human, my blood is boiling, | 
| Systems Programmer     |  my brain IBM"                           |
| IBM - Rochester, MN    |              -- STYX,  "Mr. Roboto"      |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Opinions expressed are mine, not IBM's.

In article <1992Nov19.012349.16219@rchland.ibm.com>, jdahl@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Jared Dahl) writes...
>Do you think that college Deans and Presidents have the
>power to cover up certain "unfavorable" incidents that
>happen on campus?  
> 
>While I attended the University of North Dakota, I never
>once heard of a student who committed suicide.  This 
>seems strange since there are 11,000 students at UND and
>I attended 5 years.  
> 
>I began to think that the university was keeping the news
>out of the papers and off of the TV somehow, but don't have
>any real proof.
> 
  Why would a suicide be news?  Unless the student killed
  him/herself in a particularly spectacular way, like a
  swan dive off the tallest campus building, or taking out
  a few passersby before turning gun on himself, I would
  think it would be handled quietly for the sake of the
  victim's family and friends.

  Just curious--back to lurking--
> 
>-- 
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>| Jared Dahl             | "My heart is human, my blood is boiling, | 
>| Systems Programmer     |  my brain IBM"                           |
>| IBM - Rochester, MN    |              -- STYX,  "Mr. Roboto"      |
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Opinions expressed are mine, not IBM's.

    Teresa Hall
    Auburn University

In article <21NOV199200012770@ducvax.auburn.edu>, thall@ducvax.auburn.edu (Teresa Hall) writes:
> In article <1992Nov19.012349.16219@rchland.ibm.com>, jdahl@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Jared Dahl) writes...
>>Do you think that college Deans and Presidents have the
>>power to cover up certain "unfavorable" incidents that
>>happen on campus?  
>> 
>>While I attended the University of North Dakota, I never
>>once heard of a student who committed suicide.  This 
>>seems strange since there are 11,000 students at UND and
>>I attended 5 years.  
>> 
>>I began to think that the university was keeping the news
>>out of the papers and off of the TV somehow, but don't have
>>any real proof.
>> 
>   Why would a suicide be news?  Unless the student killed
>   him/herself in a particularly spectacular way, like a
>   swan dive off the tallest campus building, or taking out
>   a few passersby before turning gun on himself, I would
>   think it would be handled quietly for the sake of the
>   victim's family and friends.
> 
>   Just curious--back to lurking--
> 
>     Teresa Hall
>     Auburn University

Last year at Miami Univ. a woman in Peabody Hall took a dive from a third
floor window (works out to be more like 4 stories in an OLD building...circa
1880).  I don't remember all the circumstances, but I want to believe that
she was a Western College major (interdiscplinary studies - you get a BA
in Philosophy when you matriculate).  Western is notorious for shoving P.C.
down the poor students' throats, so I can't say that I blame tis poor
woman.

She failed with a broken wrist.  I think it had been raining that week and
she landed in the grass.  The story did make the student paper (that's how
I found out about it).
-- 
Oates                          cjones@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
                               cj5jsanu@miamiu.bitnet
"The extreme always seems to make an impression."
  -- J.D., _Heathers_