I am a faculty member at this university. It was NOT a student, nor anyone associated directly with the university. The dorm (err, "residence hall") where it happened is undergoing some renovation. The sidewalk is closed off (boxed in, like you see in cities). The scaffolding starts above the tunnel of the closed off sidewalk. One REALLY has to want to get to the scaffolding by climbing over barricades, up the sides of the tunnel and then onto the scaffold. This all happened about 5:45 to 6. The police and EMTs were staging and getting ready to talk the woman down when she turned, and according to witnesses, just fell/jumped off in what witnesses recall as a deliberate act.
The reason that so many students viewed the incident was that the woman jumped right next to the dining hall that serves several dorms in the area- all very large dorms (the dorm she was climbing is 28 stories, the other nearby dorms are all at least 15 stories). Many students were walking to/from dinner at the time, so many people were already outside. The fact that the street was blocked off and students had to go around rather than take their usual route also contributed to the situation. It wasn't as if everyone showed up just to see the incident. Most were already there. IT was also quite visible to many, many students from their windows.
That dorm has had several jump/fall incidents. There was the first one, mentioned by another poster, a second suicide in the mid 1990's, and this one. Another dorm across campus also had a death in 2001. Considering that the dorms house almost 7000 students per year on a 24K person campus, I would say that the rate of fatalities from falling from a dorm are relatively small- but very upsetting. I talked with a number of students who were witnesses. They are very shaken. For many of these young people, this is the first time they directly witnessed a very tragic death.
Regardless of why this individual climbed the scaffolding and jumped/fell, it is very tragic. If she jumped, it is so sad to think that ending her life seemed more valuable than living another day. If drugs/alcohol impaired her judgement, how sad that this was the behavior that resulted. However, we should remember that, no matter what possessed her to engage in the behavior she did, there is a family in mourning and a large group of young adults who will be impacted the rest of their lives.
Perhaps her death will not be in vain if others learn to speak up about their depression/mental illness rather than hurt/kill themselves, or recognize the dangers of drugs/alcohol and alter their lifestyle for the better.
Just my 2 cents worth....but remember, if a person gets cancer we send flowers, organize meals and send get well cards. If a person "gets" mental illness, we shun them, avoid them, and even shun their families. Cancer victims do not "choose" to go out and get cancer (even if they have lived "risky lives"). People with severe mental illness also do not choose their illness. They need the flowers and get well cards and church/friends/family support just as much as the cancer victim. This death magnifies SO magnifies this discrepancy.
