On Campus - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:10 - 7 Comments
NYU Freshman Year Survival Tips Reminds You to “Chillax”
Earlier this week, The Ability Project produced this video titled “Surviving Freshman Year,” which asks NYU students for advice on how to not want to drop out after completing Writing the Essay. While most of the tips are platitudes your high school counselor once told you — make friends, manage your time, chillax! – the video does offer some truthful words of wisdom given from NYU students who actually seem to go here (unlike some NYU-for-dummies videos). So, watch the video. You might just learn that dating someone in your dorm is a terrible idea. Crazy, right?
But most importantly, does that Asian guy really have a British accent? Please offer me some tips on how to pull that off.
On Campus - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 13:45 - 0 Comments
John Beckman Statement on the Death of a CAS Junior at Bobst
“The death of a College of Arts and Science junior early this morning in Bobst Library is a matter of great sorrow for the NYU community. In a close-knit community of young people such as ours, the death of a fellow student is always keenly felt.”
“While the cause of this death is still being determined, indications are that he took his own life.
“Suicide among college age men and women is a national problem and a leading cause of death. In spite of the extensive systems NYU has in place to support the health and mental health of students – a highly-regarded 24-hour hotline called the Wellness Exchange; a model health center with doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors; constant reminders to students on the availability of help – we are not immune to this national challenge.
“We have reminded all students again today of availability of counseling and other types of assistance through NYU’s Wellness Exchange at 212-443-9999 (or 999 from any campus phone), and we have reinforced that as a community we need to look out for one another and never hesitate to offer a helping hand or attentive ear.
“The University has been in touch with the family to convey the condolences of the NYU community; our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and loved ones of this young man. The family has asked that it be accorded the greatest possible privacy and sensitivity in this time of mourning, and we would hope that everyone would respect its wishes.”
On Campus - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 13:05 - 0 Comments
NYU Emailed Ambassadors About Tour Policy Concerning Student’s Death
The following is the text from an email to the current NYU ambassadors from the Assistant Director of Recruitment Initiatives. The email was sent at 10:36am, before the tours began:
“Dear Ambassadors,
As many of you are already aware, there was a death in Bobst library this morning.
First off, if you or anyone you know is grieving, I want to remind you that NYU’s Wellness Exchange is available at all times at 212.443.9999 or wellness.exchange@nyu.edu
I also want to provide more guidance as you give tours and answer phone calls over the next few days. Bobst Library is open and we will continue to visit the library as part of our campus tours and share the information as we normally do.
While we should not volunteer details about this tragedy to university guests, we must be candid and honest if asked. At this point, our message is as follows: it is a tragic death and is currently under investigation. Please share this response if you are asked. Those seeking more detailed information can be directed to the Office of Public Affairs at 212.998.6840
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.”
The ambassador who forwarded us this email said he believed Bobst remained a stop on the tours because if it were skipped then people would ask why. He said that the ambassador party-line would be something like, “Suicides at NYU are not typical,” and then refer to all the services that NYU provides.
Featured, On Campus - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 12:25 - 14 Comments
NYU Tours At Bobst Despite Student Death This Morning
There were no fewer than four NYU tours taking place in the atrium of Bobst at 11:30 this morning. According to NYU ambassador-in-training Natalie Veenhof, Bobst is a routine stop and the tours were scheduled in advance of today. She said she only found out about the suicide at Bobst when she arrived here this morning, and she did not know whether the ambassadors conducting the tours even knew about it yet.
Veenhof said that NYU ambassadors go through special training to hande difficult questions, but she hasn’t gone through it herself yet and did not know whether suicide was one of the topics covered.
Featured, On Campus - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 12:22 - 23 Comments
NYU Student Found Dead in Bobst Library
A male NYU student died in Bobst this morning at 4:30am, according to a report by WSN. The library is currently closed. We’ll get back to you with more information as it becomes available.
Update 9:20am: Public Safety would not confirm anything, and we’re waiting for John Beckman to get back to us.
9:21am: Bobst is now open. NYU spokesman John Beckman will be releasing a statement shortly.
10:10am: No area of Bobst has been cordoned off. Spoke to a security guard and a Bobst employee – neither could confirm the nature of the death.
10:41am: Gothamist is reporting the death as a suicide. A tipster who e-mailed us early this morning also believed it to be a suicide. However, there has not yet been official confirmation on this fact.
10:54am: Note that Gothamist says NYPD confirmed the student jumped. There are Plexiglas walls in addition to the railings on every floor with a walkway overlooking the atrium except for the 2nd floor.
12:20pm: President Sexton just sent out a university-wide e-mailing acknowledging that a junior in CAS has died by suicide. Full text of the e-mail after the jump.
12:22pm: NYU is still running campus tours in Bobst.
If you want to discuss this or any other problems that you’re experiencing, please remember that the Wellness Center is available to help 24/7 at 212-443-9999.
