NEWS FEATURES
By Keenan Harward
■ The Forty Nmer Times
U. of North Carolina, Charlotte
I’ll never forget the friend I lost whose shocking
death is still unexplainable
She was a star basketball player in high
school, smart, blonde and beautiful She seemed to
have everything going for her — a loving family and
a rewarding future.
On Jan 6, 19H6, Patti committed suicide Only
Patti knows why As I look back, I wonder if there
was anything I could have done to prevent Patti
from stealing that place she made in my heart That
thought still frightens me
Psychiatrists say everyone has considered suicide
as a solution to their problems But, instead of kill
ing ourselves, we were able to solve our problems
Or maybe the fear of death was larger than those
problems.
I’ve thought about it When things are going bad
for me, I look to my friends and family for help I may
not tell them I’m down, or having problems, but I try
to let them know I need someone to talk to.
Have your friends come to you with some friendly
conversation? Did you let them down? Grades, time,
peer pressure and personal problems are attacking
from every side at once. If someone shows they are
hurting, or lonely, talk to them A kind word or a
smile may be all they need
The following poem was written by a 15-year-old
two weeks before he committed suicide.
SUICIDE
To Santa Claus And Little Sister*
Once ...he wrote a poem.
And called it Xhops.'
Because that was the name of his dog,
and that's what it was all about.
And the teacher gave him an “A'
And a gold star.
And his mother hung it on the kitchen
door, and read it to all his aunts ...
Once ... he wrote another poem.
And he called it ‘Question Marked Innocence. *
Because that was the name of his grief
and that's what it was all about.
And the professor gave him an ‘A’
And a strange and steady look.
And his mother never hung it on the
kitchen door, because he never let her see it
Once, at 3 a m. ... he tried another poem .. .
And he called it absolutely nothing,
because that's what it was all about
And he gave himself an ‘A"
And a slash on each damp wrist.
And hung it on the bathroom door
because he couldn't reach the kitchen.
By Cathy Collins
» USF Oracle
U. of South Florida
In the dark hours before dawn last April 5,
David Harvey Dunn drove his car to U. of
South Florida’s (USF) New College Library in
Sarasota, walked 300 feet to the shore of Sarasota
Bay, doused his clothes with a can of gasoline and
set himself on fire.
Those close to Dunn were left searching for
answers to a real and continuing problem — suicide
Suicide is second only to accidental death as the
leading cause of death among college students. For
every successful suicide, there are 10 unsuccessful
attempts, according to a recent USF report.
The report, ‘Suicide Among College Students,’
was prepared by Clinical Psychologists Dale Hicks
and Marcia Hausman from the USF Counseling
Center for Human Development.
Suicide rates among college students reflect a
combination of developmental and environmental
pressures, said Toni Giffin, student director of USF
Paraprofessional Counseling Services.
According to the report, “Friends, counselors and
supervisors need to be sensitive to shifts in mood or
behavior patterns, particularly those reflecting
disinterest in daily activities or events
“ Identification of 'at risk' students, and
counseling to assist these students in adapting to
college life, seems essential if seriously troubled
individuals are to find alternatives to self
destructive behavior,” the report concluded.
Little sister programs ‘under fire’
due to alcohol abuse, harassment
tjy scon uison
■ Western Courier
Western Illinois U.
After years of allegations concerning
sexual harassment and underage
drinking, the little sister programs
have finally come under fire at North
ern Illinois U.
The programs have linked mostly
younger female students to male
fraternities for years, but lately the
national trend has been to disband the
remaining little sister programs.
“Every national fraternity chapter
has resolutions and statements against
the little sister programs. Most are
working with their chapters to phase
out these organizations," said Hill Nel
son, Student Activities Adviser at West
ern Illinois U.
“There is evidence that problems of
alcohol abuse and sexual harassment
frequently are associated with the little
sister programs," said Northern Illinois
U Vice President .Jon Dalton List year,
the National Interfraternity Council,
comprised of presidents of all major
national fraternities, voted to recom
mend banning of little sister programs
This spring, at Western Illinois U.
(WIU), a task force has been formed to
hand out surveys to decide if the prog
rams are viewed positively or nega
tively.
"WIU is lucky they haven't had some
of the problems that others have had.
We don’t need to wait until we have a
problem, we can Ik- proactive in dealing
with it before there is a problem,” Nel
son said.
Paula Kadtke, president of NIU’s
Student Government Association, said.
"People are getting hurt because orga
nizations aren't checking themselves.
Someone has to step in.”
Fraternities continuing to sponsor
Little Sister programs next fall will be
in violation of university recognition
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Trash or art?
Paul Windsor, a graduate student la sculpture, rests and en|oys a cigarette after
‘installing’ his ail wort, entitled ‘Equinox." Windsor said the trash represents fall
while the mud on the floor and his boots represents spring planting.
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