The fences went up on campus bridges over Spring Break of 2010. Those Cornellians on campus at the time will never forget the way the campus transformed over those couple of months after the suicides. Members of the community came together to support one another. Professors gave students a rare break. Students chalked supportive messages to peers on the bridges, and Cornell added counselor positions at Gannett.
Like at any other university, students come and go, and the University, collectively, forgets. The only unavoidable reminders of the deaths that stunned the campus in March 2010 are the black fences lining the bridges. Those fences, however, will begin to come down over winter break. Walking across the bridges every day, you might completely forget about everything that happened. You will only be able to see the nets if you go out of your way to stop, lean your head over the bridge railing and look down.
It is important that we do not forget what happened on campus. Now that the national medias attention has diverted its focus and students have moved forward, the pressure to improve mental health on campus has eased. We must not allow ourselves to settle into complacency. Cornell needs to continue pushing forward the mental health initiatives the campus needs.
In the immediate aftermath of the suicides, Cornell hired six new therapists through a $1 million increase in funding from the University and alumni donations. Additionally, Gannett moved quickly after these events to supplement other parts of its mental health framework. Cornell worked to educate students on the resources available to them, using methods like the Real Students, Reel Stories video shown to incoming freshmen starting in 2010. In addition, it has worked to train faculty and staff on how to identify struggling students through its Notice and Respond program. Everything that we have seen from Cornell has been positive, but it cannot stop here.
Cornell now faces a serious challenge in finding a permanent source of funding for the counseling positions it added in 2011. Gannetts mental health promotion efforts have successfully driven students to seek help when they need it; now, Cornell must fill this increased demand. Even with the million dollars, Gannett is only able to accommodate counseling appointments for those students who most urgently need them, using a triaging system that works to serve high-risk students first. It is not enough to only prioritize students when they are in serious need of help.
One proposal to fill the funding gap is to levy a health fee. This fee would eliminate per-use fees for health services that some students are forced to pay and bolster funding for mental health programs. While we understand that a fee such as this would inevitably lead to higher financial aid costs for the University, the University should be working to reallocate resources and make funding Gannett a priority. A healthy campus is something worth paying for.
After the nets are completed and the fences are taken down, Cornell cannot allow this funding to disappear quietly. There are still serious issues on this campus that need to be addressed, and we hope that both students and administrators will continue to maintain the focus on these important initiatives.
Read more:
Editorial: Imagining Cornell Without Bridge Fences
- Sun Prairie fences off pond where 2 brothers died after falling through ice - Fox11online.com - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- BBMP to spend 32.5 crore to fence lakes - Times of India - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Stray Cat Watches Guy Through Hole In Fence Hiding An Adorable Secret - The Dodo - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Everyone can see the fence but you have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot the cat in ten seconds... - The US Sun - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Wisconsin city fences off pond following deaths of 2 boys who fell through ice - Fox News - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Sun Prairie fences off pond where 2 boys died after falling through ice - Ashland Daily Press - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Will Mass Migration Breach Poland's Famous Border Fence? - The National Interest Online - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- 'The Bear': Ebon Moss-Bachrach On Whether Carmy & Richie Mend Fences In Season 3 Emmys Red Carpet - Yahoo New Zealand News - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- India Plans to Fence Off Myanmar Frontier - The Irrawaddy - January 22nd, 2024 [January 22nd, 2024]
- Migrant pinned to fence and dragged away after trying to speak to reporters at Manston in Kent - Sky News - November 10th, 2022 [November 10th, 2022]
- Balkan Route: Hungary Increasing Fence on Serbian Border Amid Ongoing Violence and Extended Controls, NGOs to Launch a Joint Action to Support... - November 10th, 2022 [November 10th, 2022]
- Parents devastated after autistic child kicked out of school because it doesn't have a fence - Newshub - November 10th, 2022 [November 10th, 2022]
- Fence surrounding US Capitol is expected to come down starting on July 8 - Fox News - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- The Peruvian Pavilion in the 2021 Venice Biennale Seeks to Transform Fences into Tools for Integration - ArchDaily - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Galloping and Setting Up for Cross-Country Fences: A Conversation - United States Eventing Association - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- On the fence about getting your children vaccinated for COVID? Here are a few reasons to consider it - Providence - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Fence Supply Inc. Forms Partnership with Fencing Supply Group, a Portfolio Company of The Sterling Group - PRNewswire - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Why You Need to Turn Around When You See A Purple Fence Post in IL - q985online.com - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- 'The Fence is Never Coming Down,' and Other Things Urban Alchemy Told Us - Knock LA - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Coffee shop owners forgive teens who graffitied fence, let them paint over it - Yahoo News - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Is This Why Prince Harry Can't Mend Fences With The Royals - The List - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Why Tho? Weve been warned about you! Neighbors find theyre the Boo Radleys of the subdivision - OregonLive - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Bear Spotted At Area Condo Complex Before Climbing Fence - Southwest Dutchess Daily Voice - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Bear Spotted At Westchester Condo Complex Before Climbing Fence - White Plains Daily Voice - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Policy regime nudged fence-sitters to be first-time homebuyers: Niranjan Hiranandani - BusinessLine - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Baseball Mascots: Ranking the MLB Mascots - Through The Fence Baseball - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Over the Garden Fence: Your garden in the spotlight - Bournemouth Echo - July 2nd, 2021 [July 2nd, 2021]
- Group formed to make fences more wildlife friendly in Cody area - Billings Gazette - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Dog abandoned, left tied to fence in Escondido park - 10News - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Unusual history behind the fences on South London estates dating back to the war - My London - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Bill Press: Tear down this fence! | TheHill - The Hill - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- DHHL removes campers, installs fence in Kalawahine on Oahu - KHON2 - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Driver in custody after plowing through fence, ending pursuit with lengthy standoff in Woodland Hills - KTLA Los Angeles - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Reopening gripes, fence frustrations and a wage freeze | HeraldNet.com - The Daily Herald - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Yeh, nah, maybe. When it comes to accepting the COVID vaccine, it's Australia's fence-sitters we should pay attention to - The Conversation AU - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- New Plymouth woman goes on the fence offensive - Stuff.co.nz - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- LFR battles shed fire that spread to fence, threatened 2 homes in East Lubbock Sunday - KLBK | KAMC | EverythingLubbock.com - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- [UPDATED] Driver Hits Multiple Cars and a Fence in Early Morning Crash, Says Fortuna PD Redheaded Blackbelt - Redheaded Blackbelt - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Audio: Missouri fence laws topic of in-person program on February 23 and March 8, 2021 - kttn - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- There Are Ways To Protect The Capitol Without A Fence - Yahoo News - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- On The Fence About COVID Vaccines? These Teens Want To Talk To You - Colorado Public Radio - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Across the Fence: Salt On Our Tongues - The Suburban Times - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- New London woman drives through yards and fences, crashes into garage after leaving car wash in Willmar - West Central Tribune - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Everyday Ethics: Fences and neighbors [Opinion] - Reading Eagle - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Independence amends ordinance on fences, hedges and walls - cleveland.com - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Proposal to build permanent fence around the Capitol meets resistance - CNN - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Rep. Bob Gibbs gives thumbs up to border fence, thumbs down to Capitol Hill security fence - cleveland.com - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Watch: More Barbed Wire Fences, Spikes On Roads At Singhu Protest Site - NDTV - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Rep. Budd tells Congress to tear down its fence - Washington Times - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Section Of Fence At Silverdale Detention Center Found To Have Been Cut; All Inmates Accounted For - The Chattanoogan - February 4th, 2021 [February 4th, 2021]
- Types of Fences - The Home Depot - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Fences 3.09 for Windows - Download - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Wood Fence Panels - Wood Fencing - The Home Depot - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- McCarthy Tries to Mend Fences With Trump - The Wall Street Journal - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Casual Friday: New Nez Perce County sheriff looks to mend fences - Lewiston Morning Tribune - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- US Capitol surrounded by fence, troops as threats continue - NEWS10 ABC - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Take a pair, leave a pair: The Mitten Fence at Buffalos Peoples Park is helping keep the Queen City warm - WIVB.com - News 4 - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Contract approved to fence Oceanside railroad tracks - The San Diego Union-Tribune - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- PHOTOS: New initiative helping Wyoming landowners fix fences to protect wildlife - Oil City News - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Fences and neighbors - The River Reporter - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Emma Thompson to Hurl You Over the Fence as Miss Trunchbull in Netflixs Musical Matilda - Vulture - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Mitten fence helping hundreds in Buffalo stay warm this winter - WKBW-TV - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- The perfect symbol of the Trump years - CNN - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Building a Fence: Washington and the Magnificent Seven - UW Dawg Pound - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Mining Weekly BHP puts up wind fence in WA - Creamer Media's Mining Weekly - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Woman dies after driving through fence onto I-15 in Beaver - KSL.com - January 15th, 2021 [January 15th, 2021]
- Maserati driver smashes through fences, tree and shed - KOIN.com - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- The story behind the painted fences & sheds in one Lake Grove neighborhood - GreaterMoriches - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- On the fence: Messages of hope on display in downtown Nashua - The Union Leader - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- US wants India to get off the fence over China. But forgets Cuban crisis lesson - ThePrint - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- Across the Fence: and Peace on Earth - The Suburban Times - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- City fixes Cameron Heights fence after deaths of several deer and years of complaints - CBC.ca - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- See Austin Condo Tower Construction Up Close With 'Beyond the Fence' Episode 2 - TOWERS Austin - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- Vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19: How many will stay on the fence? - Windsor Star - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- Israeli forces carry out a land incursion and threaten to remove Palestinian farmers' crops - occupied Palestinian territory - ReliefWeb - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- Tributes paid to 'lovely' and 'kind' dad who died after his car crashed into a fence - Manchester Evening News - December 21st, 2020 [December 21st, 2020]
- Straddlin' the Fence: Why should I vote? - Idaho Press-Tribune - October 30th, 2020 [October 30th, 2020]
- Visalia orders church to remove Black Lives Matter signs from 'prayer fence,' citing ordinance - Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register - October 30th, 2020 [October 30th, 2020]
- Fence to be installed around monuments in A'ville - Sand Mountain Reporter - October 30th, 2020 [October 30th, 2020]
- Gov. Ron DeSantis swings for the fences with early voting message to Florida Republicans - Florida Politics - October 23rd, 2020 [October 23rd, 2020]