Dorm incident

[The*Empress]

March 9, 2005


Casper woman found hung in College dorm
Associated Press

NORMAN, Okla. -- An autopsy on the body of a University of Oklahoma student who was found dead in her campus apartment this week has determined she was hanged, an official with the state medical examiner's office said.

The body of Sarah Dawn Tolin, of Casper, Wyo., was found Monday at Parkview Apartments by OU Department of Public Safety officers.

"The cause of death is going to be hanging, the manner of death is pending," said Kevin Rowland, chief investigator for the state medical examiner's office in Oklahoma City.


Rowland said neither suicide nor homicide had been ruled out and toxicology tests will be conducted to determine if Tolin had been using drugs or alcohol.

OU police did not immediately return phone calls.

Catherine Bishop, vice president for Public Affairs, said she didn't know why police were initially called to the apartment.

Neighbors said they heard sirens and saw police cars arrive about 1 a.m. Monday.

"When we looked across, a police car went in, and then two more police cars went in with lights on," said Alex Chen, a mechanical engineering sophomore who lives in the apartment building across the street from the Tolin's apartment.

According to the university's Web site, Tolin was a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"The entire University of Oklahoma family was saddened by the tragic death of Sarah Tolin," OU President David Boren said in a news release.

"She was widely loved in the OU and Norman community. She excelled both as a student and an athlete. She will be remembered most of all for her kindness and for her concern for others. The university extends our sincere sympathy to her parents, family and friends."

Tolin, 23, graduated from Kelly Walsh High School in 2000 and attended Casper College for a year before transferring to Neosho Community College in Kansas.

In 1998, Tolin successfully challenged a Wyoming High School Activities Association rule that prohibited mixed gender teams. It took a two-year fight with the WHSAA, but the decision opened the door to girls in grades 9 through 12 to participate in boys football and wrestling.

She explained in an interview with the Casper Star-Tribune in 1998 that she was wrestling because she enjoyed it, not to prove any point for women in Wyoming.

"She didn't wrestle to prove anything to anybody, other than to prove that she loved the sport," Tim Wilcox, who coached Tolin at Kelly Walsh, recalled Tuesday.

Wilcox said initially some of the boys on his wrestling team were reluctant to accept Tolin as a member of the squad, but she eventually won over her teammates.

Tolin was a two-time Wyoming Girl's Freestyle State Champion, a medalist at the Girls High School National Championships and a High School All-American.

She was recruited by Neosho Community College, one of only six in the country that offer women's wrestling. She placed second in the 121-pound division at the University National Championships in Evanston, Ill., in May 2002.

Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for Monday in Casper. Bustard's Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

http://www.channeloklahoma.com/news/4267374/detail.html

 

[The*Empress]

Suicide On Campus

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2004
Confronting College Suicides

Suicide is second only to accidents as a leading cause of death among college students.

(CBS) Parents and students alike are constantly reminded of problems like drug and alcohol abuse and unsafe sex on college campuses.

But relatively few are warned about suicide.

Early Show Correspondent Tracy Smith reports on this very real danger that often goes undiscussed.

A study by the American College Health Association showed that 15 percent of students meet the criteria for clinical depression.

It's a topic cloaked in stigma and shame, but more colleges and universities are choosing to confront it, rather than wait until it's too late.

Just like other services on campus, parents should encourage their college kids to take advantage of counseling available there.

It's also a good idea for parents to know some of the warning signs for suicide.

Warning signs and examples may include:

Changes in Behavior: If someone starts talking about suicide, or seems like he is saying goodbye.

Deterioration of Normal Functioning: If grades are slipping, or a person can't sleep or sleeps too much.

Intense Emotional State: Look for rage, anxiety, or acting impulsively.

Precipitating Event: A breakup, getting cut from a team, the loss of a family member.

Nathan Eisert, 20, took his own life in his college dorm two years ago. In a cemetery on the outskirts of Louisville, Ky., you'll find the message "Tell them Momma, a life's too much to lose" on his small headstone.

The message is for Nathan's friends, says his mother, Jan Ulrich, adding, "I want them to see that message, because I think it's from Nathan, you know, I really do. I think Nathan sent that message for me to pass along. And when they come to the gravesite, it's what I want them to walk away with."

They say that college is supposed to be the best time of your life and, for Nathan, it started that way.

Always a lover of basketball, the 6-foot 5-inch player secured a spot on the Western Kentucky team as a walk-on.

"He was having a blast," says Stephen Ulrich, Nathan's stepfather, "Every time the team got ahead in the game, you'd hear the guys in the crowd and everybody chanting, 'Nathan, Nathan.'"

But early in the second season, Nathan injured his foot. He lost his place on the team but never told his family.

"We're not realizing that because he couldn't play, because he wasn't achieving, in his mind that he wasn't measuring up. So all of a sudden, he's sinking. Right before everybody's eyes, he's sinking, and we don't even see him sinking," says Ulrich.

Nathan hit rock bottom. And when he didn't show up for a family event, his father went looking for him.

And then the phone rang; it was Nathan's dad. He said, "Where are you?" As soon as Ulrich said that, Nathan's mother replied, "Uh-oh... Don't tell me what you're gonna tell me. I-- don't tell me."

That's when he told her, "He's dead. He shot himself."

How did things go so horribly wrong, so quickly?

Jan and Stephen say they didn't recognize the signs and that Nathan never asked for help.

Their story's all too common: suicide is second only to accidents as a leading cause of death among college students.

A major problem, according to Phil Satow, is that a large number of students are away for the first time in their life and that can be traumatic. Phil and Donna Satow became experts on the topic after their son, Jed, a student at Arizona State University, committed suicide in 1998.

"There are so many new pressures that they're facing: peer pressures, expectations of parents of high grades. Young people don't want to disappoint, " says Phil, "so there's a whole series of things that happen specifically at that time"

The Satows created the Jed Foundation to urge college administrators and parents to face the problem of campus suicide head-on.

Part of what the Jed Foundation is trying to do is bring attention to these college presidents that this is extremely important.

Because a healthy student body, a healthy student community, is a better student community for the entire school.

Now some schools are getting the message.

Emory University in Atlanta is taking a proactive approach, asking kids in classrooms how many of them have had a friend of loved one that they know committ suicide.

They add that by looking around, one can see that this is not an insignificant topic that they are talking about for their age group.

Students at Emory are required to take a health class during which they watch a film that features friends and relatives of college suicide victims.

It's a project of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention designed to remove some of the stigma of depression and thoughts of suicide.

"It takes a lot of courage for students to come and seek mental health services. Still, even though I think it's better than it used to be, it's still a difficult decision for college students to make," says Mark McLeod, director of counseling services at Emory.

McLeod wants kids to think it's a sign of strength to ask for help. Instead, he finds, they've been taught to say "It is a sign of weakness to ask for help."

The Ulrichs hope that by telling their story, they'll encourage others, including administrators, parents and the students themselves, to reach out.

"It's too late for us to save Nathan, but it's not too late to save another family and another Nathan out there, because there's another kid out there that's screaming for help," says Stephen Ulrich.

 

[VamPyroX]

Damn, this sucks. Why do people do these things?

 

[The*Empress]

Yeah why people don't appreciate life... why do they let
small problem get in the way?

Don't they want to have children or get married or
go to Hawaii and do many things?

 

[ravensteve1961]

I bet its a frat prank. I hope now lawmakers make laws against organizing fratunity clubs. Just like the FBI is targeting Neo Nazis and the KKK. Any College who organize fratunity clubs shall pay a $10,000 fine to the justice dept. Just like Airlines pay fines to the FAA on mantence volations.

 

[The*Empress]

Yeah Fraternity should be illegal....
Frat boys make women pregnant out of wedlock and
destroyed women's career. :|

 

[Fly Free]

:roll: off topic! *smh* @ Ravensteve

college student suicides are apparently on the rise its a sad shame but it DOES need to be paid more closer attention to prevent any further student suicides

 

[Roadrunner]

College students as it was pointed out in the article, can face undue amount of pressure to live up to the standards set by their parents, friends, etc. and at any time they may feel like they're not...it's just as easy to fade away and spiral downwards as it is to maintain integrity among their college peers....

While I was in college, I knew three people (deaf too) that ended their lives prematurely as they sought the 'easy way out', it's just saddens me that when anyone can't just be able to go up to anyone or feel like they can't open up to anyone and help prevent suicides...yet, I was able to 'help' one person from committing suicide and the very next day, the person was taken from the college campus to get the 'help' that person needed....

Like it states in the article, there are many 'given' signs that might show someone with the intent of committing suicide or dwelling on such thoughts...hopefully more and more of us will be able to 'reach out' to these ppls. and hold off during our busy hectic everyday schedules...to randomly do so may save a life--


(Note to RS--psst, this isn't about a frat prank, or hefty fines or taxes...pls. keep that out of this thread for it has no bearing whatsoever in here--Thank you!)

 

[Codger]

I've had two friends commit suicide. Actually, they were brothers. The incidents were years apart. But it was so sad. The first brother was learning to fly when I was in High School. We were in the Civil Air Patrol together. I am not wise enough to point out exact causes, but a factor with Robert, the first brother, was pressure from hid father. he was in his early 20's and in college. Steve, the younger brother was my age. He was in his fourties. He had lost the family farm to bankruptcy. So sad.

 

[deafdyke]

I can understand why someone might take their own life. I've dealt with severe depression/bipolarism and it's not fun...... but I think more support could help...I can remember being terrifed that I wouldn't make any friends or not fit in at school......flash forward four years and I've met so many amazing people and could never imagine life without WSC.

 

[Angel]

Aw

I had a close deaf friend who commit suicide back in high school, and no one knew he has problems, he was more of keeping things to himself.. I noticed he started to drift away from us and being by himself " alone ", I thought it had to do with his grades, and how he wasn't doing so well in school....but I think that was another sign of feeling sad inside or tored up .... I took it really hard because I lost someone so close to me and I wasn't there to help him or save him....

Also, I lost my grandfather from commit suicide too, he was my fave grandfather and I had no idea there was problems or anything until it was too late just like my friend above....

I missed them both very much!


Now, I know more and MORE about suicide and the signs I should be aware of, and when I do see someone in that situation, I will do anything to keep them from commit suicide, because no one should never feel alone, and it is good to be able to express their feelings instead of holding it inside and letting it built up....I know what it feels like because I was one myself a long time ago, when I had no one to turn to or who I could trust, and that the problem with teenagers today.. All they need is someone they can reach out to....

 

[ravensteve1961]

Sorry for my last post. But in any kind of school students wanna be successful. Without that degree they cant accomplish their dreams. So they just end their life.

 

[The*Empress]

I thought about suicide because I wanted to be perfect, have a perfect face.
To have a perfect life.

I think people are so fixated to be perfect. And I just want
to tell people that it is okay to let ya go. Go with the flow...
Be down to earth.

There are too many competition.

And I was watching the movie, "Shall we dance" with JLO, Susan Saradon, and Richard Gere.... and they look so perfect...
Their hair never messed up, and they look so good.

But in real life... they don't look like that, they look like real people...

That is why I felt I have to be perfect when I was in here... on Alldeaf Forum, I want to tell it like it is. Lay back and be goofy.

 

[ravensteve1961]

This is who id wanted to look like.

 

[Toonces]

I'm always sorry to hear that people committed suicide for no real good reason.

Life is too precious...They have families and friends who love them very much, and that is important to remember that. Nobody expected anyone to be perfect anyway, so it is okay to be goofy now and then!