CNN 2010-03-27

PHILLIPS: Well, it's spring break at Cornell University and you'd think that students would be celebrating. Their basketball team's unlikely birth in the NCAA's Sweet 16 tournament.

But instead, there is a depressing reality at that Ivy 1 League school. A rash of student suicides that's now being called a public health crisis.

CNN's Susan Candiotti reports.

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SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a breathtaking view from the bridges that mark the campus of Cornell University. And it's from here into a gorge 2 below that three students, according to a medical examiner, jumped to their deaths. Authorities say all together, six students committed suicide since last fall.

(On camera): What do the students think is behind this?

MICHAEL STRATFORD, CORNELL JUNIOR: I think they're wondering. I think that's -- there's a sense that people don't know what's going on.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): No one at this prestigious 3 Ivy League school nor mental health experts can put their finger on it. Least of all parents of those who died.

HOWARD GINSBURG, BRADLEY'S FATHER: His nickname at the fraternity was Smiles. And that's because no matter what Bradley did or who he saw, he was continually smiling.

CANDIOTTI: Bradley Ginsburg, seen here at his Bar Mitzvah, was an 18-year-old freshman 4, a straight A student, his parents say, who loved Cornell, showed no signs of stress, called home daily. They don't believe their son would have taken his life. And state police are still asking questions.

SHERRY GINSBURG, BRADLEY'S MOTHER: Nobody can believe that one of the happiest people that they knew would ever do anything like that and that's what's hurting -- besides not having him, that's what's hurting me the most.

CANDIOTTI: Last month, his body was found at the bottom of the gorge.

H. GINSBURG: It's just -- you know, my heart being torn apart every day. I'm sorry.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Do you feel like you're in crisis right now?

DAVID SKORTON, PRESIDENT, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: Yes. We definitely are in a crisis.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): In the 1990s, Cornell picked up the nickname "suicide university" prompting a model suicide prevention program, where everyone from professors to janitors 5 are taught to look for signs of trouble. But officials acknowledge something has gone wrong.

SKORTON: There'll be plenty of time to worry about our reputation later. What I'm worried about right now is the next student in distress 6.

CANDIOTTI: Cornell is posting monitors at its bridges 24/7 for now and plans to erect 7 taller barricades 8 as a deterrent 9.

TIMOTHY MARCHELL, MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: We are placing student support staff in libraries and outside of classrooms where midterm exams are occurring with signs that say…