University releases statement on death in Bobst

The text of the e-mail is as follows:

It is with great sorrow that I must tell you of the death of a student -- a junior in the College of Arts and Science -- early this morning in Bobst Library. While the cause of death is still being determined, indications are that he took his own life.

Suicide among people of college age is a national problem, a leading cause of death among the young; each year, campuses across the country must cope with these tragedies and their aftermath -- the pain, the heartbreak, the upset it causes to those who are vulnerable, and all the terrible, persistent questions.

I have taught young people for some five decades, drawn by their energy and their promise and by the unique bond that forms between student and professor. The impulse for self-harm -- particularly among young men and women with so much talent and so much to live for -- is incomprehensible to me.

And so I would like to speak to the NYU student community as I would speak with a student of mine sitting and talking with me in my own office. No matter how difficult things might seem at any particular moment, your life is filled with promise, you belong in and are part of a community that cherishes your presence, you are loved, and there are many people at hand ready and willing to help you -- your professors, the staff in the residence halls, the Wellness Exchange, your family, and your friends. I am certain of this: there are many resources to help you, and harming oneself is absolutely the wrong choice.

We are a close knit community, a large community of small communities; we should remind ourselves that there will always be people among us who will need our help, and we should never hesitate to reach out and offer a hand or an attentive ear, or to direct friends and peers to the many excellent professionals we have at the Wellness Exchange (212-443-9999, or 999 from any campus phone) to help students work through problems.

If you feel upset by this news or anything else in your life, do not hesitate to call the Wellness Exchange. If you have a friend or a student or a colleague who seems vulnerable, call on his or her behalf.

I know I speak for the entire NYU community when I say that this student's family and loved ones are in our thoughts and our hearts and our prayers. The family has asked that they be accorded the greatest possible degree of privacy and sensitivity in this difficult hour, and I would hope that we all shall strive to comply.

To each one of us -- student, faculty, administrators, or staff: take care of yourself, take care of one another.