A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through the Daily Trojan feed, reading stories and getting caught up on the daily news. It was here that I came across some incredibly sad news.
A USC student was found dead at New North residential college, presumably by suicide. For lack of a better term, I was in shock. Over the past few days, rumors swirled about who she was. I've heard some say she was a resident assistant, and that she was actually a School of Cinematic Arts student, one of the best in the country. I may never find out if any of these rumors are true, and to be honest, I don't know if I want to.
Much like how I was affected by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, I feel the same amount of sorrow for this particular student and her family. At USC, we often preach incessantly about the Trojan family and the sense of camaraderie our students share. Often, I feel that that "connection" is real. After this though, it's hard to still believe in it. As a community, as a school, as the Trojan family, we failed this student. Whatever we offered her wasn't enough for her to believe life was worth it.
Since the incident, the university has opened its arms at Engemann Student Health Center, welcoming walk-in appointments for students who have been affected by this particular tragedy or who are in need of assistance themselves. I'm happy with the school for taking these measures. It's an effective PR move and could legitimately be effective in making sure this never happens again. However, part of me wonders if we do enough as a whole to be there for those who are struggling. Many of our students on campus are unaware of this situation. This may be because the family wanted privacy, or because the university has done a good job of not allowing the situation to balloon. Either way, I wish this was a bigger deal to us as students, the Trojan family.
To the family of the student, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that as a collective whole, we didn't see this coming nor do anything about it. I'm sorry for the incredible pain you must be feeling right now. No one should ever be going through what you are at this moment. I hope you forgive us for our failure in this situation and that you understand that you never have to put a limit on your grief and that you are not responsible for what happened.
To those who are struggling at the University of Southern California, please call the Engemann Student Counseling Center at 213-740-7711 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255.
