A graduate student apparently committed suicide in a professor’s office at Arizona State University this morning, the university reported in a brief statement. Cmdr. James Hardina of the university Police Department told The Arizona Republic that the student apparently was talking with the professor when he pulled out a gun and shot himself. There was no further threat to the campus, he said. The incident occurred in the South Building of the university’s College of Design, on the main campus at Tempe.
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6 Responses to Graduate Student at Arizona State U. Shoots Himself in Front of Professor
jbhoward - October 27, 2009 at 5:36 am
Have you heard about this???
11147726 - October 28, 2009 at 10:09 am
Usually, when I was talking to one of my professors in their office, I’d just shoot myself in the foot. Sort of like right now…
lucianeberg - October 28, 2009 at 10:17 am
Dr. Berg’s Forum- I think it is very important that we all think about how grad students can be pushed too hard by the system. I am a strong proponent of higher education (as well as the product of the system), however, no one should be in an educational position that leads to suicide. The point of getting an education is to live. While there have been historical reasons to die for the right to be educated, this is not that epoch.
blackbart - October 28, 2009 at 10:37 am
lucianeberg: I don’t see where in the article this student “was in an educational position that leads to suicide.” We don’t know the circumstances that led to this tragedy, and I’m not sure it’s appropriate to start rendering judgments on higher education writ large just yet. That’s just not fair to the student or the professor.
laoshi - October 28, 2009 at 11:30 am
At least the loser student showed the courtesy of not shooting the professor first.
lucianeberg - October 28, 2009 at 12:10 pm
blackbart: I understand your statement and I understand that there are many circumstances that can lead to a suicide, and I support your concern for the student and professor, and it is great the the professor was not shot also (laoshi). However, this is not the first time students have chosen college, university, high school, as the site of a suicide. I do believe that this is not an uncommon occurence and we should have the courage to look at it without jumping to blame. I am torn about your support of fairness toward the student in their choice of place, I really am not sure how to think about that.