The rituals of death have become far too familiar at North Carolina State University this school year.
The initial shock and pain of the campuswide “Wolf Alert” that yet another student has ended their young life by suicide. The message from the university chancellor attempting the impossible task of comforting classmates by acknowledging that this “hurts deeply and can seem overwhelming to cope with.” A reminder that this week already had a scheduled “Wellness Day” without classes, for students to take stock of their own mental health and check on others.
But this time — the eighth student death since September on the Raleigh, North Carolina, campus, and the fifth by apparent suicide — felt different.
