Death of an IU student - a preventable tragedy

Parents Forum
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<p>[IU</a> student Linden Whitt dies after fall from balcony during party: HeraldTimesOnline.com](<a href=“http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2012/04/21/news.student-critical-after-fall-during-party.sto]IU”>http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2012/04/21/news.student-critical-after-fall-during-party.sto)</p>

<p>I live two blocks from where Whitt died. I heard the sirens that night and heard the medics giving her CPR over the police scanner.</p>

<p>This was “Little 500” weekend in B-Town, a notorious drunken-debauchery partyfest beyond description. I’m not a prude and I chug the occasional pint of cider… but please, help your sons and daughters know their limits.</p>

<p>Yes, accidents can happen to anyone… but they happen more when you’re too intoxicated to know what you’re doing.</p>

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<p>So, very sad. </p>

<p>Why do kids lean against or sit on walls when there is a drop on the other side!</p>

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<p>Most colleges have similar weekends. At Rice it is Beer Bike and at Penn it is Spring Fling.</p>

<p>This is tragic and I’m sad for the girl’s family and friends and the IU community.</p>

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<p>I remember that when the high school band kids went to Hawaii for a competition, there was a rule that no one could go out on the balcony, period! Kids do dumb things…and alcohol doesn’t help.</p>

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<p>I remember that when the high school band kids went to Hawaii for a competition, there was a rule that no one could go out on the balcony, period! Kids do dumb things…and alcohol doesn’t help.</p>

<p>Not just kids and not just when alcohol is involved. I just don’t think we’re properly training people any more about basic safety. I can’t tell you how many adults I’ve warned when I’ve seen them stand closely to the top of a staircase with their backs to the stairs…just one little bobble and they’d be going head-first down the stairs on their backs!!</p>

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<p>Absolutely heartbreaking.</p>

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<p>I’m sorry it happens, but it’s not preventable. Out of billions of people in the world, there will always be some, even many, who do what those two did.</p>

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<p>I agree with beolein, such accidents are simple matters of probability</p>

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<p>Balconies remain dangerous even after college. Many were not designed for the large crowds and general dumb behavior thay can be used for. Or they were just poorly built.</p>

<p>[2003</a> Chicago balcony collapse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Chicago_balcony_collapse]2003”>2003 Chicago balcony collapse - Wikipedia)</p>