As a mother of a freshman at Cornell, I am really saddened by the recent deaths of two students one in an altercation and the other of presumed natural causes in a college town apartment.
I am seriously questioning the security and safety of our children at the Cornell campus. We had chosen Cornell early decision partly thinking that it would be much safer than a bigger city campus.
I hear that students are forced to live off campus after freshman year somewhat due to the unavailability of adequate housing for undergrads on the college campus itself. Something that Cornell should definitely have addressed.
I am not trying to criticize Cornell but just wondering if there is anything that we as parents/well-wishers of Cornell can do or should do.
Both freshman and sophomores are guaranteed on-campus housing; however, which housing option you get offered as a sophomore depends on your luck.
Occasionally, robbery and muggings do occur in the downtown area, but very rarely on campus. You can see the crime statistics for the past few years here: http://www.cupolice.cornell.edu/annual_report/clery_stats.cfm
How safe your child is on campus depends largely on your child. If he/she decides to get black-out drunk every weekend, then there’s a much higher risk of running into trouble.
Thanks for your response
and the very useful link.
Drinking and partying is definitely not an issue with my child.That is not something he does or will do.
He does not partake in any risky behaviors.
I guess I should feel he is safer that way.
As for the housing part,Cornell should have adequate housing for all undergrads.
Your link does show that crime though present is certainly not a big issue at Cornell.
Thanks.
I have had 4 relatives at Cornell in the last 10 years. They all chose to live off campus after freshman year. No safety issues with any of them. I talked at length with my kids about safe drinking and partying, whether they were on campus or at home in NYC, especially how it relates to sex. I do not assume my kids do not party. I think most college students do. I would encourage you to have a discussion with your son about alcohol and consent from a woman, especially if you don’t think he is used to alcohol.
Thank you.
I have talked to him about consent.
I have even told him to get phone recorded consent if he should ever be in such a situation.Unfortunately these are the times we live in.
I’m a sophomore at Cornell (I still live on campus) and I have not had any problems. (As someone else mentioned, you’re guaranteed on-campus housing as a freshman and a sophomore.) I agree with jfx246, a lot depends largely on your student. There can be problems on any and every campus. My uncle chose Stanford (an amazing university, in a neighborhood with million dollar homes), and they also have their own set of problems.
Yes, there can be drinking and things going in Collegetown, but I identified that very quickly my freshmen year and knew that I would not be down there hanging out.
I can only say that in every situation we have to use common sense, and all we can do as students is to do our best to make sure that we’re aware of our surroundings.
There is no evidence whatsoever that the student who died in a collegetown apartment was due to anything other than natural causes.
The homicide on campus was a terrible tragedy; however, this was the first homicide in all of Ithaca in five years. The student who died in his apartment, though again tragic, was not due to any safety issues as far as we know (reports point to “natural causes”). Ithaca has also in the past been named the safest city in the country.
Of course statistics and designations mean little to the individual, but overall Ithaca is a remarkably safe and secure town. I’ve lived here my whole life and very rarely have I felt unsafe in the slightest. As is the case in most cities, common sense is your best friend.
I agree that the homicide incident was a highly unfortunate and terrible isolated tragedy.Hopefully the perpetrator(s) will be found soon.
I have talked to my son several times. He has no worries about the overall safety at Cornell and is very happy there.Of course as everyone said common sense as you would use anywhere is very important.
I feel very reassured now talking to him and with all your responses.
I agree that campus is very safe, however this was not the first murder in five years. I have no idea how many murders there have been in “all of Ithaca”, but I vividly recall the murder of another Cornell student just two years ago at the hands of her boyfriend. Article link below.
My son lived in Risley all four years, did not party (no, really, not his thing), and loved every moment he was at Cornell. He chose Cornell early decision and it was the best choice he could have made. He’s at Yale now for his PhD. and I can only hope that he’ll find as much happiness there.
http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2014/11/29/cayuga-heights-murder/19661747/
@NJCornellMom I do remember that incident. Every media outlet reported this as the first homicide in Ithaca in five years, but maybe one source got it wrong and everyone else copied them.
But again, the point of Ithaca being very safe still stands.
Oh, I totally agree, @Ranza123 . One of the safest spots around for a college campus. So horribly sad to have such tragedies occurring on a campus that we truly love and particularly sad that we know the Wu family. Grieving for the other family, too.
Yes that is very sad. Grieving for that family too.
Such a loss for them and Cornell.
re#10, it depends on how one defines “Ithaca”.
Cayuga Heights is a separate village which is a suburb of the City of Ithaca, not part of it. And is considered there as a different entity, a suburb.
It is, however, in the town of Ithaca.
New York State is odd in their municipal structure, a town can consist of multiple cities or villages, plus unincorporated areas. But for the most part the city/village is the most important identifying municipality for a resident. The town doesn’t have much association to it by residents of one of the cities/villages, at least in the several such arrangements I’m familiar with.
Re the OP, my family’s experience has been that living off campus is better than living on campus.
More living space, more autonomy (no RA’s). Closer relationships formed living more intimately with smaller groups of people. More exposure to life beyond “the Hill”. A transition to “real life”. Eg paying rent & utilities, cooking. My daughter and her friends held dinner parties in their apartments. Big holiday parties too. I learned to cook there.
My son went elsewhere to college, where he could easily have stayed on campus all four years. He chose to live off campus, and preferred it. As did many of his classmates. for the same reasons.
14--Good to know and keep in my mind as my son may one day want to move off campus.Thanks.
Our son graduated from the engineering school in 2015. The year before he entered, 5 kids committed suicide and I was horrified. Thankfully the support systems at Cornell were wonderful. Sometimes “cluster suicides” happen with troubled youth and the circumstances that led to these tragedies just fell in to place. don’t be afraid of off-campus housing. Our son was much closer to his classes when he lived in Collegetown than when he lived in either his freshman dorm or his fraternity house. The mornings are cold and they are busy - cutting time wherever they can is very helpful. Lots of off-campus options that are amazing are available. I would just suggest looking early for best options. Most are walkable.
I think the real point of #16 was to highlight the university’s support systems, but since the cluster was referenced I thought I’d chip in my two cents.
That cluster was horrible and must have been traumatizing for those attending or considering the university at that time. And their parents (maybe moreso).
But if it makes anyone feel better, since the time I started at the university myself, in the early '70s, I don’t recall another series of that magnitude ever occurring there. In fact IIRC an active poster at the time of the cluster, who had recently graduated, said that in the entire four years of his attendance there were zero such incidents whatsoever.
Suicides do occur there though- from what I’ve read, roughly in proportion to the % of college students generally. Not sure they constitute a “safety issue” per se though- these people didn’t slip and fall. (although this has happened too…) Except: I guess if your kid is prone to depression it might be appropriate to consider whether an academically demanding school, far away from you, is the best environment for them . Not just this one though.
Just my uninformed opinion.
Very good point.
I know a few parents who have had to transfer their children from an academically demanding school( not Cornell) far away to a less demanding school closer to home due to this very reason so this is good advice.
There was another stabbing tonight near the University. A campus wide shelter in place alert was issued (which has been lifted).
This is the 4th stabbing in the immediate area of Cornell’s campus since August 7, 2016 (on Eddy St.). One of the stabbings was unfortunately fatal. 2 were extremely serious and resulted in the patients being airlifted to nearby trauma centers.
There is no description of any of the suspects. No one has been apprehended.
As a parent, I’m extremely concerned.