The only good news that might come out of the profoundly tragic news of WC student Jacob Marberger’s suicide this weekend is that more information will come to the surface which could prevent these sad circumstances from being repeated in the future.
Like any tragedy of this proportion, the response individually and institutionally should always be, “What could have been done to prevent this from happening?” But in Jacob’s case, this takes on a special meaning given the multitude of people, departments, and social organizations who had contact with this young man in the weeks leading to his dramatic downward spiral.
Even with the little we know, it is clear that bullying, alcohol abuse, and zero tolerance policies might have played a role in Jacob Marberger’s swing from a fully engaged campus leader to an isolated and despondent outsider. Given that this transition seemingly happened only within a matter of weeks, there is much to process here.
It seems inconceivable that Washington College will not take this self-examination very seriously. While the immediate disappearance of Jacob posed an important test for college leadership, it will now be how well the school responds in the aftermath of his suicide that will determine any long-term harm to reputation or mission.
But beyond the institutional response, one can only hope that the students who had contact with Jacob will also undertake a form of self-examination. Was there enough tolerance, enough listening, enough empathy or were there quick rushes to judge and stigmatize? Those kinds of painful questions must be considered as part of any successful healing process.
The danger in this is the impulse to play a blame game rather than participate in a learning experience. Only one person decided to end Jacob’s life, and that person was Jacob himself. The eagerness to point fingers might be predictable, but it is a wasteful exercise that needs to yield quickly to a more thoughtful analysis for both the school and all who knew him.
As Carl Jung pointed out years ago, “Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” For Jacob’s sake, let that not happen here.
William Jones says
Following this tragedy as an alumnus (and lawyer) I think the town and college need to finally show what the “gun” that started all this looks like (this could be part of a lengthy essay on the events of the last week). It has been described in the open media variously as an early twentieth century pistol, an antique .22 cal revolver, and today I saw where someone described it as a replica kit that could be converted into a blackpowder firearm. I gather the alleged weapon is in the safe custody of the police as material evidence and therefore, in light of the defendant’s death, the local government is obliged to reveal it if so asked. So I would ask the Chestertown Spy obtain and publish a photo of the piece to allow the general public to judge whether this whole saga was indeed justified or whether it is an over-reaction that took on a life of its own, thus destroying a promising young life.
Joe Lill says
It would seem the central issue is that Jacob’s parents were concerned enough to call Washington College to tell them that their son returned home in the middle of the night to retrieve a gun case and left their house. He would not return their phone calls and was spotted purchasing ammunition. Those facts alone should be enough to have Washington College cancel classes and send their students ( and potential targets ) home. To err on the side of caution is not a bad thing or an over-reaction.
The bullying and sexual harassment by other students or fraternities, if true, will be addressed and will haunt those involved the rest of their lives.
Nat Hahn says
As the parent of a current student I really do not care what the weapon looked like,because the person not holding the gun has no knowledge of whether the gun is a threat to them or not. Not too long ago a 12 year old boy lost his life because he was holding what turned out to be a toy gun.Yet for every person who came to his defense there were others who claimed -well,how would anybody know it was a toy gun?My child is a student at this college and he and every other student who enrolled signed an honor code-which includes abiding by the laws and regulations of the school,ergo-no guns on campus.
Why is no one questioning why he was drinking?Why he had easy access to an actual working weapon,AFTER he had gone through the alleged bullying?
Cynthia Stafford says
It might also be helpful to look at the use of Yik Yak on campus. This is where the more cowardly students can post anonymously.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Jacob was not only let down by peers but also by adults and policies. Yes, he ended his own life but for this person all he had was taken away. It is easy to be a wonk about this and examine how this can be avoided in the future….but he was bullied and humiliated. Shameful.
Joe Lill says
John Adams, our second President, said it best as he defended the British soldiers that were accused of murder during the Boston massacre when he said “Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they can not alter the state of facts and evidence”.
Right now we only know that there has been a tragic loss of life, the rest will come to the surface as the investigation continues.
Rachel Gosd says
https://www.afsp.org/preventing-suicide/our-education-and-prevention-programs/programs-for-teens-and-young-adults/the-truth-about-suicide-real-stories-of-depression-in-college
marty Stetson says
A very well written editorial. There is a lesson here for everyone, but all of us are humans and humans make mistakes.. Lets hope those who may have had a direct effect on the circumstances leading up to Jacob taking his own life learn from the experience.
Steve Payne says
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/boys-men/201308/young-men-who-commit-suicide
Skip Middleton says
Lots of speculation – more than anything a complete tragedy, as suicide mostly is, a sequence of key moments, emotions and events that, in retrospect, any one of which could be altered and change the tragic outcome. I am not sure the school’s role could change at all and have a different outcome. I believe the facts as they are known are most important, and thus far, I believe the only article that covers most accurately, those facts is https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Jacob-Marberger-Suicide-Washington-College-Hawk-Mountain-Cheltenham-352949961.html
I know I will be discussing this in depth with my teenage son to hopefully better educate and prepare him for what stepping back and considering his actions, and his words to others, in hopes that I never witness first, or second, hand experiences like this. My thoughts go out to his parents, his teachers, and friends, and I do hope this will positively affect others dealing with their own demons, real and imagined.
Growing up in this internet age is something most of us reading this would change many of the rules of engagement we encountered. It appears the final straw was again, social media, and the hurt that comes from the hive mind. But all the actions, including Jacob’s owns, fed the hive, and their is little original sin, just a sequence of building, unfortunate events that pushed his mind to where it went. I would imagine this is not unique, and I hope we all get better at recognizing similar sequences possible with others in the future so we may help pull someone out of the cycle before its too late.
I hope Washington College’s s compassion and small town setting will help frame any sort of a positive message from so tragic an occurrence.