As we are all aware, Hyoun Ju Sohn GS killed himself on campus March 31. It was a tragic loss for our community and has affected many of its members.
Yes, this has been discussed often both in print and elsewhere. Some may believe that we must move past this.
But there are two reasons preventing me from forgetting this tragedy. First, I was walking fairly close to the Sciences Library when the incident occurred. Though I did not directly witness it, I was nevertheless shocked by the news when I heard about it from those who were passing by.
Second, I believe there are concrete reasons why this took place. We unknowingly contributed to the occurrence of this incident by narrowly devoting ourselves to school work without a purpose to better our community and neighbors through education. This is a reminder that we, as a community, need to reset our priorities.
This may sound unrelated, but hear me out.
A surprisingly high number of students are restricted from opportunities to take a break from their incessant pursuit of their goals. They have no chance to slow down and discover the purpose of their education.
Students work toward their individualized goals. The school strives to better its profile. Faculty members seek to produce more research and move up the ranks. All these goals are good, but there seems to be a lack of more selfless motives behind our work.
In an environment like this, how could there not be people who feel left out, those who feel as if they do not belong?
Sometimes a seemingly unproductive state is healthier than fiercely working toward a goal, especially if there isn’t a proper motive behind it.
In The Herald, there have been a number of articles announcing new programs and personnel designed to assist those in need. Most of them outline what we must actively do or say — none of them really suggest not doing anything.
A narrow-sighted race to the top, without a concrete goal in mind, can be dangerous for both the community and the individual.
Much of this is reflected in many students’ lacking — or perhaps distorted — sense of purpose. Students tend to strive for individual success, not greater causes beyond it.
We have turned a blind eye to many things in the aftermath of this event, especially that we all bear some responsibility — every one of us.
The University must make clear what the purpose of a Brown education is: to give back to others and contribute to our communities.
Much of the University’s response to the suicide appears to be simply throwing more bureaucracy and personnel at mental health, not focusing on changing community values.
The discussion has coalesced around what the University must provide in terms of counseling services in order to prevent similar incidents.
The University’s recent measures to reform sexual assault policy, like appointing a new Title IX program officer, evince a similarly disappointing focus on personnel instead of values.
Given the size of Brown’s student body — there are more than 6,000 undergraduates and nearly 2,000 graduate students — it seems almost inevitable that students will divide into many groups and stay isolated.
I feel that there is a growing consensus within the campus that allows us to perceive ourselves as mere individuals, not part of the campusor the community. We have unknowingly created a separated community where people of different backgrounds and cultures cannot interact with each other.
Though a systemic approach to problem solving is often effective, the present situation requires us to reprioritize our most fundamental values in education.
We must establish a school environment where individual success does not top the list of priorities and build a tight-knit community where the tools of healing are not bureaucracy and trained personnel, but rather more personal attention to those who surround us.
I still want to commend the University’s efforts in trying to rebuild the community at a more personal level. I hope that such goals can quickly spread throughout the student body and the campus to produce a warmer and more welcoming community.
Let us always carry Sohn’s death in our hearts. It is necessary both to move forward and to engrave this tragedy in our minds.
David Ha ’18 can be contacted at woosuk_ha@brown.edu.
