Update on NYU suicide!!! SSRIs!

[Guest guest]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/28166.htm

FATAL RX FIGHT

By TATIANA DELIGIANNAKIS and MURRAY WEISS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 8, 2004 -- NYU student Joanne Leavy jumped to her death from the

roof of her graduate-school building after an angry argument with her father

about her failure to take her

medication, police sources said.

Leavy, a talented second-year film student, bolted barefooted from her

family's Waverly Place apartment in Greenwich Village shortly after the

dispute with her dad, musician Lee Leavy, Monday morning.

She ran around the block to the Tisch School of the Arts, climbed 12

stories, stripped, and jumped to her death, police said.

The sources did not know what medication she had stopped taking. Police said

Leavy, 23, had a history of mental problems. Friends said she had started on

antidepressants in high school and also was diabetic.

Yesterday, Leavy's stunned classmates recalled how her behavior had changed

dramatically in the past week. They said she had become " very outspoken " and

" manic. "

" She spoke her mind. If she had anything on her mind, she blurted it out, "

said Sasiya McClinton, 24.

She and classmate Mike Brown also recalled that the first film Leavy made as

an NYU grad student was about suicide.

The black-and-white film, called " Pretty Horse, " was about a man who sends

his young son off to Coney Island to ride a merry-go-round horse while the

father stays home and commits suicide, they said.

Leavy had recently been working on another chilling project — a

semiautobiographical piece titled " Lotus Kills, " in which a young woman

named Lotus asks a Ouija board when she'll die and is told that at age 24,

her friend will kill her, McClinton said.

The film ends with running over Lotus with a bus.

Of Leavy's death, McClinton said, " She was sad, but I'm sure she was

thinking about the freedom that comes with suicide. She was overwhelmed with

school, film, family, not having money. "

Brown and McClinton said Leavy was a brilliant filmmaker and editor.

" Art was second nature to her. She was one of the most amazing talents that

I've met, " said Brown, 23.

Leavy's death was the main topic of discussion yesterday at NYU, where five

other students have died in fatal plunges in the past year.

" I don't really think it has anything to do with NYU, " said freshman

business student Bret Shorenstein. " It's kids' problems, not NYU. "

Leavy was a graduate of New York's prestigious La Guardia HS of Music & Art

and Performing Arts, and Brown University.

Meanwhile, family and friends of Spenser Kimbrough, an NYU student who died

mysteriously last week, sought answers at his funeral of yesterday.

Doctors told Kimbrough's family he had admitted smoking marijuana before he

was brought to the hospital.

The family, though, said Kimbrough was against drugs.

" We're still not anywhere close to an accounting of what made it necessary

to take Spenser to the hospital, " said a family spokesman, the Rev. Victor

Brown.

Additional reporting by Dan Mangan, Leonard Greene and Marsha Kranes

Back to: Regional News | National News | World News | Home

[Guest guest]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/28166.htm

FATAL RX FIGHT

By TATIANA DELIGIANNAKIS and MURRAY WEISS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 8, 2004 -- NYU student Joanne Leavy jumped to her death from the

roof of her graduate-school building after an angry argument with her father

about her failure to take her

medication, police sources said.

Leavy, a talented second-year film student, bolted barefooted from her

family's Waverly Place apartment in Greenwich Village shortly after the

dispute with her dad, musician Lee Leavy, Monday morning.

She ran around the block to the Tisch School of the Arts, climbed 12

stories, stripped, and jumped to her death, police said.

The sources did not know what medication she had stopped taking. Police said

Leavy, 23, had a history of mental problems. Friends said she had started on

antidepressants in high school and also was diabetic.

Yesterday, Leavy's stunned classmates recalled how her behavior had changed

dramatically in the past week. They said she had become " very outspoken " and

" manic. "

" She spoke her mind. If she had anything on her mind, she blurted it out, "

said Sasiya McClinton, 24.

She and classmate Mike Brown also recalled that the first film Leavy made as

an NYU grad student was about suicide.

The black-and-white film, called " Pretty Horse, " was about a man who sends

his young son off to Coney Island to ride a merry-go-round horse while the

father stays home and commits suicide, they said.

Leavy had recently been working on another chilling project — a

semiautobiographical piece titled " Lotus Kills, " in which a young woman

named Lotus asks a Ouija board when she'll die and is told that at age 24,

her friend will kill her, McClinton said.

The film ends with running over Lotus with a bus.

Of Leavy's death, McClinton said, " She was sad, but I'm sure she was

thinking about the freedom that comes with suicide. She was overwhelmed with

school, film, family, not having money. "

Brown and McClinton said Leavy was a brilliant filmmaker and editor.

" Art was second nature to her. She was one of the most amazing talents that

I've met, " said Brown, 23.

Leavy's death was the main topic of discussion yesterday at NYU, where five

other students have died in fatal plunges in the past year.

" I don't really think it has anything to do with NYU, " said freshman

business student Bret Shorenstein. " It's kids' problems, not NYU. "

Leavy was a graduate of New York's prestigious La Guardia HS of Music & Art

and Performing Arts, and Brown University.

Meanwhile, family and friends of Spenser Kimbrough, an NYU student who died

mysteriously last week, sought answers at his funeral of yesterday.

Doctors told Kimbrough's family he had admitted smoking marijuana before he

was brought to the hospital.

The family, though, said Kimbrough was against drugs.

" We're still not anywhere close to an accounting of what made it necessary

to take Spenser to the hospital, " said a family spokesman, the Rev. Victor

Brown.

Additional reporting by Dan Mangan, Leonard Greene and Marsha Kranes

Back to: Regional News | National News | World News | Home

[Guest guest]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/28166.htm

FATAL RX FIGHT

By TATIANA DELIGIANNAKIS and MURRAY WEISS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 8, 2004 -- NYU student Joanne Leavy jumped to her death from the

roof of her graduate-school building after an angry argument with her father

about her failure to take her

medication, police sources said.

Leavy, a talented second-year film student, bolted barefooted from her

family's Waverly Place apartment in Greenwich Village shortly after the

dispute with her dad, musician Lee Leavy, Monday morning.

She ran around the block to the Tisch School of the Arts, climbed 12

stories, stripped, and jumped to her death, police said.

The sources did not know what medication she had stopped taking. Police said

Leavy, 23, had a history of mental problems. Friends said she had started on

antidepressants in high school and also was diabetic.

Yesterday, Leavy's stunned classmates recalled how her behavior had changed

dramatically in the past week. They said she had become " very outspoken " and

" manic. "

" She spoke her mind. If she had anything on her mind, she blurted it out, "

said Sasiya McClinton, 24.

She and classmate Mike Brown also recalled that the first film Leavy made as

an NYU grad student was about suicide.

The black-and-white film, called " Pretty Horse, " was about a man who sends

his young son off to Coney Island to ride a merry-go-round horse while the

father stays home and commits suicide, they said.

Leavy had recently been working on another chilling project — a

semiautobiographical piece titled " Lotus Kills, " in which a young woman

named Lotus asks a Ouija board when she'll die and is told that at age 24,

her friend will kill her, McClinton said.

The film ends with running over Lotus with a bus.

Of Leavy's death, McClinton said, " She was sad, but I'm sure she was

thinking about the freedom that comes with suicide. She was overwhelmed with

school, film, family, not having money. "

Brown and McClinton said Leavy was a brilliant filmmaker and editor.

" Art was second nature to her. She was one of the most amazing talents that

I've met, " said Brown, 23.

Leavy's death was the main topic of discussion yesterday at NYU, where five

other students have died in fatal plunges in the past year.

" I don't really think it has anything to do with NYU, " said freshman

business student Bret Shorenstein. " It's kids' problems, not NYU. "

Leavy was a graduate of New York's prestigious La Guardia HS of Music & Art

and Performing Arts, and Brown University.

Meanwhile, family and friends of Spenser Kimbrough, an NYU student who died

mysteriously last week, sought answers at his funeral of yesterday.

Doctors told Kimbrough's family he had admitted smoking marijuana before he

was brought to the hospital.

The family, though, said Kimbrough was against drugs.

" We're still not anywhere close to an accounting of what made it necessary

to take Spenser to the hospital, " said a family spokesman, the Rev. Victor

Brown.

Additional reporting by Dan Mangan, Leonard Greene and Marsha Kranes

Back to: Regional News | National News | World News | Home

[Guest guest]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/28166.htm

FATAL RX FIGHT

By TATIANA DELIGIANNAKIS and MURRAY WEISS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 8, 2004 -- NYU student Joanne Leavy jumped to her death from the

roof of her graduate-school building after an angry argument with her father

about her failure to take her

medication, police sources said.

Leavy, a talented second-year film student, bolted barefooted from her

family's Waverly Place apartment in Greenwich Village shortly after the

dispute with her dad, musician Lee Leavy, Monday morning.

She ran around the block to the Tisch School of the Arts, climbed 12

stories, stripped, and jumped to her death, police said.

The sources did not know what medication she had stopped taking. Police said

Leavy, 23, had a history of mental problems. Friends said she had started on

antidepressants in high school and also was diabetic.

Yesterday, Leavy's stunned classmates recalled how her behavior had changed

dramatically in the past week. They said she had become " very outspoken " and

" manic. "

" She spoke her mind. If she had anything on her mind, she blurted it out, "

said Sasiya McClinton, 24.

She and classmate Mike Brown also recalled that the first film Leavy made as

an NYU grad student was about suicide.

The black-and-white film, called " Pretty Horse, " was about a man who sends

his young son off to Coney Island to ride a merry-go-round horse while the

father stays home and commits suicide, they said.

Leavy had recently been working on another chilling project — a

semiautobiographical piece titled " Lotus Kills, " in which a young woman

named Lotus asks a Ouija board when she'll die and is told that at age 24,

her friend will kill her, McClinton said.

The film ends with running over Lotus with a bus.

Of Leavy's death, McClinton said, " She was sad, but I'm sure she was

thinking about the freedom that comes with suicide. She was overwhelmed with

school, film, family, not having money. "

Brown and McClinton said Leavy was a brilliant filmmaker and editor.

" Art was second nature to her. She was one of the most amazing talents that

I've met, " said Brown, 23.

Leavy's death was the main topic of discussion yesterday at NYU, where five

other students have died in fatal plunges in the past year.

" I don't really think it has anything to do with NYU, " said freshman

business student Bret Shorenstein. " It's kids' problems, not NYU. "

Leavy was a graduate of New York's prestigious La Guardia HS of Music & Art

and Performing Arts, and Brown University.

Meanwhile, family and friends of Spenser Kimbrough, an NYU student who died

mysteriously last week, sought answers at his funeral of yesterday.

Doctors told Kimbrough's family he had admitted smoking marijuana before he

was brought to the hospital.

The family, though, said Kimbrough was against drugs.

" We're still not anywhere close to an accounting of what made it necessary

to take Spenser to the hospital, " said a family spokesman, the Rev. Victor

Brown.

Additional reporting by Dan Mangan, Leonard Greene and Marsha Kranes

Back to: Regional News | National News | World News | Home