(11-14-2019, 02:46 AM)Mick Wrote: Several of the articles said that USC averaged six to fifteen deaths annually on a campus of 47,500. That is certainly tragic, but is much less than the average mortality rate for young people (about 70 men and 25 women in that size population at the 20-24 age range).the rate for college students in the u.s. is 4 deaths per year per 10,000 students, or 19 for 47,500 - so less at usc, but not much less.
perhaps of particular relevance, the national rate of suicide among college students is 6 per 100,000, or 3 per year predicted for usc. i suspect the alarm arises because usc had 3 reported suicides in the first 10 weeks of school, which projects to 15 per year, which is far higher than the national average. in addition, several of the "unknown causes" are likely suicide as that is a common context when friends in the know are alarmed but "family would not comment." death from walking on freeway is also likely to indicate a individual in distress and therefore concern the other students as a preventable death. so the students are alarmed about what appears to be a rate closer to 25 or so per year vs the 3 per year predicted.