Teenage SuicideJoseph Connelly Gazzola was a football star at Northeastern University. He has since taken his own life and this has hit everyone he knew very hard. As reported in the Boston Globe, “Mr. Gazzola, known as Joe, was born and raised in North Attleborough, showing a love of football and tolerance towards all types of people. “He didn't really care about the differences,” his father said. “He could relate to anyone. He was the kind of guy who could walk with princes and paupers and never see the difference.'” Gazzola is not alone. There have been numerous suicides on college campuses and among teenagers of the same age group. It's a real problem and it's time to acknowledge it. On October 7, 1999, a Ramapo College student allegedly killed himself due to a breakup with his girlfriend, similar to what he allegedly caused to fourth-grader at New York University, 19-year-old Diana Chein. , to commit suicide by jumping from the roof of her boyfriend's apartment building after a breakup on March 10, 2004. The cycle of depression and self-destruction is evident in all cases. There have been many cases of suicide occurring in the past years at universities across the country, and since this is such a sensitive topic, there hasn't been as much coverage as this topic deserves, considering this issue doesn't seem to be going away. When collecting data on suicide statistics, the age range is broken down into people aged 15 to 24, which spans most of the developmental years. Within this range are college-aged students, and this age range has by far the most concerning statistics. In a study published by Brown University, their psychology department shed light on the common myths and facts surrounding suicide. In these ... middle of the paper ... there's a higher level of awareness," Hayes said. "There are still too many suicides, but they're much better prepared now." When Gazzola died at NU, the team of the counseling center dealt with Gazzola's teammates, roommates and friends who were shocked by this misfortune. Additionally, with Northeastern's less than perfect record this academic year, the unfortunate death of James Grabowski during the. Super Bowl riots (even though he wasn't a student at NU, his brother was), and Walter Dedrick found dead in his apartment, (still unexplained), for example, are just some of the disasters that demonstrate how real the problems are and how something needs to be done. It's time for everyone to step up and pay attention to the people around you. Some may not even realize they have a problem, but if you are aware you can make a difference for a friend in need..