Keene State College student, 21-year-old Kyle Nolan died last week, college officials said. According to KSC’s liaison officer from the Keene Police Department, Kyle Macie, the incident did not occur in Keene. According to Vice President for Student Affairs, Andy Robinson, Nolan was a commuter student from Concord, living in Northfield, N.H.
According to Northfield Police Department Detective Jennifer Adams, Nolan’s cause of death has not yet been determined. “The Medical Investigator Office will be taking care of that. We don’t have the results of the autopsy,” Adams stated.
However, Adams said, “It appeared to be a suicide.” She added that the investigation is closed and that no foul play is suspected.
Adams said the Northfield Fire Department responded to a call on 429 Crossmile Road on Tuesday, October 22. “They [the fire department squad] found the victim at the scene and treated him,” Adams said. She went on, “There were no witnesses at the scene. The victim was then taken to Franklin Hospital for treatment and then to Laconia Hospital,” Adams said. According to Adams, Nolan was pronounced dead at Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia, N.H.
Campus Safety at KSC notified the college community through e-mail Friday afternoon that Nolan had passed away. The campus e-mail pronounced sympathy towards Nolan’s family and encouraged students affected by the circumstances to reach out for help at the Counseling Center. “We [KSC officials] found out Friday. We had heard things from students that were friends with Kyle. We contacted his family and confirmed that he had passed away,” Robinson said.
Robinson said that Nolan’s family indicated that there are no memorial services planned. “If this changes, we will inform the college community,” Robinson said.
Robinson indicated there are multiple counseling services available for those who may feel affected by Nolan’s death. “Any student that feels the need to talk and is affected should contact the counselling center right away,” Robinson said.
Robinson said counsellors will be going to classes which Nolan attended to talk to students that might be struggling after his passing. This was suggested after, “A professor of a class that Kyle was taking contacted me and asked me about how to handle the situation,” Robinson said. Robinson also stated school officials are aware, “That it might have been a suicide.”
Brenda McEachern, counselor at KSC and advisor for the student organization Active Minds said suicide is, “A huge issue in college campuses. Suicide is the second cause of death in student population.”
McEachern referred to college as a period “where mental stability issues may appear. It is a very sensitive period in a youth’s life, and students really need to know there are resources to support them when they go through tough times,” she said.
Robinson and McEachern said KSC puts on several efforts to raise awareness and reduce student suicide.
“We are trying to educate the student population. We want them to be able to address when there are problems and get help,” McEachern said.
She explained when a student is going through period of crisis, having their peers’ support can really make a difference. “A person with a tendency to commit suicide will most likely talk to their peers instead of talking to a counselor,” McEachern stated.
In Nolan’s case, a Facebook status might have been a way of talking to his peers. “It all ends in tears anyways,” Nolan wrote on Monday, October 21, according to his Facebook page.
McEachern said officials can’t “scan student’s social media searching for this type of posts, but other students can detect them. If people see posts like this, they should know it is a good time to reach out for some help.”
She went on, “Any time someone makes a reference to suicide, whether it is to his friends and family or in a more public context, it should be taken seriously, and the person must get the help they need.”
Regarding the services available for students, McEachern said there are several counselors ready to provide support in times of crisis.
“Nothing ever goes on the students’ record. Confidentiality is the absolute foundation of the work we do. What happens here, stays here. Students need to know they will not be judged. We want to help them figure out what to do to feel better,” McEachern stated.
Robinson said the Student Affairs office also works to address the issue of mental stability.
“We have a ‘students of concern’ committee. We discuss situations that we feel are problematic and when we feel a student is a danger to themselves or to other students, we can intervene,” Robinson stated.
Yet, Robinson said despite the efforts put on by college officials, “Sometimes a student is not in our radar. This is often true when they live off campus, and they are not so involved in the campus life. Then is when peers need to intervene.”
Robinson concluded, “We strongly encourage friends that are concerned about friends to reach out for help.”
Karina Barriga Albring can be contacted at kbarriga@keene-equinox.com