About 50 people from MTSU and the community came to participate in an Out of the Darkness Campus Walk on April 19, walking a mile from Walnut Grove to central campus to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
The campus walks aim to spread awareness across universities, including Belmont, Vanderbilt, University of Tennessee Knoxville, University of Sewanee and the University of Memphis, striving to bring hope and awareness to mental health struggles and prevent suicide.
Hope Walks Here, funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, hosts community walks all over America.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading source for suicide prevention research and education, having chapters in all 50 states.
Deidra Goins, the chair of the board of directors of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Foundation for CSI prevention, emphasized how important mental health is on college campuses.
“I think it’s extremely important, suicide is the second leading cause of death in college-age adults,” Goins said. “1,000 college students a year die from suicide, and one in five college students struggles with suicidal thoughts. It’s important that we are here and we help remove the stigma, and we make it okay for people to say, ‘I’m not okay.’”
Goins talks about why mental health conversations are important, and the struggles students face often go unnoticed.
“I think people are suffering from loneliness,” Goins said. “The world we live in, even though it feels like there are a lot of connections, they are social media connections, and it leads to mental health issues. It’s so important that we talk about them so that we destigmatize the topic of suicide prevention and mental health.”
The Military Veteran Service also walked at the event, and military veteran Jerry Stewart explained why this walk is so important to him.
“There are 22 veterans a day that commit suicide on average,” Stewart said. “I attempted suicide when I was still [on] active duty.”
Stewart said that the military took a toll on his mental health by highlighting physicality rather than mentality.
“A lot of the struggle in the military is that you don’t want to look weak,” Stewart said. “The military is supposed to be strong, big, ready to fight, and if you’re struggling with mental health issues, you’re not ready to fight.”
MT Lambda also attended the event. Founded in 1988, the organization is the longest-running student-led LGBTQ+ program in Tennessee.
Regulus Schaub, vice president of MT Lambda, represented Serenity Birdsong, who committed suicide in October 2024 in the Walker Library. Schaub said honoring Birdsong at this event means a lot.
“We stand by that she will be forever our vice president,” Schaub said. “She is a good reminder that you don’t always see the struggle, and so for Lambda being able to come out here and show our support and members that we are a place to talk to and a place to go.”
Goins highlighted how students can take action to highlight mental health and prevent suicide.
“Do not struggle alone, don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Goins said. “Your friends and family care about you and love you, and it takes strength and courage to ask for help. Resources are available here on campus and everywhere if you are in a mental health crisis,” Goins.
Students can visit MTSU Student Wellness and support website for more resources and information.
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