As you may or may not know, September is National Suicide Awareness month. According to recent statistics from spring 2016, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds and 2nd for 24 to 35-year-olds. On average, one person commits suicide every 16.2 minutes. Each suicide intimately affects at least six other people. When reading such statistics, I am not at all shocked – suicide has and continues to take the lives of beautiful individuals every day.

Here at IUP, our campus is filled with resources for those who are coping with difficulty. Two Community Assistants in Suites on Pratt (one of the seven Residence Hall communities on campus) partnered with University Police and the Center for Health and Well-Being to put on an educational program that illuminated a special light around the topic of suicide. Emily (CA) and Tori (HCA) worked with Officer Mike to educate residents of Suites on Pratt. Not only was the program educational, it was perfectly executed in order to give everyone who participated attention, that what they are going through matters.

Simple is often better – remember that. It’s something I learned really quickly when I started as a freshman in Residence Life organizations on campus. Emily and Tori cut out purple hearts. Sitting in the library, by the time the program was half-way through, more than 50 students participated. Students were challenged with writing positive remarks to those struggling or to write the name of someone they know struggling or someone who has taken their own life. While students wrote on their hearts, they were educated of suicide month and the university counseling center/health center.

Suicide takes lives, precious lives of individuals who do not see how genuinely special they are. A simple program like the one conducted this past week that directly impacted over 100 IUP students – two hours to stand by those who are struggling. That is all it took for these two students to shine a positive light on something so important.

If you or someone you know is struggling with life-changing events that cause suicidal thoughts or feelings, do not wait. Seek help and always remember, you are not alone! If you attend IUP and are in need of assistance, contact the University Counseling Center.