Every time I walk through the pits at UNC, I'm reminded of the sticky notes and flowers left on that green chair three years ago. I remember the candles at their feet and the messages written in chalk on the bricks.
“your The fire is never truly extinguished,” said the biggest chalk message. I remember the four students who died by suicide that semester.
A temporary memorial was set up at the pit on Monday as students and faculty mourned the sacrifices made over the weekend. Passersby left notes of encouragement and flowers.
The mental health crisis we face is far from over. Last year, North Carolina State University lost seven of its students to suicide. From 2016 to 2020, he 878 people died by suicide People between the ages of 15 and 24 in North Carolina. A national survey conducted by the American College Health Association found that 52 percent of undergraduate students regularly experience moderate psychological distress. This issue is not new, but it feels more important than ever.
That's why the Daily Tar Heel partnered with eight other college newspapers to report on mental health issues shared by people in their communities.
The Mental Health Collaborative is the result of months of rigorous reporting, research, dialogue, writing, editing, and design. The effort began in her 2023, when The Daily Tar Heel won a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network as part of the Student Media Challenge initiative. This grant helped fund the collaboration on this project. Many of the stories you read in this collaboration not only present problems, but also seek solutions to this crisis.
The Daily Tar Heel is proud to work with The A&T Register, The Duke Chronicle, The East Carolinian, The Niner Times, The Old Gold & Black, The Pendulum, The Seahawk, and Technician on this project.
With more than 30 press articles and seven opinion pieces, we've published everything from how Wake Forest University trains faculty on the front lines of mental health care to how international students are empowering their communities at East Carolina University. It touches on many issues related to mental health, from how it develops.
There is still work to be done, but this is a step towards that future. As we navigate the complexities of mental health, we must not lose sight of the individuals behind the statistics: the students, faculty, staff, families, and communities affected. Their stories, struggles, and resilience should serve as a guiding light. We hope that this mental health collaboration project will serve as a call to action to create a future where no one suffers in silence.
