Last year Dixon, president of Gamma Delta Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity , Inc. lost his friend to suicide just days before the beginning of the Little 500 races. From then on, Dixon planned to have an event through his chapter to raise awareness about the taboo topic, Dixon said.
Gamma Delta is hosting Impacting Others Through Awareness week with events like nursing home visits and discussing the elimination of the “N” word, in addition to events to help raise suicide awareness. Members of the Divine Nine, the nine historically black fraternities and sororities on campus, gathered in the Hoosier Den on ?Tuesday.
“Even when I say the word ?‘suicide,’ it leaves a sour taste in my mouth,” Dixon said. “It’s something people always just try to push off and blame it on something else. I want everyone to know this is something people do deal with. It is a sickness.”
Students described their own experiences, describing suicidal thoughts and caring for suicidal friends through poetry, rap and speeches.
One of the four performers was junior Chris Redding , who read an original poem about losing his friend.
“It was kind of something I needed to do personally,” Redding said. “I didn’t really have an outlet, and Richard (Dixon) gave me a forum to write and motivation to write something to cope and adjust to everything.”
After the performances, social worker Ron Masters and Bloomington Community Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention and Awareness Chair Cindy Moore spoke about the signs of suicide and the resources available to students and community members.
Masters broke suicide down into three components: desirability, capability and sense of competency. This translates into three stages of suicidal thoughts: a feeling of hopelessness, a sense of fearlessness toward death and being aware of the opportunity to act.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the likelihood of suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts is significantly higher for young adults age 18 to 29 years old. For many students, this process stems from the stress of college life, Masters said.
“I think the stress of attending a university of size, coming from their hometown community, is huge,” Masters said. “So if they’re coming into this stressful situation without some pretty strong resilience, it’s a tough road for them. To talk to peers and even instructors, to say ‘I’m having trouble’ is a really hard thing to do.”
In some cases, the taboo of suicide is also cultural. The Divine Nine took special interest heading suicidal awareness because suicide is often seen as a sign of weakness in the African American culture, Redding said.
“It’s a pride thing,” Redding said. “I remember being a kid, and my dad told me that suicide is a coward’s way out. If you show some type of weakness, you’re giving someone the opportunity to pounce on you. Either that’s a bullying opportunity or a way to put you in a vulnerable position.”
The Divine Nine’s event addressed this issue head on and stressed that suicide and depression go beyond race, culture or social class.
“Suicide is something that we don’t talk about,” Dixon said to the crowd. “But look around. We are different, but we all have our own battles we’re facing.”
