Rose Hill and Lincoln Center students are being called to show up and show out for Fordham University’s first Out of Darkness Campus Walk, which utilizes the university’s new partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). This event is meant to ignite conversations about mental health and suicide prevention throughout campus.
Registration for this free event begins at 1 p.m. on April 6 on the Rose Hill campus, and participants will begin the walk at 2 p.m. The walk is a campus loop that begins in front of Keating Hall. Moving clockwise, participants will pass in front of Freeman Hall, continue straight until Campbell Hall and circle behind Martyrs’ Court before passing the front of Hughes Hall and heading back to Keating’s front steps.
Megan Ruzicka, FCRH ’27, and Katherine Turner, FCRH ’25, initiated Fordham’s partnership with AFSP and worked alongside fellow United Student Government senators to plan and spread awareness for the event.
“I really wanted to help my newfound community here,” said Ruzicka. “This is a way to help show students what resources they have available to them on and off campus.”
Ruzicka’s work with AFSP began years before becoming a Fordham student. She shared this partnership with her new community when she relocated to the Rose Hill campus. AFSP’s website states that suicide is the second largest cause of death amongst college students. To lower this number, the organization works with universities and individuals worldwide to change stigmas around mental health and spread awareness of means to assist students who struggle with thoughts of suicide.
“Having AFSP here and having that connection from home on campus was something that was really personal for me,” said Ruzicka.
This partnership is equally as personal to Turner, whose proximate experiences with those struggling with mental health issues caused her to prioritize efforts that educate individuals on suicide and help with suicide prevention.
“People idealize suicide, romanticize it and put incorrect emotions to it,” said Turner. “They don’t understand the true struggle of a mental health low and feeling like suicide is the only way out. I want students to be aware of the resources they pay for on campus and how they can make the most out of them, allowing them a full, healthy and safe college experience.”
Clubs, student government committees and other groups were encouraged to create their own walk teams to support the cause, as this walk will be a way for individuals to connect with Fordham-affiliated organizations and local businesses. Mental health-centered clubs will table the event and will use this platform to educate the Fordham community and expand their club’s outreach. Businesses in the Bronx are helping to sponsor the event with earnings and donations going towards AFSP so that they can continue on their mission.
“We’ve had families register who knew or were affiliated with Fordham students and had losses in their family due to suicide,” said Laila Sayegh, FCRH ‘27, a first-year senator who has contributed to this project. “They’ve reached out and are very excited about the event, which creates a sense of community among those who are affected on our college campus.”
Continuing to raise awareness on such a pressing issue can change the lives of those affected by mental health issues. Prioritizing conversations surrounding mental health can make a difference and change lives.
“I hope to show students that they’re not alone,” said Ruzicka. “There’s a whole community here to show support for creating an open conversation about mental health. I hope that students recognize this great support network that we have here at Fordham.”
Pre-registration and further information for the Out of Darkness Campus Walk can be found online.
