September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and upon reaching the second floor, I immediately noticed the banner promoting this. My friend, Lilia, and I were initially hesitant to approach the people who were a part of this group but, eventually, we found our way to them. (They were also offering free breakfast and so that was a great additional incentive.)
There was a big board besides them that neatly presented numerous statistics on suicide in America. One fact that stood out to me was that suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24. We were then thoroughly informed about the importance of this month and how much it could affect those who may be going through a similar situation. Stress from school, home, peers, or from the online world can all lead someone down this dangerous path. In order to further avert future suicides, these students were adamant about helping to prevent any such event happening in Baruch.
After finishing our croissants, Lilia and I were then asked to participate in a short writing activity. In a few words, we had to write down what we believed our purpose in this world is. Many people often feel like they may not have a role in the world but by doing this activity, they wanted to encourage a feeling of importance and belonging within each and every person. However it was incredibly difficult to come up with an answer. Not because we were suicidal but because it felt egotistical to state how important we were to the world. Eventually we came up with something and our input was added to the large collection they already had. Though this experience was short, it still taught me a lot about how people perceive themselves and the importance of educating oneself about the dangers of suicide.