Chalk handprints made by students cover the pavement in front of Morris Library in remembrance of students who have committed suicide. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 1,100 students commit suicide each year.

Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day and the SIU branch of Active Minds, a Registered Student Organization and national organization, wants to change the negative perception around mental health.

Colleen Camarano, a junior from Chicago studying special education, and president of Active Minds, wants to increase suicide awareness so people will be compelled to seek treatment.

“Suicide has always been a private, personal issue,” Camarano said.

Camarano is one of the founding members of SIU’s branch of Active Minds, which began in 2013.

The group has more than 20 members, which is an increase from six members last year.

“I am so incredibly happy to see all of these people here,” Camarano said.

The group is comprised of students who have close connections with suicide, through friends, family or themselves.

Sean Douglas, a junior from Chicago studying biomedical science, has dealt with severe depression his whole life and has attempted suicide four times.

His first attempt was in 2010, after the rough break-up of his first relationship.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with,” Douglas said. “The feeling never leaves; it is like a creeping darkness. It’s like falling into a hole that was never-ending.”

Douglas, who joined the club this year, is very open about his past so he can help anyone in a familiar situation. One way he has helped cope is by playing video games, specifically “Halo”.

“When I was alone, I could go online and be the hero I wished I was,” he said.

Katie O’Dell, a sophomore from Chicago studying zoology, had to deal with the death of her best friend in 2009.

O’Dell enjoyed watching Star Wars and having fun with her friend from Chicago, who was the first person she met when she moved there in fourth grade. The two continued their friendship through high school, where they both played in the band.

“I was one of the last people to talk to him,” O’Dell said. “It still hurts to this day.”

The website for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates more than 39,000 Americans died from suicide in 2011. Eleven percent of those deaths are from people aged 15-24.

Douglas said students are susceptible to suicide because of stress and depression brought on by living alone for the first time.

“We’re not fully adults yet and stress hits you full force,” he said. “We don’t know how to deal with that stress.”

Group officer Madison Breidenbach, a senior from McHenry studying biological sciences, thinks the handprints will serve as great symbols for those who have died.

“No one knows 1,100 names,” Breidenbach said. “It’s a win-win just for people to notice.”

For more information on Active Minds, visit their Facebook page, Active Minds at SIUC.

Students dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts are encouraged to get counseling at the Student Health Center. They can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Austin Miller can be reached at [email protected]