Students will have the chance to come together to honor fellow students lost to suicide. A candlelight vigil is set for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Rutledge Chapel.
The event is the brainchild of fourth-year mass communications student Corbin Landers, who felt inspired to take action after the death of a student in Gambrell Hall last month.
"Our goal is to raise awareness of suicide and how we can prevent it by lending as many helpful hands as we can around this university and to those who will be joining us for the event," Landers said.
Landers teamed up with Student Government, especially health and wellness secretary Katie Cohen, and other friends to organize the event. He says the group worked together to express "ideas about how suicide has impacted each of us and how important it is to raise awareness and prevent it from taking place on this campus."
He hopes Thursday's vigil will give students a chance to both remember the student who was lost and feel like part of a community.
"We want everyone who is present to walk away with the feeling of ‘I’m not alone. I’m supported. I’m cared for.’ — having a lasting effect on those present and all around campus, from undergraduates to PhD students," Landers said. "We are here for each other. That’s what being a Gamecock is all about."