The Daily Gamecock

Speaker discusses national issue in Momentum conversation series

The Leadership and Service Center hosted a small-group discussion led by Nancy Lublin, founder and CEO of Crisis Text Line on Wednesday afternoon. The discussion, part of the "Momentum: Conversations for a Better World" series, was largely based on questions from the audience and the implications of Crisis Text Line as a nonprofit and human-run organization.

Crisis Text Line is a free hotline for 24/7 crisis support that anybody can use. Users can text 741741 from anywhere inside the U.S. to have a text conversation with a trained crisis counselor, not an automated system. 

"If you're in a place, and you're gonna reach out to us with personal pain, we think you deserve a human," Lublin said.

Lublin said that one reason Crisis Text Line can be fully devoted to helping people is because it is a nonprofit organization. She said she thinks it is hard for for-profit organizations to be concerned both with helping people and making a profit. 

"I'm choosing helping people," she said. "Even if it means my kids will forever be on financial aid." 

Leadership coach Luis Sierra said that having Lublin speak was a way for students to see an example of the path one can take to better the lives of others. He believes USC students can learn from her impact and do the same.

"Students here at USC have such great potential to make great things happen, to better the lives of others," Sierra said. 

Katelyn Hanshaw, president of USC's chapter of Active Minds and fourth-year psychology student, said she is working with Student Government to get the Crisis hotline number printed on the back of Carolina Cards.

Hanshaw said she thinks having the Crisis Text Line contact information on Carolina Cards would be a good resource for all students.

 "They can know that this is an important issue on our campus, and that the campus supports them in getting help," Hanshaw said.

She added that sometimes struggling students do not reach out or use the 10 free counseling sessions that USC offers to all of its students because they feel like their friends will think they are "weird."

Sierra said the Momentum series not only aims to spark conversation about important and current societal issues, but also to help plan ways to address them. 

Luis Sierra encourages students to contact the Leadership and Service Center if they have ideas for a future Momentum speaker or topic. 


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