Dear IC Faculty and Staff,
The Counseling Center is sponsoring a Stomp Out the Stigma rally on February 28, 2008, in IC Square from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The rally provides numerous IC student organizations an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and support of suicide prevention and Counseling Center services, while also entertaining their peers. The goal of the Stomp Out the Stigma rally is to bring students together for an evening of fun and entertainment and provide them with information about suicide awareness and prevention.
Currently, suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth ages 10-24 in the U.S. (according to the Centers for Disease Control). Many IC students are likely to know of someone who has attempted or died by suicide. In fact, according to the 2007 National College Health Association's National College Health Assessment, 11 percent of IC students reported they "seriously considered attempting suicide" within the past year, and one percent reported having attempted suicide within that same time period.
Stomping out the stigma about getting mental health services continues to be an uphill battle. Therefore, because of your connections with students, you are being asked to support this effort by encouraging your students and advisees to take part in this exciting evening of education and entertainment.
If you have further questions, please contact LeBron Rankins (lrankins@ithaca.edu) in the Counseling Center (607-274-3136).
