The Path to Preventing Student Suicides
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Thursday, September 1, 2016 | Volume 159, Issue 2 Nebraska’s Oldest College Newspaper LIFE & CULTURE , SPORTS Want more See how one Doane news? Doane student overcame losing everything and Follow us the doane how one Owl @doaneline staf member watched her parent’s house get destroyed ‘Like’ Doane - all from the Student Media Louisiana lood. owl page 7 & page 8 | The Doane Owl Junior Reigan Lawrence hangs up posters as part of Suicide Prevention Week in 2015. As founder of Active Minds, Lawrence advocates for suicide awareness and prevention across Doane’s campus again this year along with help from the Student Programming Board (SPB) , the counseling ofice and the Health and Wellness Ofice. The movement begins as National Suicide Preven- tion Week starts Sept. 5. The path to preventing student suicides LAUREN WAGNER classroom has felt their situations were hope- Managing Editor less, said Health Educator Amy Schlichting. “I thought it would be so National Data on Campus At Doane, 11 percent of students have se- much better for people if I Suicide and Depression riously considered suicide, along with two wasn’t here.” *Editor’s note: Jon’s last name was om- percent who considered while under the in- ANONYMOUS • Suicide is the second leading mitted from this story for confidentiality. fluence of alcohol. Two percent of Doane cause of death among 20 - 24 year students have attempted suicide in the past tive Minds chapter this year after struggling olds It was a Saturday night in December when year. with depression herself. The organization is Jon swallowed five sleeping pills before he The changes during freshman year at col- a safe space to learn and talk about mental went to bed. lege can contribute to the risk of suicidal ide- health presence on campus while making a • More young adults die from sui- It was a weekday afternoon when he was ation, said an anonymous junior at Doane difference, Lawrence said. Along with the cide than from all medical illness- home alone with more sleeping pills cradled who also has depression and anxiety. The Student Programming Board (SPB), Active es combined in the palm of his hand, and it was after an difference of environment, separation from Minds is sponsoring a Suicide Prevention argument with his mother when he poured family and issues with other students, like Week at Doane. • One in 12 college students makes out six more. roommate problems, added to her depres- The week will include the showing of the a suicide plan Before he grabbed the pocket knife from sion and anxiety. documentary, ‘A Girl Like Her’, program- his backpack, he spread numbing ointment “I didn’t want to deal with classes because ming during Wellness Wednesday at lunch • Nearly 4,000 people age 15 - 24 on his skin to mask the bite of the blade as it they were overbearing,” said the anonymous and a candlelight vigil. On Oct. 3 the organi- die by suicide each year sunk into his wrists. source. “I thought it would be so much bet- zation is hosting a speaker who will discuss Doane freshman Jon was diagnosed with ter for people if I wasn’t here. One time last the stigma around mental health on campus • Every day, about 80 Americans clinical depression a year ago. Initially, he semester, I was close to driving my car into and what students can do to break it. Active take their own life and 1,500 at- never had thoughts of committing suicide a ditch, but my friends were looking for me Minds is open to all students and will also be tempt to do so until he started to spiral deeper into a de- so I turned around and went to the hospital at Club Craze on Sept. 1 for member sign up pressed state where he gave up hope. instead.” and more information. Their meetings are “I never tried to actively kill myself,” Jon Sept. 5 - 11 is National Suicide Prevention every other Monday at 7 PM starting Sept. • Depression affects more than 10 said. “It was a lot of, ‘Is this it? Is this the Week and Doane is taking action to reduce 12. percent of American adults day when I blink out [of this world]?’ It was the risk of suicide among students. Free “Suicide was less of an active thought for more like giving up...it had almost a noncha- QPR Suicide prevention training is offered me; I just wanted to die,” said an anonymous • More than 60 percent of people lance about it.” Sept. 6 and 9 by the Health and Wellness Of- freshman student. “It was less of a raging who die from suicide are estimat- According to the 2016 ACHA-NCHA as- fice. Along with the training, new national thought, but an everyday dull roar. Mostly ed to suffer from major depres- sessment, 47 percent of Doane students have student organization Active Minds will be sion, with no other illnesses felt hopeless at some point in the past. This hosting activities to bring awareness to men- is just one point below the national average. tal health on campus. SEE SUICIDE|PAGE 2 *statistics pulled from Neumann University This means every other person in any Doane Junior Reigan Lawrence founded an Ac- Faculty submits request to Carter to rehire Cooper COLE BAUER The faculty united over Cooper’s dis- but equal to that was the loss of what she “It (the faculty’s vote) means that we can Website Manager missal for several reasons, said Alec Enge- stood for,” Kalbach said. officially say that the decision to let go of bretson, professor of Information Science. Engebretson felt that if the chaplaincy Karla (Cooper), and several other choices, Today, the Doane faculty nearly unani- Some opposed the restructuring of the was to be replaced by a spiritual outreach can be isolated to the President and the mously voted to send a request to President chaplain position, while others were con- program, there was no one better to lead people he works with most closely, and is Jacque Carter and the Board of Trustees cerned about the impact it would have on than Cooper, he said. not representative of my school. That feels asking that the position of chaplain be re- diversity at Doane. For Engebretson, it was “As I read the description of that new great,” the untenured professor added. stored, and that Rev. Karla Cooper be re- the lack of communication, he said. position, my mind said, ‘that is Karla (Coo- When asked about the faculty’s request, hired. “Doane has always treated people very per), she could do a wonderful job in that Carter replied: “I both respect and appre- The vote took place at special faculty well in terms of keeping the lines of com- position’,” Engebretson added. ciate the faculty’s opinion but I have a meeting held in Perry Campus Center at 11 munication open, understanding why The potential of hidden agendas, such as different point of view,” Carter said. “On a.m. decisions are made,” Engebretson said. personal and diversity issues cut deep for occasion there will be different opinions The vote, which passed 64-1, with five “Sometimes you do not always agree with some faculty members, Kalbach said. on campus regarding decisions made or faculty members abstaining, approved the them, but at least you are part of the deci- To Marilyn Johnson-Farr, professor of actions taken by myself or others and this following resolution: sion making process. There does not seem Education, the reaction of the faculty was is the case regarding how we should best “The faculty of Doane University is to be any hidden agendas. This one, there a relief, she said. structure services in support of student reli- unified in its request for restoration of the seemed to be potentially hidden agendas.” “It felt good for this not to be something gion and spiritual pursuits on campus.” Office of the Chaplain, the elimination of For Linda Kalbach, education professor, that I had to carry by myself, that there Although no changes have been made, which resulted in the dismissal of the Rev- Cooper’s dismissal left a void on campus, were other people who are invested in what Cooper is optimistic. erend Karla Cooper. We respectfully re- she said. is right,” said Johnson-Farr. “The first thing I would do (if her posi- quest a reconsideration of this decision and “It’s a hollow pain it’s a very deep cen- When he heard that Cooper had been tion is reinstated) is fall on my knees and its implications by President Carter and the tered hole, like something was just grabbed fired, an untenured professor was both furi- thank God.” Cooper said. Board of Trustees.” for you, what was grabbed was the loss of ous and disillusioned with Doane, he said. an important individual on this campus, But the faculty’s vote was a relief. 2 news doaneline.com New engineering major comes with lab ANNA FLORES Life & Culture Editor This year, Doane started Nebraska’s second engineering program. “I am really excited about it, I have been thinking about this for five years,” said Chris Wentworth, chair of the de- partment of physics and engineering. “Five years ago, I de- cided that for engineering to survive at Doane, we needed to offer our own bachelors of engineering.” For forty years, Doane offered a three-two engineering program. Students could take three years of physics at Doane, then transfer to a bigger university for two years to earn a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and then Doane would accept one of those two years as transfer credit.