Besides finishing up Spring semester, a team of Cornell University volunteers has another goal: getting fellow Cornellians to open up about their mental health and to utilize support resources if they need them.
Students participating in the 2025 AFSP Campus Walk at Cornell
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s fourth annual “Out of the Darkness” Campus Walk at Cornell will take place on Sunday April 26. The committee of volunteers led by chief organizer Cheyanne Scholl includes Cornell staff, students, and faculty along with community members.
“The walk aims to improve the visibility of mental and physical health resources on the Ithaca campus while also reminding all members of campus that they are not alone if they are struggling,” said Scholl.
“As a student-facing manager on campus, I constantly hear about how stressed and overworked these students are and they continue to stretch themselves thinner and thinner,” Scholl added.
“We need to continue talking about mental health and make sure they know where to turn when things feel too big and too hard to manage. The walk benefits campus by starting conversations about suicide prevention and mental health as well as providing a wide array of potential resources to turn to when you need them most.”
Disha, one of the student organizers, stresses the benefits of raising awareness on campus.
“Most people here don’t talk about mental health,” she said. “We aren’t really taught how to stay on top of our mental health nor do people realize how to use the services. People act like they are never sad or upset, even though that’s totally normal. Mental health needs to be talked about more.”
The 2023, 2024, and 2025 Cornell Campus Walks brought participation from hundreds of students, faculty, and staff and raised more than $50,000 for AFSP research and programming. The goal this year is to collect $15,000 in donations.
Click here to register, create a fundraising team, or donate to the Cornell Campus Walk
More than 500 AFSP Out of the Darkness walks are held across the country each year. Besides raising funds, the walks send a message that “suicide is preventable, and no one is alone,” and help build a community around mental health. They show solidarity and bring hope for suicide attempt survivors or loss survivors.
Fundraising or donating are not requirements to take part in the Campus Walk; everyone from the Cornell community and beyond is welcome.
The event starts at 11 a.m. in Barton Hall with Campus Walk check-ins; a mental health resource fair featuring local and campus health providers; yard games; a raffle with donated items from local and campus businesses; a memorial and positivity sticky note wall; snacks including cotton candy and popcorn, and more.
At 12 Noon the kickoff ceremony will commence with speakers, and an honor bead ceremony to commemorate lost loved ones and lived experiences. Speakers include Nambita Sahai, co-president of Cornell’s Empathy, Assistance & Referral Service (EARS); and Sandra Sorensen, executive director of NAMI Finger Lakes based in Ithaca.
Walkers will follow an accessible two-mile route through the center of the beautiful Cornell campus. It is for people of all fitness levels and abilities. Participants may also walk/roll on Barton Hall’s indoor track.
Sponsors of this year’s Cornell Campus Walk include: Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Tompkins County; NY FarmNet; Halco Home Solutions; Be Kind Ithaca; Free Hugs Ithaca; and Taste of Thai Express.
To connect with AFSP’s campus efforts, email: cornellafsp@gmail.com.
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
For AFSP support and/or other resources, please visit www.afsp.org/get-help and www.afsp.org/resources.
You must be logged in to post a comment.