Suicide Prevention Week at Miami University is Sept. 27-Oct. 2. Each fall, Miami hosts a series of programs, workshops, and gatherings across campus, each one offering a different way for students to show up for themselves or for each other.
This year’s prevention week kicks off with one of its biggest events: the Out of the Darkness 2K Walk.
Out of the Darkness 2K Walk:Sunday, Sept. 27 | Uptown Park | 12:30–2:30 p.m. Registration and resource tables open at 12:30 p.m. Opening remarks and the honor bead ceremony begin at 1 p.m., followed by the walk.
Photo from Out of the Darkness walk opening ceremony.
Sienna Ballinger ’28 didn’t fully know what she was joining in on last year. Her friend had asked a few people to come with her, so Sienna went in support of her friend and in support of a good cause, not entirely sure what to expect.
“I knew it was like a 2K walk about suicide prevention, but that was pretty much it,” Sienna said. “I had no idea about the bead ceremony.”
That ceremony is where the walk stops being just a walk. Before the group sets out, volunteers hand out colored beads — each color tied to a different reason for being there. One color for losing someone to suicide, another for a personal struggle, and another for supporting others who struggle.
Poster describing bead colors and their meanings.
“It was really kind of them to include everyone, because it affects a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” Sienna said. “This is something we can talk about. It doesn’t have to be something you hide.”
She described the mood at Uptown Park as somber, but not heavy in a way that pushed people down, more like something people were carrying together.
“There were families holding signs, wearing shirts with their family members’ faces on them,” she said. “I felt like I was helping just by being there, even if I didn’t have to say anything.”
That’s the core of what the walk offers: You don’t have to have the right words. You just have to show up.
What to Expect This Year
Registration and resource tables open at 12:30 p.m. in Uptown Park, with groups and organizations set up around the space. Opening remarks and the bead ceremony follow at 1 p.m., and then the group sets out together on the 2K route through Uptown and campus.
Volunteers distributing beads for the walk.
Events During the Week
The walk kicks off a full week of programming built around the same idea — that mental health struggles don’t have to be carried alone, and that support looks like a lot of different things. The week runs through Friday, Oct. 2:
Reasons to Stay: Mon., Sept. 28–Thu., Oct. 1, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily, Wellness Studio (Rm 2002). Read messages of hope from the Miami community, add your own, and learn about support resources.
Creative Covers: A Personal Journal Decorating Event: Tue., Sept. 29, 12–2 p.m., Slant Walk, Armstrong Student Center. Free journals, paint, markers, and stickers, hosted by Active Minds and Miami Hope.
Wellness Wednesdays: It’s Enough to Be Curious: Wed., Sept. 30, 5–7 p.m., Armstrong Student Center, Rm 1082. Build a vision board exploring your hopes and goals.
These events are voluntary and are set up so you feel comfortable participating as much (or as little) as you’d like to. These events exist because Miami students and staff believe that talking about this, in any form, matters.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Weeks like this one exist so that fewer people have to face that statistic alone.
If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out for help. Call or text 988, or text TALK to 741741. For more resources, visitafsp.org.
