In response to the recent suicide of College of Engineering sophomore Anthony Brucato, Fearless will hold a meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in Room 315 of the George Sherman Union. The meeting will offer support to students and answer questions about depression and suicide.
According to Fearless President Elizabeth Churchill, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students. At Boston University, she said, the threat of suicide is not well-publicized.
“We’re not as much of a pressure-cooker as Harvard or MIT,” Churchill said.
Churchill said she plans to start this “emergency session” by soliciting questions from students about their doubts or fears concerning suicide. Representatives from the Samaritans, a worldwide suicide prevention hotline and awareness group, will be present to provide information about the warning signs of suicide and how to seek help for a friend who shows these signs. The Samaritans will also offer counseling services for students in attendance.
Fearless has worked closely with the Samaritans in the past, most recently in organizing a November fundraiser for the non-profit organization. According to Churchill, the Samaritans are “well-trained, with lots of experience,” and often travel to colleges and high schools to spread suicide awareness.
“We’re really lucky to have a branch in Boston,” Churchill said.
After contacting the organization, Churchill said she knew the Samaritans were determined to assist with the meeting. “They canceled a prior commitment to help us,” said Churchill. “They felt that this was an important event.”
Churchill said the BU Counseling Center has recently been flooded by calls from students suffering from anxiety, depression or other problems. She said making an appointment to see a counselor there is difficult.
“If nothing else,” Churchill said, “this tragedy will make BU realize the need for more counseling resources.”
Churchill said she anticipates working with the BU administration to address the overwhelmed counseling services and to continue to reach out to students.
She said she hopes to draw a wide range of people to the support meeting on Wednesday, but admitted the difficulty of publicly announcing the meeting. However, she said there is an immediate need for a forum to address the feelings of helplessness and confusion that students are feeling.
“We didn’t have time to print up fliers,” she said. “Hopefully, people who need help will hear about it.”
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