Though campus sidewalks on Saturday looked different than usual, covered in bright colors and artwork, it was the footsteps above them that brought the most attention. Instead of looking down, members of the Marquette community looked ahead — supporting one another and the cause that rallied them together.
On Saturday afternoon, the walkway between Central Mall and St. Joan of Arc Chapel was blanketed with chalk over its gray cement. Students drew and wrote encouraging messages to usher in the university’s third annual “Out of the Darkness” walk, an event where students and members of the Marquette community marched around campus to bring awareness to suicide prevention.
The two-lap trek around the Marquette Mile started and ended with an arch of balloons, which students walked underneath while holding signs promoting mental health awareness.
“We all go through our personal struggles and deal with things within ourselves and with the people that we care [about] and love. And a lot of times we can feel very alone in that,” Brandon Rosemond, a first-year student in the College of Health Sciences, said. “Showing up to things like this and showing other people that there are people out here that are here to support you and care for you and be there for you is really important.”
Elizabeth Gnau, a junior in the College of Nursing, has overseen the walk for all three installments, bringing the event to Marquette after being part of an “Out of the Darkness” walk in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, during high school.
“I just have so much gratitude for the people that show up for this,” Gnau said. “We are making change [to] the statistics of suicide and we are actively working to prevent suicide.”
The “Out of the Darkness” walks are put on by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and are hosted at hundreds of cities and campuses around the nation. Each walk allows participants to help advance the mission of the AFSP by making donations to further suicide prevention efforts.
In addition, the crowd of over 130 that attended the walk on Marquette’s campus was given the opportunity to provide support through the purchase of AFSP-branded merchandise.
Joining the spectacle of the event were colored beads around the necks of those that participated, with different colors representing different experiences and support. The honor beads, a piece of “Out of the Darkness” walks nationwide, were part of the walk’s opening ceremony in which participants held them up to recognize their connections to suicide prevention awareness.
Among the array of colors were green beads, which signified personal struggles with mental health and thoughts of suicide.
“We are so glad to have you here with us in this fight,” Gnau said. “Your presence and openness allows others to know they are not alone in their struggle. Together, we are making a difference.”
As the walk began, the crowd was led by students holding a banner that read “Hope Walks Here” and assorted signs that included “Let’s Talk About Mental Health” and “#BeTheVoice.”
Josephine Strauss, a junior in the College of Engineering and volunteer at the walk who helped carry the banner, was appreciative of the support that came from those along the route.
“It was just really nice to see a display of effort,” Strauss said. “It really makes you feel like people care about you.”
Those without signs were able to show their support by wearing large stickers with handwritten messages to acknowledge specific individuals they were walking to support.
During the pair of loops around campus, the crowd was met with support that included honks from cars that drove past, which students responded to by cheering and lifting their signs.
“We got a lot of nice comments from people walking by—and the honking,” Asher Prochnicki, a first-year student in the College of Health Sciences, said. “It was super nice to see that people do truly care about this cause.”
As the walk reached its close, the crowd celebrated as it reunited with the balloon arch and chalk drawings at the end of the route.
“It’s important to show up for different causes that you believe in,” Abby Arends, a first-year student in the College of Health Sciences, said. “That’s how you ‘Be the Difference’ — just showing up and showing support and donating when you can, to whatever cause that you think is important to you. And this one’s important to me.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 immediately or text TALK to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Support is also offered at Marquette by visiting the Center for Student Health and Wellness Promotion or the Counseling Center on the third floor of the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility.
This story was written by Lance Schulteis. He can be reached at lance.schulteis@marquette.edu.
