Rows upon rows of backpacks were laid across Woodburn circle in rememberance of college students who have committed suicide.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Woodburn Circle was filled with 1,100 backpacks yesterday. Each backpack represented a college student. Each backpack had a story, a life, family and friends behind it. Each backpack represented a life lost to suicide.
The nonprofit organization, Active Minds, brought their “Send Silence Packing” event to Morgantown to raise suicide awareness.
“We really just want to start the conversation about mental health,” said Active Minds staff member, Sam Greenhalgh. “Not everyone has a mental illness, but everyone has mental health.”
Thousands of students and faculty participated in the event, even if it just meant taking in the scene as they walked to class. Others took their time carefully reading each story presented on the bags…