MTSU SGA to host vigil for student who died by suicide
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) community is mourning the loss of a student who died by suicide at the Walker Library Monday.
"We're all taking it a day at a time because no one can really prepare for an incident like this," MTSU's student government association president, Michai Mosby, said.
According to MT Lambda, an LGBTQIA+ and ally student organization at MTSU, the student who died was Serenity Birdsong. Birdsong served as MT Lambda's Vice President.
"Serenity was more than an officer to us, many of us considered Serenity our friend, and her ability to light up a room, paired with her wholesome demeanor made her welcome anywhere, but especially in Lambda where we are burdened by the darkness of existing in a world so often cruel to us and it is this darkness that snuffed out Serenity's life," a statement from the organization posted to social media reads, in part.
Area mental health care professionals encouraged students to check in with one another and say acts of kindness can go a long way.
"The small things that we can do for people each day...Just be kind to somebody, everyone you meet, try not to spread the hate, try not to spread the ill will and the negativity," said Nathan Miller, a spokesperson for Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System (VBHCS) in Murfreesboro.
According to Tennessee's Department of Health, the state's suicide rate is increasing and the rates are even higher in rural areas compared to bigger cities, according to a 2023 report.
VBHCS says crisis services are available 24/7 via the phone number, which can be answered in less than 60 seconds. They've also implemented their crisis stabilization unit that can help adults with or without insurance.
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Equality Project also shared a statement with News 2:
"We join the MTSU community in mourning as they grieve the loss of a student this week. In particular, our hearts go out to MT Lambda, a student organization serving the LGBTQ community. The challenge for all of us is to make sure people have the resources they need to find hope in their darkest moments so that they can thrive. That can be tough in a state where discrimination finds legal sanction."
