Suicide is a world-wide problem and the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.
With the pressures of education bearing down more on today’s students, the problem continues to spread across college campuses.
But that’s where the Jordan Porco Foundation’s Fresh Check Program steps in to help.
Each year at MDCC, a Fresh Check Day is held where students take part in nine interactive booths and learn about the problem but more importantly, how to find and get help.
Nakeshia Fipps, MDCC’s Counseling Operations Coordinator, had 181 students take part in this year’s event on October 7 in the Vandiver Student Union. The event has grown in attendance each year and is put together with the volunteer help of other campus organizations such as the SGA, Phi Theta Kappa (GHEC), Phi Beta Lambda, Delta Dancers, ADN program, the art club, the Adult Education program, speech students, and music students. Student Services and Student Success also partner with MDCC Counseling to make this event a success each year.
“MDCC is the only school in Mississippi that takes part in the program,” Fipps said. “It’s a fair geared toward having the students become more open when talking about suicide and mental health and being more aware of these issues and warning signs. The booths run by these organizations give peer-to-peer messaging. That’s what makes it really special. Students hear about mental health and suicide prevention from their peers. That’s a situation where they are most likely to listen and pay attention.”
The Jordan Porco Foundation created the nationwide events and its mission is to prevent suicide, promote mental health, and create a message of hope for young adults.
Founded in 2011 after Jordan Porco died by suicide while a freshman in college, the event began in and 2012 has grown to over 300 Fresh Check Days at more than 150 colleges and universities in 37 states, impacting more than 40,000 college students and counting. Fipps explained how Fresh Check Day works.
“Students stop by the registration table to fill out a card. They then have to visit at least five of the nine booths and get the card stamped on the number of the booth they visit.”
Though the students can pick what booths to visit, “It is a requirement for all participants to visit the ‘9 out of 10’ booth where they learn that everyone plays a role in suicide prevention, one out of ten college students seriously think about suicide, and that nine others are in a position to help if they know the warning signs,” Fipps said.
Students are taught the warning signs by playing a quiz game and they sign the pledge to promise that they’ll help someone in need. After visiting at least five booths, participants can enter their names into a drawing for a small door prize and the grand prize – an Echo Dot. They also get free food and entertainment is provided.
Each interactive booth addressed different issues and included the following:
• The 9 out of 10 Booth that deals directly with suicide prevention.
• Mood Matters (Mood Disorders) Booth that educates on related mental health issues.
• Paint Your Art Out, It Takes a Village, Thrive, and Boost Booth that emphasize positive coping and life skills.
• A booth that addresses high risk populations and stigma reduction – U Belong (non-traditional students), At Ease (veterans and soldiers.)
“Additionally, the speech instructor created a new booth this year called ‘Words Matter’ that emphasized how one kind word can change a person’s day or mood,” she said. “Flags were created in the Paint Your Art Out with prayers, words of inspiration or motivation on them and those are all hanging in the Union.”
Community mental health centers and agencies also provided mental health screenings and information on substance abuse to participants.
Each year, 1,100 students die by suicide on college campuses in the United States and two-thirds of students who need help, don’t receive it. Additionally, 18-24 is the average age of onset of many mental health disorders. Fresh Check Day is helping to change these statistics.
“This is the fourth Fresh Check Day we have had at Mississippi Delta Community College,” Fipps said. “We want our students to know that we care about them.
“We also want them to be aware of the mental health resources on campus as well as in the community.
“Suicide and mental health are topics that need to be discussed openly if we are to change the statistics.”
To learn more about Fresh Check Day, go to www.freshcheckday.com or to the MDCC site, www.freshcheckday.com/schools/mississippi-delta-community-college-2/.
For anyone needing to talk about suicide or any other issues, they are free to contact Counselor Fipps at counseling@msdelta.edu or text her at (662) 219-3893 or call the MDCC office number, (662) 246-6361.
