One thousand and one hundred shirts arranged in Butler Plaza in honor of Suicide Prevention Month on September 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. | Courtesy of the University of Houston.
The Student Government Association and Counseling and Psychological Services brought back their End the Stigma project for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The project featured 1,100 shirts laid out in Butler Plaza on Sept. 10 to represent college students in the U.S. who die by suicide each year. The shirts are a visual representation of that number.
This event brought various organizations to connect with students on wellness resources and foster an open dialogue about mental health.
“We really want to put an emphasis on mental health for men, women, girls and boys of all ages,” said psychology sophomore Jasmine Haynes from What’s New. “We want to make sure that it’s an open and authentic conversation comfortable for all to be able to talk about.”
For many student advocacy groups, bridging the gap between students and support systems on campus is the first step.
“We lead students to the mental health resources that are available on campus, because we’ve come to believe that a lot of students don’t know what we have available or how to access it,” said psychology junior Kristina Aparicio. “As the Mental Health Advocacy Committee, we understand students get overwhelmed and they feel like they don’t have a place on campus for a positive recharge.”
Aparicio added that the committee has already secured approval for two designated recharge spaces in the library.
Cats4MentalHealth highlighted how alternative forms of engagement and community service can boost overall well-being.
“From my personal experience, volunteering and giving back to the community is really important in shifting your perspective to something bigger than yourself,” said psychology senior Rashmika Kumar.
For many attending students, the display in Butler Plaza is a powerful reminder of the importance of community support.
“I think most people think they have to deal with everything by themselves. They should know that there are other people that can help them out,” said business freshmen Catherine Garcia.
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