A lawn near the Rayburn Student Center on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce is expected to be covered with a large number of backpacks on Monday, March 11, which are displayed to share the stories of those who’ve lost loved ones to suicide.
The "Send Silence Packing" exhibit, which has traveled the country since 2008, has a history of drawing out powerful emotional reactions and sparking critical conversations wherever it goes. And those conversations won’t have to be entirely unguided Monday, as counseling professionals and nearly 100 volunteers are expected to be on hand to assist with any needs that may spring from the potential conversations.
Dr. Nick Patras is the director of the student counseling center on campus, and he sat down with KETR's Jerrod Knight to discuss the thinking behind the the exhibit, what he sees as major contributing factors to depression in today's youth, and what the Student Counseling Center is trying to tackle now and into the near future.
Information about the event on the A&M-Commerce campus can be found at tamuc.edu or at activeminds.org.
