From left to right are Arley Gonzalez of Grand Rapids, Rachel Spencel of Hartland Township, and Jalen Davis of Southfield, all resident assistants in Lawrence Technological University residence halls, who led Wednesday's effort to raise awareness of suicide prevention on the LTU campus.

LTU photo / Matt Roush.

Members of Lawrence Technological University’s residence hall staff placed 1,100 yellow pinwheels on the campus quadrangle Wednesday in an effort to reduce the stigma often associated with mental illnesses such as depression, and raise awareness among students on the importance of suicide prevention. 

The 1,100 pinwheels represent the number of U.S. college students who commit suicide every year, said Rachel Spencel, an architectural engineering major at LTU from Hartland Township. 

“We’re just trying to bring awareness to mental health disorders and end the stigma that sometimes surrounds mental health disorders,” said Spencel, who is also a resident assistant in LTU’s residence halls. 

Spencel was joined on the campus quad by Arley Gonzalez, an architecture major from Grand Rapids, and Jalen Davis, an architecture and interior design major from Southfield, who are both also resident assistants, and other members of the LTU residence hall staff. 

September is National Suicide Awareness Month. More information is available nationwide at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.