Following the death by suicide of one student and the attempted suicide of another over the weekend, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced on Sunday, Oct. 10 (World Mental Health Day) that it would be canceling all upcoming classes on Tuesday, Oct. 12, to observe what the school is calling a “Wellness Day.”
In a public message sent to all students, Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz said it was time to take a “moment to acknowledge and reflect on the seriousness of mental health illness and the challenges we face as we wrestle with the stress and pressures of our world today.”
CNN’s Claire Colbert reported that “in the wake of two student suicides in the past month, Guskiewicz said the decision to observe a Wellness Day was due to ‘a mental health crisis,’ an elevated suicide rate among college-aged students, and after consultation over the weekend with students and faculty leaders.”
