Focusing on suicide awareness, the fifth campus conversation will take place at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in room 198 in the Parks Library. Past campus conversations have been on the national social climate and hate crimes.

This conversation will take place in hopes to break silence and stigmas surrounding suicide and how to take action within the Iowa State community. Several suicides have taken place at Iowa State in recent years, including confirmed suicides of students in Fall 2017 and Fall 2016.

According to the Association for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the tenth most common cause of death in the U.S. On average, 121 people commit suicide every day in the U.S.

In 2015, the most recent data available on suicides, people aged 20 to 34 are the least likely to commit suicide. However, according to the Thielen Student Health Center, 7.5 percent of Iowa State students “seriously considered suicide” in 2015.

The same statistics indicate that 29.8 percent of Iowa State students “felt so depressed it was difficult to function” in 2015.

The Office of the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Counseling Services, Iowa State University Police, the University Library and Student Wellness are cosponsors of the event.

The event will consist a presentation by Iowa State Police and Student Wellness and will be followed by small group discussions.