Amidst a growing mental health crisis in the US, many believe the conversation around suicide needs to be destigmatized. Project Wave, a student-run mental health club, hopes to do just that.
Project Wave organized and hosted events for Suicide Prevention Week, such as an information table for mental health resources, lantern-making in remembrance of lives lost and the second annual September Songs, a concert and music fundraiser.
The concert was in benefit of Cal’s Hope, a PA-based non-profit that fights for mental health and suicide prevention. Local performers showcased a variety of talents, from opera singing, a one-act play and a saxophone-piano duet to performances of songs from popular musicals “Les Misérables” and “Wicked.”
The keynote speaker for the night was Annette Stiles, head of Cumberland County’s Mental Health and Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (MH.IDD) services. Stiles emphasized the importance of having difficult conversations about mental health with our community, especially considering the 30 lives lost due to suicide in Cumberland County in 2023. “When we really talk about [suicide and mental health],” said Stiles, “that’s when we have the most impact.”
The same is true at Dickinson College. Mental health among college students is particularly concerning, but students can feel ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it. That’s why it is so important to create spaces where students can connect and feel safe to share their experiences. Harper Sinclair ’25, co-founder of Project Wave, said “[a mental health club] seemed like something I was really missing and something that I really wished I had my freshman year, so it felt like a natural thing to try to get it going.”
Similarly, Tyler Lissy ’25 said that the idea of Project Wave was initially to help student-athletes who were struggling, but “transitioned into something much broader… going out and taking initiative to help other people who might be in a similar situation.”
Throughout the year, Project Wave also plans to host a Brain Awareness Week in March and a Mental Health Awareness Week in April.
Through pop-up events that anyone can join, like bringing service dogs to Britton Plaza, Sinclair said “it’s gonna be enough that [people] are there and they’re enjoying it and they have a smile on their face. It’s about reaching people when they need it.”
Students can follow Project Wave on EngageD and @projectwave_dson on Instagram to learn about upcoming events.
