This week, communities at North Carolina Central College (NCCU) are grieving the sudden lack of sophomore Zyarre Prince. The HBCU’s chancellor, Karrie G. Dixon, introduced in a message to the college on Sunday that Prince handed on Saturday, March 28.
“It’s with deep disappointment that I inform you of the passing of Mr. Zyarre Prince, a sophomore scholar majoring in prison justice,” Dixon wrote to the NCCU group. “A local of Maryland, Zyarre will likely be remembered as a vibrant presence on campus whose ardour for style and self-expression left an enduring impression on all who encountered him. He represented his class with authenticity and magnificence, having served as Mister Freshman for the 2024-2025 tutorial 12 months.”
“Most just lately, he ran a commendable marketing campaign for Mister Junior, throughout which his distinctive and fashion-forward formal put on was drastically admired. His poise, confidence, participating character, and real want to be concerned enriched our campus group, and his spirit will likely be deeply missed,” the assertion continued.
Although the chancellor’s assertion didn’t point out Prince’s reason behind loss of life, ABC 11 reviews that the sophomore died by suicide. College students attending a candlelight vigil for Prince on campus informed the information outlet that they heard he could have skilled bullying.
“I’ve been listening to it was bullying, however you by no means know the true factor with folks’s minds and psychological well being,” one scholar informed reporters.
As college students on campus name for stronger psychological well being sources, conversations on-line are additionally resurfacing the hazards of cyberbullying. Too typically, discussions about bullying are framed as points affecting center and highschool college students. However in an period of nameless apps and platforms like Fizz and Sidechat, these harms don’t merely disappear as soon as college students attain faculty. In some ways, they evolve.
@itschiiheme I’ll at all times agree with banning Sidechat & Fizz! #hbcuadvice #hbcu #sidechat #fizz ♬ authentic sound – Chi Iheme
Analysis through the years has proven that bullying and cyberbullying persist on faculty campuses, however typically with much less visibility. A 2025 report analyzing bullying amongst faculty college students discovered that incidents on the college stage are considerably underreported in comparison with these in Okay–12 settings. Not like excessive faculties, the place grownup supervision is fixed, faculty college students are sometimes anticipated to navigate interpersonal battle on their very own. And whereas that independence might be formative, it will possibly additionally go away gaps.
As reviews of scholar suicides and psychological well being struggles proceed to floor nationwide, advocates say these gaps level to a necessity for extra accessible, proactive help methods on campus.
In gentle of Prince’s passing, NCCU informed ABC11 that it “doesn’t condone bullying or some other types of harassment.”
“The college has a really accessible course of for college kids to report abusive conduct, and makes use of these reviews to research and take the suitable actions to foster a protected and inclusive campus surroundings,” the assertion continued. “Throughout this troublesome time, college students are inspired to hunt help as wanted. NCCU’s Counseling Middle held open workplace hours from 2 p.m.-4:45 p.m. right now and can accomplish that once more on Wednesday. Usually, counseling appointments might be scheduled by calling (919) 530-7646 or visiting the Scholar Well being Constructing, second ground, Monday by Friday, 8:30 a.m. to five p.m. Drop-in hours can be found Monday by Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After-hours help is on the market evenings, weekends, and college holidays by the identical quantity.”
Nonetheless, because the NCCU Scholar Authorities Affiliation famous in a press release, moments like this lengthen past coverage and protocol. They function a reminder of the burden our phrases can carry, whether or not spoken face-to-face or posted on-line.
