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Southern University mourns loss of freshman cheerleader

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Posted at 7:37 PM, May 06, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-06 21:37:47-04

A university in Louisiana is mourning the loss of a freshman cheerleader who died unexpectedly this week.

On Thursday, Southern University and A&M College announced the death of Arlana Miller, who was a member of the school's cheerleading team.

"Our entire campus community is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Arlana Miller, a freshman who was majoring in agriculture on the Baton Rouge campus," the school said in a statement.

It was not immediately known how the Texas native died.

According to a statement by the school's athletic department, they were alerted to "a social media post" on Wednesday at approximately 9 p.m., "which ultimately led to this unfortunate announcement."

"May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experiences," the statement read.

News of Miller's passing comes as other schools mourn the sudden deaths of several of its athletes.

James Madison University canceled the remainder of its softball season following the April 25 death of sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett.

Sarah Shulze, a track star at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Katie Meyer, the Stanford women's soccer team's goalkeeper, both died by suicide.