USU students ‘stand up to suicide’ at annual walk

The final event in Utah State University’s Mental Health Week was the The Stand Up to Suicide Walk held Saturday. Keynote speakers Rachael Fresh and Joseph Aratari shared personal stories before leading the walk across campus.

“I remember the tears rolling down my face, and I remember my phone buzzing uncontrollably – my friends telling me to get to the office now,” Fresh told the audience about the day she found out her friend had taken his own life. “I remember walking down the hallway and grabbing onto the locker because I was trembling and I was crying so hard I couldn’t even walk.”

Rachael Fresh speaks at the Stand Up To Suicide March on Mar. 24, 2018. This event was part of Mental Health Week on Utah State University’s campus. (Megan Nielsen)

The event, organized by the USU Student Association, was held at the Taggart Student Center and began three years ago.

During the walk, participants wore bead necklaces to symbolize their experiences with suicide and mental health.

Participants wore different colors of beaded necklaces to represent who they were walking for and their different experiences with suicide and mental health — orange for those walking for a sibling, purple for a relative or a friend, silver represented first responders or military members, green for those who had personal experiences or struggles, and blue for general supporters and advocates of mental health. Flags were placed in the ground with names of lost loved ones or people who have overcome battles with mental illness.

Students wore necklaces to show how suicide has affected them as part of the Stand Up To Suicide March on Mar. 24, 2018. This event was part of Mental Health Week on Utah State University’s campus.

“I really realized last year the impact this event can have,” said Felicia Gallegos, former USUSA activities director and current Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information advocate.  

Gallegos said two struggling families who had both lost children came to the walk last year.

“These two families were able to really connect and become that support system for one another,” Gallegos said.

Felicia Gallegos at the Stand Up To Suicide March on Mar. 24, 2018. This event was part of Mental Health Week on Utah State University’s campus. (Megan Nielsen)

The walk was completed by people for varying reasons, each person had their own stories. Some came to show support and be an advocate for mental health while others had undergone traumatic experiences related to suicide.

“Everybody knows someone with mental illness or is struggling in some sort of way, so it is good to know about it,” said Blue Newswander, a participant in the walk.

The event was an opportunity for community members to raise awareness of mental health issues and suicide as a whole, but also to provide support for each other.

Students place flags in memory of those they marched for at the Stand Up To Suicide March on Mar. 24, 2018. This event was part of Mental Health Week on Utah State University’s campus.

Throughout the event walkers were engaged in conversations both about mental health and about daily life, each finding a different level of importance in the event.

“The importance is to create a very comfortable and safe environment where people can feel open and vulnerable to share experiences and how they are feeling, and to all come together to create awareness for a cause,” Aratari said. “It’s a conversation starter, and it hopefully inspires people to continue the conversation after this.”

@Kylelele_

KyleF217@gmail.com