Miss USU welcomes new tradition — Aggie stories project
On Sept. 3 at 11 a.m., the Utah State University Student Alumni Association and Miss USU will work together to put on an Aggie Stories Project to promote inclusivity and mental health awareness.
This event will take place during the Hello Walk on the quad and will allow students to tell their stories, good or bad, anonymously.
Clara Alder, the Utah State University Traditions director and Miss USU 2021, created the event. She said she hopes it will continue to be an annual occurrence in the future.
Alder also said the main purpose of this event is to bring personal stories of Aggies to life “who make our campus vibrant” and to help all students feel like their voice is heard.
The idea originated from Alder’s father who would tell her everyone has a name and everyone has a story. This has become the theme of the event.
After living by this motto her entire life and winning Miss USU 2021 with the platform to enhance inclusivity, Alder was inspired to make a project so all students could see the beauty of hearing each other’s stories.
“People are worth getting to know, and they are worth talking to,” Alder said.
As for the event itself, there are no requirements or qualifications for whose story will be told. Whoever is willing can go up to the booth, tell their story and take a Polaroid of their shoe to go with it.
Alder explained the shoe picture allows us to recognize and appreciate these anonymous conversations without letting unconscious judgments creep in.
There are also no requirements on what type of stories have to be told. They can be happy memories, sad moments or stories about overcoming adversity.
Going forward after the event, the Student Alumni Association will be posting one of these stories either weekly or bi-weekly throughout the school year on their social media channels, along with the Polaroid.
Mckenna Olsen, a freshman at USU, loves the idea of this project and finds it beneficial that the stories will be told anonymously.
“I think that it will encourage a lot more people to open up about themselves free from judgment,” Olsen said. “It allows people to be comfortable and confident, and it’s not about knowing their face — it’s about knowing their story.”
And with students opening up these conversations about different struggles and challenges that they’ve faced or are currently facing, they will also be handing out mental health resource pamphlets to inform individuals of the resources available for help on campus.
Ultimately, the goal for this event is to help students feel like USU is a safe environment for them to feel seen, heard and appreciated.
Alder said it’s the perfect way to include the entire Aggie family and creates a picture of what this family really looks like.
There are high hopes for lots of participation from all different types of students with various experiences, cultures and perspectives. Alder said it’s something that should be a really exciting and happy start to the school year.
Other events to look forward to that will also be hosted by the Student Alumni Association include True Aggie Nights once a month, a day of giving to help gather donations and the annual Miss USU pageant.
And although this specific event is something that won’t be recognized by returning students, Alder thinks that it will still be a success.
“This event really celebrates who we are as Aggies,” Alder said. “It’s important for these stories to be shared because each person has a name and each person has a story that is unique to them. By recognizing our uniqueness, we will be able to celebrate our similarities.”
Jacee.caldwell@usu.edu
@JaceeCaldwell