Every 17 minutes, someone in the United States commits suicide. Every 43 seconds, a suicide is attempted.
Such statistics resonate on a very personal level with Chris Barr, a graduate student who experienced the suicide of his late brother in 2003. From such a tragedy, however, Barr took a very powerful message that he is now trying to share with others.
His project "17 Minutes" helped bring the issue of suicide-the second leading cause of death in college students- to the foreground this past Tuesday and Wednesday with a collection of simple but powerful short videos. The series was on display in the Student Union lobby as part of National Suicide Week, hosted by UB's Counseling Services.
"17 Minutes" is a series of video blogs that allow anyone with Internet access to view his work. The collection of short films is composed of Barr and others standing in silence by a tree. At the end of seventeen minutes, the person filmed collapses to the ground.
According to the director, the tree was a symbol chosen for its multiple interpretations, as well as his own personal connection with his brother's suicide.
"He left a note saying that we would find him in the woods by a tree that he and our father had carved their names in," Barr said.
Silence from the participant is key in truly appreciating the videos, allowing for the sounds of daily life, such as traffic and conversations, to continue to be heard.
Although the video blogs are an ideal medium for sharing the art piece, the Student Union may not have been the ideal venue to display the project, as it was difficult to fully interpret the symbolism of silence over all the noise.
"Students are so bombarded (with noise) that they can't tune things out," said Barr.
Despite the clamoring in the background, the message of Barr's work wasn't lost on some students.
"It's nice to see some of the students' art being represented in a way that can also help promote a cause," said Elliot Hale, senior sociology major.
Thom Neil, outreach director for campus counseling services, selected the art piece to bring attention to the counseling services available at UB.
"We're always looking for new ways to reach students," Neil said. "Media and technology is always changing. We're always open to student input."
The display seemed to fulfill its job.
"A lot of people stopped by because they were curious about the images," Neil said.
Students responded positively to the art piece and presence of student counseling services.
"I want to be a dentist, and they have one of the highest suicide rates in the profession," said Joseph Pray, senior biomedical science major. "It's nice to know if I get in a rut, there's a place right on campus to turn to."
Barr began filming the video blogs used in "17 Minutes" on Nov. 2, 2005, the day of his brother's birthday. He continued filming them everyday until the anniversary of his suicide in February, 2006.
While the use of other mediums to present the videos is possible in the future, Barr is currently satisfied with using the Internet as a tool to convey his messages, especially because they reach those outside of the UB community.
For more information on Chris Barr's "17 Minutes" and other works visit http://www.chrisbarr.net.
The Counseling Services website
http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/shs/ccenter/index.shtml provides information on suicide prevention week as well as how to get counseling. Students can also contact 716-645-2720 to speak with someone from the offices.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
