Student Life is hosting events this week to commemorate National Suicide Prevention Week.
The office is hosting four events from Sept. 7-14, which began with an Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention at Canalside on Saturday. Following Tuesday’s Wellness Activity Day, which featured coloring and educational activities, UB held a Yoga to Manage Moods Workshop Wednesday, and will hold a Suicide Prevention Training Thursday. Carissa Uschold-Klepfer, Suicide Prevention coordinator, said she wants students to know the UB community is working to help spread awareness.
“The intention is to provide support and hope for the community from a social justice perspective, as suicide is currently a public health problem,” Uschold-Klepfer said. “We’re really hoping to bring awareness, hope and support to students on campus.”
Claire Breslin, a junior linguistics major, said she believes the events are important because they give students a “good creative outlet.” She was excited to take a moment to de-stress at the coloring activity table on Tuesday.
“They’ve got all the teas over there you can try and all these different arts and crafts that people wouldn’t normally be able to do on their own,” Breslin said. “UB kind of gives you the opportunity to try something fun.”
Student Life set up multiple stations on Tuesday, including a stress-relief activity station, counseling health and wellness station and "how to become a wellness provider" station. It also had a table for students to sit down and color, to learn how to eat well and to pick up free condoms and dental dams.
UB students create messages of health and resilience during suicide prevention week in the Student Union.
Jacob Opalinski, a junior biomedical engineering major, said college is a stressful time for students and this event shows some of the ways UB is trying to help.
“It was nice to take a break from classes and homework and just color for a little bit,” Opalinski said. “Stress, anxiety and mental illness are very high on college campuses across the country and [UB is] trying to help us out.”
Uschold-Klepfer hopes events like this will show students that strength and support can help combat mental illness, and she encourages all students to participate.
“I think, in general, a lot of students will say they’re coming for support or for a sense of community,” Uschold-Klepfer said. “If students are presenting on campus [that they’re] not finding connection, we invite them to an event like this, especially toward the beginning of the academic year so they know that there is support and there are ways to meet people.”
Alexandra Moyen is the assistant news editor and can be reached at alexandra.moyen@ubspectrum.com or on Twitter @AlexandraMoyen.
Alexandra Moyen is the senior features editor of The Spectrum.
