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Support, strength themes of Mental Health Week
By Colleen Young
On April 17, 2013
Buffalo State grew as a civil and caring community last week during the fourth annual Mental
Health Awareness Week, intended to provide information for students and offer support to
increase mental and emotional well-being on campus.
This five-day program was part of a grant that The Counseling Center is using for education on
suicide prevention.
Students attended a variety of events, including a question and answer session, mental health fair
and stress management workshop.
One of the events was a Question, Persuade and Refer Suicide Prevention Training. Students
were encouraged to "Ask a Question to Save a Life."
This coincided with a current initiative taking place at the Counseling Center, "Do your Part
Buffalo State." Counselors educated students on how to help fellow classmates in need and
reminded them, "Hope Begins with You."
Counseling Center director Dr. Joan McCool said that the main goal of the week was to raise
awareness about mental health issues. Her hope was to reduce the stigma for students who want
to come for counseling help and to let them know that the counseling center is open year-round.
"Help is available 24 hours, and it's smart to ask for help," McCool said. "Don't be a bystander.
"There's always someone... and there's always hope."
McCool said that there's a lot of stress on college students and people have to not be afraid to
seek assistance. The goal of The Counseling Center is to get students back on academic track,
clear their minds and help them with stress management.
The Counseling Center also collaborated with organizations including Crisis Services of Erie
County, The Erie County Department of Health, and University Police for a number of events.
On Wednesday, a large crowd watched "Take Back the Night," a night of empowerment and
support for sexual assault survivors and their allies, featuring music, monologues, creative dance,
poetry and speakers.
"It takes two people to speak the truth," Henry David Thoreau, American poet, said. "One to
speak and another to hear." Take Back the Night rallies create a comfortable environment for
survivors of sexual assault to have a voice and express themselves.
"I was blown away by the ability of students to put together a compilation of great performances
that spoke such strong messages," Buffalo State student Christina Metauro said. "I was proud to
see people I've known or seen around campus show their strength in sharing their stories.
"I was also happy to see a large audience. I think Take Back the Night is really garnering a lot of
support on campus to speak out against domestic violence and sexual assault."
Derick Sherrier Jr. was the artistic director of the event and said that the themes they hoped to
portray were domestic violence of both genders, relationships on college campuses, forgiveness
and the truth.
"Our goal was to affect everyone in the audience and have them raise to action," Sherrier said.
"We wanted them to walk away changed."
The crowd gave a standing ovation once the performances had finished.
"I loved the event, I loved the way that performers used body movement to express and portray
deep emotion," sophomore Trivet Jarmond said. "People were moved in the audience, including
me."
The last event of the week was the Celebration of Life Memorial Service, during which the
Buffalo State community remembered and celebrated students, faculty, staff and alumni who
died this academic year.
James Willens, a volunteer from the Veteran Students Association, rang a bell during the
ceremony as their names were recited at the memorial.
"Overall the program was very good, for both students and families, which showed Buffalo State
cares," Willens said.
All of the events throughout Mental Health Awareness Week were designed to help the Buffalo
State community, especially students, maintain good health. Taking care of mental health
includes being aware of the campus and community resources that can help students to help
themselves and each other.
The mission of Mental Health Awareness Week was to create "...a caring community at Buffalo
State, to make us all aware of our neighbors," McCool said. "Be an upstander, not a bystander."
Colleen Young can be reached by email at young.record@live.com.
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