Suicide Prevention 5K Brings Campus Community Together

By Alex Gilbert

It is a cool fall Saturday here at Western New England University, and the weekend is just beginning. As students walk around, going about their day, large groups of students wearing Suicide Prevention 5K shirts run by. With their cheers and upbeat music, the campus community encourages these runners, spreading support for suicide prevention, and it becomes clear that no one is alone.

The Suicide Prevention 5K was held on the morning of Saturday, September 30, and was coordinated by a collaboration between the Psychology Club and Counseling Services. The event was set up on Commonwealth Lawn with a blow-up finish lane archway, tables with raffles and snacks, and exciting music. The WNE CARE club and Fleet Feet in Longmeadow helped provide runners with free goodies and resources.

Students either registered at the event or pre-registered using a QR code that was spread across campus on posters. Runners were provided bibs and T-shirts to show their support for the cause while they ran the race. Prior to the kickstart, participants spent time socializing with their friends and fellow students, enjoying snacks, and warming up.

Allyssa Burby, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works as a senior counselor, education and training coordinator, and adjunct professor of psychology, kick-started the event with a welcoming address. She shared facts and statistics surrounding suicide and held a moment of silence to remember the impact of suicide on everyone’s lives.

Burby explained to the Westerner that “it appeared that everyone had their own ‘why’ as to their reason for being a part of this event, which was exactly our intended message.” Burby says she is “so grateful for a community that is preventative, supportive and demonstrates their commitment to the greater well-being of our student body.”

Soon after the welcoming address, the runners and walkers were ready to start the 5K. Everyone lined up and awaited the beginning of the race. The participants began and ended on Commonwealth Lawn and traveled across campus on a five-kilometer course, a little over three miles. After the race, runners and walkers were treated to Domino’s pizza and cheered on the rest of the participants as they crossed the finish line.

Armani Mayes is the co-president of the Psychology Club and is a junior psychology major with a minor in neuroscience. She is joined on the e-board by Co-President Loredana Randazzo, Vice President Nicole Gianni, and Secretary Kaitlyn McGill.

The Psychology Club is an organization that works to balance the importance of self-care and well-being with fun and informational twists. They host activities that range from focusing on stress relief to mental health and resources to fun crafts and games, and even community outreach and spreading positivity to the members of our community inside campus and out. The club meets on Tuesday at 6:30, typically bi-weekly, in CSP 103, and they always welcome new faces!

Mayes, with the Psychology Club and Counseling Services, helped organize and host the event and spoke to the Westerner about her experience.

She explained, “The idea came about when one of our advisors for the Psychology Club, Allyssa Burby, mentioned wanting to have an event in recognition of awareness of mental health.” Mayes and the rest of the psychology club were immediately on board and quickly began planning the event. It is the first time there was any 5K event on campus that focused on bringing awareness to mental health, and Mayes says she “hopes to use this event as the benchmark to begin a tradition that lasts for a long time.”

Burby recognized “the increased suicide rates among the college population” and “felt it was important to bring awareness to our community surrounding the impact of suicide.” She told the Westerner that her goal was to create an event to spread mental health awareness, and “the 5K felt like a great opportunity to bring everyone together”.

Burby is an alumna of Western New England University and works hard to connect with students and create positive and accessible mental health services. She hopes that by having a counselor work together with a student club, the campus can feel more united and connected while demonstrating that counselors are approachable.

Mayes believes the event was powerful because “it offered individuals struggling, not only with depression but all mental health concerns, a sense of community in showing that they are not alone and are greatly supported.” Everyone who walked around campus that morning, including students and staff, likely saw the runners and heard the positive cheers coming from the crowds of supporters. It was a warming sense of community on campus, with everyone intending to spread awareness and support for those struggling with mental health. Mayes hopes the event “ignited a change in the negative stigma towards mental health.”

Western New England University cares about its students and staff and works hard to create an open and supportive environment for those struggling with mental health. Students can schedule same-day appointments on the University’s Counseling Services website, receiving support when it matters the most. Routine appointments can also be scheduled with a therapist alongside immediate assistance with same-day appointments.

Having same-day appointments available to students is extremely important in creating an environment where everyone feels they can access help. Many students utilize this resource, and it is normal and perfectly okay to ask for help. Counselors are here to help students deal with the daily stress of being a college student, adjusting to living at college, and social issues with friends and relationships. They can also assist students with mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. It is straightforward to schedule an appointment; go to the Counseling Services website, fill out a quick form, and select a time that suits your schedule.

The counselors are friendly, warm, approachable, knowledgeable, and excellent at helping students. They are all certified professionals and have much experience working with college students. Counseling Services has various counselors, so you can find one that can best help you.

Mayes strongly encourages students struggling with stress, depression, or anxiety to ask for help. She believes that counselors provide a layer of support and can help add different perspectives on how to deal with people’s problems. The counselors are accessible and extremely kind, which “makes them very approachable and the process less intimidating.”

Mayes wants students to know that “just trying it out and getting a feel for counseling, is a great first step to beginning your journey of improved mental health”.

Counseling Services Website to Make a Counseling Appointment

https://wne.edu/center-for-health-and-wellness/counseling/index.cfm

Available Crisis/Urgent Resources at WNE & in the Community

If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis and want to speak with someone from WNE or would like/need to utilize community supports, please refer to these other sources of help: