“You Matter: A Suicide Prevention Presentation” will be held at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. March 26 in the Natali Performance Center.
Holly Grainger (left), Juliann Marraccini, Jessica Kroll, Alexandra Wilson, Amanda Woodburn and Rachel Wells.
The Cal U Dance Ensemble and the Student Wellness Center are partnering for to advocate for the prevention of suicide.
“You Matter: A Suicide Prevention Presentation” will be held at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. March 26 in the Natali Performance Center. Admission is free, but a donation to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Western Pennsylvania is suggested.
Prior to the performances, Dr. Holiday Adair, chair of the Department of Psychology, will discuss warning signs and risk factors; dancers Rachel Wells and Alexandra Wilson will provide a student perspective on the subject; and Diane Eperthener Buffington, who teaches dance and psychology will discuss current statistics. At 11 a.m., Dr. Dawn Moeller, from Cal U’s Counseling Center, will discuss where to get help on campus; Dr. Jayna Bonfini, also from the Counseling Center, will address that topic at 7 p.m.
“Advocacy on campus is important to me,” said Buffington. “We’ve done addiction and domestic abuse in the past, and chose suicide prevention this year. The dancers researched the topic in depth. We spent a lot of time making sure the dance matches the research and statistics.”
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people aftes 15-24, according to Rachel Michaels, director of Student Wellness Support Services and the Prevention Awareness Recover Center at Cal U.
“The dance is eight minutes and explores the process of what someone might be experiencing,” said Wells, a psychology major.
“We wrote narratives for three types of people: those who are afraid to ask for help, those who are crying out for help, and those who regret a suicide attempt,” said dancer Jessica Kroll, a childhood education major.
The dancers recently presented their performance at the American College Dance Association Mid-Atlantic North Regional Conference.
Kroll and Wells hope the messages from the presenters and the dancers resonate.
“The problems related to suicide can start at a younger age than you might think,” Wells said.
Added Kroll: “You have to talk about it for stuff to get better.”