Stand Up for Your Sister and My Brother’s Keeper are events hosted by Residence Life that will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. Stand Up for Your Sister will be held in the Grant Center, and My Brother’s Keeper will be held in Luther Hall.
These events are open to all students to discuss topics that are common struggles among college students. The events are similar in context, but split up by gender to allow participants to be comfortable and vulnerable.
The event begins with select testimonies that relate to topics most college students are familiar with. Following this, all participants will fill out a survey with questions containing similar topics. The surveys are taken up and redistributed, and once everyone has a new survey in their hands, the statements are read aloud. If the survey that has been given has that specific statement circled, the student will then stand up, supporting their brothers and sisters who struggle with that topic.
This event is unique because it allows students to understand how common these issues are, even if they aren’t openly discussed. It also shows that there is no reason to hide these issues such as depression, anxiety and abuse, as well as many more.
“As the statements are read, it is powerful to see that there are other women who have struggled with or experienced something you have,” said Kayla Corona, residence director of the women’s quads. “Students begin to see that they are not alone and that these issues are prevalent on our campus.”
Although all statements are anonymous, the event may still seem daunting. Lydia Gandy, sophomore public relations major and RA of Grace 2, felt this way.
“I was hesitant because I felt as if I was the only one who was nervous about throwing my struggles out in the open, even if it was anonymous,” Gandy said. “I knew why they were doing it, and I knew that even if I didn’t want to admit it, it was a good thing.”
The goal of this event is to bring to light these topics and make students aware that they are not the only ones struggling. In order to do this, the university counseling services sends representatives that are ready to talk to any student that may need it.
This year, Residence Life will host break-out sessions with the RA’s of each building to discuss, on a more personal level, the impact of the night’s event.
“Our heart in doing this is to help our female students see that we are all real people with real issues,” Corona said. “Over the past few years, we have seen many students seek accountability and counsel with personal struggles because of the vulnerability modeled at this event.”
Each event is designed to reassure students that there is nothing wrong with struggling with any of the topics discussed and to encourage students to speak out about problems and struggles in their lives.