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Show FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7,2011 5 THE SIGNPOST D ebate continued from front Fighting suicide with knowledge best way to improve a which hosted the debate, neighborhood is to get the described how events like community involved," he this debate are important said. for students, the university The candidates wrapped and the community up with questions from the "A lot of students get audience, which ranged in their party ID or come to subject from internships for their political careers in colRefer: Ask a Question, Save a WSU students in the may- lege," Globburd said. "By By Brandon Arnett or's office to more complex having the mayors here on correspondent I The Signpost Life." The pamphlet states that "QPR is intended to offer hope issues, such as protecting campus, (it) connects stuthrough positive action and to The Weber State Univerthe environmental sustain- dents to the mayors and the ability of the city. city and, vice versa, with the sity West Center put on a teach those who are in a posiworkshop for the recognition tion to recognize the warnMatthew Globburd, WSU city to the campus." and prevention of suicide on ing signs, clues and suicidal junior and vice president communications of people of Pi Sigma Alpha, the poComment on this story at Wednesday. The workshop in trouble to act vigorously to was aimed at instructing peolitical science honor society wsusignpost.com. ple to know what to do when prevent a possible tragedy." In someone is contemplating other words, the goal for Abel B reaks continued from front to the students was to make "I don't take summer class- she didn't feel like any chang- suicide. them gatekeepers, or anyone "The more people who es, and I don't really intend to es in the calendar were waras far as I know at this time," ranted, although she did ac- know what to look for and in a position to recognize the Stuehser said. 'And as far as knowledge the needs of other what to do if they see the signs, warning signs of suicide. The statistics provided the more people can take acthe breaks go, I work full-time students. show that more than 34,000 anyway. So even when I have "If I was taking summer tion and hopefully the more Spring Break or Fall Break, classes, I might feel different- people we can save; that is our Americans die by suicide each I'm working anyway." ly," Citte said. "But right now, ultimate goal," said Dianna year, making it the 11th-rankWSU freshman Andrew I like the break schedule as it Abel, director of the Counsel- ing cause of death in the naing and Psychological Services tion, being eighth in the state Decker said he felt the needs is. I like the Spring Break." of Utah. Each year, 350 Utahns of the professors should be Whatever changes are Center. die a year by suicide, making Abel did the presentation the priority in this situation. made or not made, there "I think it's a good idea be- will likely be a divergence of and brought forth three sim- it is the third-leading cause of ple strategies to help prevent death in young people. cause it helps them (profes- opinion. The highest statistics sors) out," Decker said. "When you implement suicide: question, persuade showed up in the springtime. Decker, a major in me- something such as the aca- and refer. She taught how, chanical engineering, said demic calendar, that af- with these three strategies, Many of the students wonthe wouldn't mind sacrificing fects everyone," Bowen said. people can understand the dered why, and the reason was his fall and spring breaks if "There are some people that signs when someone is think- hard to find. "This year at Weber State the changes came to that. are happy and there are some ing about suicide, ask the right has been the most troubling questions, persuade the per"Yeah, I wouldn't mind it people that are not happy." year that I've been there in son in the right direction, and at all," he said. thirteen years," Abel said. "We refer them to help. WSU freshman Shae Citte, Comment on this story at lost two students to suicide in She showed a booklet who is majoring in Spanish, wsusignpost.com. called "Question Persuade January, we lost an employee on the other hand, said that in March, and we lost two students again this past summer, and we lost one last week" The unnamed student last week was found by another Workshop teaches how to recognize suicide signs student, which Abel said can be very traumatic. Abel described many clues that show a possibility of someone thinking about suicide. Some clues were direct, while others were sudden behaviors, such as a relapse into drug or alcohol use after a period of recovery. Situational clues were losing someone close, causing depression, a common mental illness in suicidal people. Statistics for students in Utah show that 23 percent of students felt "so depressed it was difficult to function," 13 percent of students were diagnosed or treated by a professional for depression, and 25 percent of students said that their academic performance was affected by their depression. Students at the workshop learned how to deal with people who are in this situation. Persuading them and referring them to find help were big parts of QPR to help someone overcome their depression. "The best referral always is taking someone by the hand to someone who can help," Abel said. To show that QPR worked, she described a situation where a woman was depressed and going through a divorce, so QPR was used, and it helped the woman out a lot. "Now that woman knows more than what she knew before," Abel said. This workshop was one of many conducted at the West Center. The idea for the sui- cide workshop was brought up after Abel came to the Continued Learning Center and presented it. "She and I got talking and decided this would be nice to put out in this area for these students and the community as well," said Galynn Mook, coordinator for off-campus centers. "This was very positive and gave us a way so we can help someone with very realistic ways to help people." Terry Carillo, a student who works at the West Center, said she learned a lot through the workshop. "It was informative and gave me an insight to a lot of things I didn't realize," Carillo said. "When she was saying how to ask a question and how to ask a person if they're suicidal, that was very helpful." Abel encouraged students to join a team and help people who are struggling with depression and suicidal tendencies. Resource numbers were provided for those who need help. She said she believes that those who didn't know before how to handle it can handle it now "You can only act on what you know, so once you know, then let's move forward and hopefully get people comfortable talking about it, bring it out of the shadows, and make a difference." in the WSU Continuing Education department, responded to the lecture with praise, saying it was "very unique." "This is very valuable for teachers and students, something I haven't even been exposed to before," he said. Brian Davis, presidential distinguished professor and Century Institute scholar from WSU's Goddard School of Business and Economics, attended and was an active participant in the discussion. Davis said he believes this lecture and similar ones are "very important (and) very useful, especially when looking at the international dimensions." The Exploring Humanitarian Law curriculum is currently taught in 50 countries, the most recent being the United Arab Emirates, and is taught in more than 40 languages. Chicado said her work has taken her abroad on occasion, but she works extensively with the Granite and Salt Lake school districts with the hopes of implementing these top- ics into the curriculum. She also commented on the conversations she is holding with some teachers to implement the entire program as a course in a virtual high school experience. Educators that participate in the training programs receive certificates for training, and relicensure credit through the Utah Department of Education. Chicado expressed throughout her lecture her passion for educating and training teachers and educators and helping them bring International Humanitarian Law into the normal classroom. "If I have no other legacy, let it be this," she said. The next workshop will be at the Salt Lake Area Chapter of American Red Cross on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register, students can contact Karen Romero Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com . L aw continued from front More rings than all the Ogden stores combined UNPACKING THE KNAPSACK OF (AND NOT SO INVISIBLE) deprive civilians in cornbat areas of food, medicine or water in order to weaken the enemy. "Whether they are touched or not, students do know that war is much more complicated than what it seems when they are playing games . . . it is oversimplified (in video games)," Chicado said. Chicado provided other data focusing on casualties of war. "During World War I, 90 percent of casualties were soldiers involved in the conflict," she said. ". . .today during armed conflicts and insurgencies, 90 percent of casualties are civilians." The Exploring Humanitarian Law curriculum covers five modules: the Humanitarian Perspective, Limits in Armed Conflict, The Law in Action, Dealing with Violations, and Responding to the Consequences of Armed Conflict. An additional module covers the American Civil War from a humanitarian perspective. Lonnie Campbell, program administrator at 801-323-7024 or at kromero@utahredcross.org . Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com . Vi olence continued from front WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY 13TH ANNUAL DIVERSITY CONFERENCE OCTOBER 6-7, 2011 weber.edu/diversityconference OPENING RECEPTION October 6, 6-8 p.m., WSU Davis, Rm. 110 KEYNOTE: "UNDERSTANDING DISABILITY & IDENTITY" Linda R. Mona, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist October 7, 8:30 a.m., Shepherd Union Ballrooms A and B BREAKOUT SESSIONS 9:30 A.M. 12:30 - P.M. ADA accommodations available. Call 801-626-6413 All events are free and open to the public. countries. "It's an awareness-raiser," Gillespie said. "It's making people talk. Until we have a conversation about domestic violence, nothing can change." The Clothesline Project's official website states that the project serves many purposes. "It acts as an educational tool for those who come to view the Clothesline; it becomes a healing tool for anyone who makes a shirt. By hanging the shirt on the line, survivors, friends and family can literally turn their back on some of that pain of their experience and walk away; finally it allows those who are still suffering in silence to understand that they are not alone." "When the participants make shirts, they are able to express their experiences, because maybe it is too hard for them to tell someone else," Salcedo said. "They know their voice is being heard. They'll know it's OK to break the si- lence." Salcedo said she hopes that, when students see the shirts, they will realize there are different kinds of domestic violence, but each is a real problem. Lonald Wishom, the diversity vice president at WSU, stopped by between classes to decorate a shirt. "It's such a creative project, and it's a good way to get the message out and get people aware," he said. The Clothesline Project website gives guidelines so that different colors of shirts represent different types of violence. White shirts are for victims who have died as a result of domestic violence. Orange, pink and red shirts are for women and children who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Blue and green shirts are for women who are survivors of incest. Yellow shirts are for women who have been battered or assaulted. Purple shirts are for women who have been attacked because of their sexual orienta- tion or identification. Though she isn't a victim of incest herself, Raquel Guadarrana, a freshman at WSU, decorated a green shirt with the words "I am a survivor." "I'm not a survivor of incest, but I know it happens," Guadarrana said. "I hope someone who is a survivor will see this and will be empowered and inspired to fight and not give up and keep going." Gillespie said there are many resources on campus and in the community for victims as well as perpetrators of domestic violence. On campus there is the Women's center, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center, and the Catholic Community Services. Services offered in Ogden and other communities can be researched at the Community Involvement Center. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com . |