OCR Text |
Show CampusNews Page 2 Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 Suicide concerns rise in winter BY LIS STEWART staff writer With problems like being short on money, falling grades, seasonal affective disorder setting in and other personal challenges, this is the point in the semester when students who consider harming themselves or committing suicide come to Counseling and Psychological Services for help, according to Dave Bush, the center's director. Bush said the most important thing when dealing with a friend who is contemplating suicide is to give them hope and a sense of purpose. Rather than fighting that person on the issue, a better strategy is to let them know they are needed. "I think every human being wants to be noticed," Bush said. The main waiting area of the counseling center is decorated with hopeful messages. A marquee on a stand faces the door with the message reading, "Today I will be as happy as a bird with a French fry." When a student comes to the counseling center for help, the first step is to forge a connection with them and build a community of support, Bush said. Then, they explore reasons to live. Usually this is done by encourag- ing the person to create what he calls a hope box. Bush's own hope box is a small black chest that sits on his office window sill. "The whole idea is if I have something concrete that I can hold onto or look at that reminds me of this is why I need to be on the planet, then those things will give me the strength to carry on when I am discouraged," Bush said. Bush said it does not have to be a box. Some people create a hope envelope or pouch, but the idea is the same. People put in all kinds of mementos that remind them of their meaning in life. In times past those items have been letters, photographs or small trinkets. Former LDS missionaries will put their name tags in the box as a reminder of a time when they felt needed, he said. "It's just a container of evidence that I matter," Bush said. Bush said occasionally, forging a connection with a student who is considering ending their life may be difficult. At that time, a counselor will encourage the student to go to a safe place, such as a hospital. Friends or a police escort can take them. However, hospitalization is the student's choice unless they are in no condition to think rationally. If a student is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, for example, they will be taken to the hospital until they can think rationally, he said. "Rather than fight someone, I think it's healthy to forge that connection and explore necessary reasons for living," Bush said. Bush said in the 24 years he has worked at the university, a low number of students are hospitalized every semester. "For an institution this size, to have so few students end up in the hospital as do is pretty unusual," he said. Though the number of wellness checks for a students who talked about ending their lives were more frequent in the last month, there don't seem to be any more than usual, according to Cpt. Steve Milne of the USU Police. Milne said when a call like that comes in, the first step for the police is to locate the student and ensure their welfare. Then they refer them to campus resources, such as CAPS. Fortunately, most of the students who have these checks called on them are in the early stages, and after a call to the counseling center's 24 hour hotline, a follow-up appointment is made, Milne said. "Sometimes they think, `I don't have money to pay for a counselor,'" Milne A MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS, including seasonal affective disorder, difficulty in school and shortage of money in the holiday season can contribute to depression among students. USU provides programs to help those struggling to cope. MICKELLE YEATES photo illustration said. "If you're a student, the university wants to make sure you're OK, and they have certain resources here that they'll make available at no cost." Bush said students on campus are, by and large, invested in each other. A solid social support network exists and few students fall through the cracks, he said. "Where I think some- times students get in trouble is where they isolate," Bush said. Bush said the primary thrust of the Think, Care, ►See SUICIDE, Page 3 International pageant crowns winners BY MARISSA SHIELDS staff writer Two different cultures took the crown in the Mr. and Miss International Pageant on Friday night. The winners of the pageant were Sandra Molina, Miss Mexico, and Hironori Saeki, Mr. Japan. International and domestic students alike crowded the TSC auditorium on Friday night to watch the annual pageant, the concluding event of Diversity Week. The event was judged by Paula Alger, the director of global enrichment in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Doug Fiefia, the incumbent Mr. USU, Mary Hubbard, the vice provost of global engagement, Carlos Munoz, the coordinator of international student recruitment and Michelle Bogdan, the director of the Access and Diversity Center. Both contestants said they were shocked to hear they had won the competition. "Everybody did great. I think everybody won today," Saeki said. "They had a really amazing stuff that I don't have. We share together to watch together and enjoy it." Together, the contestants showed the audience different pieces of culture from around the world. Some sang cultural songs and some performed dances from their countries. Molina performed a Spanish court dance to the traditional song "La Negra." Bogdan asked Molina what she would change about her country if she had the chance. "I would improve the educational quality that they have," Molina said. "Hispanics in Mexico have a lot of poverty, and they have to find their own way to pay for school. I would give them some way to support and raise funds to improve their educational equality." Molina said being Miss International is important to her because she can represent her country in a way most students don't get a chance to see. "You let other people recognize what your heritage is," she said. "They might have just heard the name, but not what it actually represented." When asked why he should be Mr. International, Saeki expressed his sociability and his love for interacting with students at USU. The pageant contained 11 contestants from Japan, China, Somolia, Mexico, Qatar, India and Taiwan, according to Geraldine De La Mota, the cultural chair of the International Student Council. De La Mota said an email with details about the pageant was sent out in advance, inviting the inter- national community to participate in the pageant. Each contestant performed a routine of cultural importance, such as a song or a dance. Many contestants spoke of the friendly culture of USU. "I come from Taiwan. My country taught me everyone should come from Taiwan should have hospitality," said Chiao Hung, Miss Tawian. "Everyone wants to show compassion to everybody. People here are just as friendly as in my country." Others spoke of their home, sharing their culture and worlds with other people. "I think what knowledge people lack is the beauty," said Tawahir Ahmed, Miss Somolia. "People think they are poor. In reality, Somalia is a country that prospers not just in money but food and tradition. Everything about Somalia is beautiful. ►See PAGEANT, Page 3 Stand back JAMES COBURN, A LABORATORY SUPERVISOR in the physics department at USU, pours liquid nitrogen into a container during the fifth annual physics demonstration show. SAMANTHA BEHL photo SANDRA MOLINA ACCEPTS the Miss International USU crown at the Mr. and Miss International 2012 Pageant on Friday. MICKELLE YEATES photo ELECTRIC: Bus unveiled ► From page 1 This charges the bus whenever it makes a stop so the bus can run on electricity all day long and never be plugged in. Normally, a bus with a battery this size can only run about 30-35 miles on a full charge and larger batteries add up quickly. With wireless charging capability, the bus can charge every time it stops to pick up passengers so the bus can operate effectively with a smaller, cost-effective battery. Roberts said though an electrically powered bus does cost more upfront, diesel fuel costs between $3.50 and $4.00 a gallon and the equivalent in electricity is about 40 cents in Utah. "That cost difference adds up very quickly as these buses are in operation," he said. "The small difference you pay to buy the bus quickly you end up saving from the cost in power. Over a 12 year life, even with one battery pack replacement and other normal maintenance for the bus, it is still quite a bit less expensive than a diesel, a compressed natural gas, or a hybrid?' "One of the things we're most pleased by is the fact that we're not done," Roberts said. "We are going to continue to push this research, to continue to transfer more power and to make this possible in more types of vehicles in more places around the world and that means more opportunity for our faculty and our researchers and our students to be part of that innovation." The Aggie Bus is just a prototype currently, used for development and testing, Roberts said. The first real buses implementing this technology won't be in service until summer of 2013 and will be used on the U of U campus as shuttles. — abhendrix@pentaracorp.com |