SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY
Celebrated on 10th of September every year, the day reminds us of the epiphany of life and how people have tragically dealt with it. To love is to live, but often times the reality is far distant from the glamorous reels that glorify unexpected standards of life. Fortunately, people have united to extend a comforting hand to everyone that is struggling and hoping to survive.
Suicide Prevention Day has been declared official since 2003 and is successfully raising awareness reaching out with help to anyone in need and distress. “September 10 each year aims to focus attention on the issue, reduces stigma and raises awareness among organizations, and the public, giving a singular message that suicides are preventable”, quotes World Health Organizations.
The triennial theme since 2021 has been “Creating Hope Through Action” and has continued on for the year 2023 as well. It has been the aim for the students of Christ College, Vizhinjam as well. With the joined efforts of the students and the faculty from the department of psychology, our college celebrated Suicide Prevention Day on with programs that prolonged for two days. Programs were conducted on 13th and 14th of September, 2023 as a part of the celebration in the forms of competitions and artistic displays by the students of the department of Psychology. With the active participation of first year and final year undergraduates of Christ College Vizhinjam, the event was a wonderful success in creating awareness as well as gravitating the focus of our young generation to a grave topic like such through artistry and as well literary talents of our future civilians.
1. Collage Competition
Creating hope through action and creation led to the idea of a collage that signifies the joys in ocean reasons to live and thrive. A collage competition was held on 13th September 2023 in the College Auditorium venue of Christ college Vizhinjam, from 11.30 am to 12.00 pm. Participants had to adhere to the rules and regulations pre decided by the judging panel and had to create the thoughts of their mind into reality within a limited duration of one hour. Five pairs of participants per Department were allowed for the competition. Newspaper cuttings related to suicide were required to be brought personally for competition purposes with limited use of decorative stationary materials. Extra marks were given for a title presentation of the collage created by the aspiring artists of Christ College Vizhinjam.
2. Short Story Writing Competition
Regarding the event, a short story competition was held in the venue of Audio Visual Room on 13th September 2023, from 12.00 noon to 12.45 pm. Five individuals per department were allowed to participate. Languages in which the stories could be written were specified as English or Malayalam. The theme for short story was provided impromptu to the participants. specifications about stationary materials to be used were also given in the set of rules and regulations. Participants were given the full authority to bring out their imaginative creations within the competitive mindset of bringing out the best within a limited duration of 45 minutes.
3. Quiz COMPETITION
To learn is to earn through the act of education. The quiz competition held by the Department of Psychology in collaboration with Suicide Prevention Day was an example of such education. Students from each department were allowed to participate in the two pairs to the most. General Knowledge, Current Affairs, and Suicide related questions were prepared for the quiz competition. Students who could excel in all the fields of selected domain showed interest in participation and actively adhered to the spirit of healthy competition during the event.
4. The butterfly of life and enriching quotes
Quotes sum up the lives of many and bring the subjective experiences of people together by breaking the barrier subjectivity. Quotes are universal and every human being relates to one or all at some point in their life.
Such type of positive and enriching quotes were placed in a box that was prepared by the Students of Department of Psychology. The colorful box consisting of motivational positive quotes was placed next to the Principal’s office adjacent to the Reception desk. The box was inaugurated by our honorable Principal Dr Joseph K.A at 10.00 am in front of the office with the presence of Department HOD’s and other Faculty members.
The butterfly of life was a concept put forth by the artistic mindsets of the Department of Psychology that expressed the life and death reality of individuals expressing suicidal tendency. The Wings of the butterfly portrayed every minute details using verbal articulations as well as conceptual imagery. The left side of the wing portrays a life full of positive and healthy experiences and memories whereas the right side of the wing decays into nothingness with dying colors indirectly signifying the depressive and negative life experiences of an individual facing suicidal tendencies. The body of the butterfly represented the life itself, its reality and truth.
The quote under the butterfly spelled out “Creating Hope Through Action” which was adapted from the triennial theme for Universal Suicide Prevention Day.
