Jennifer Moon, Staff Photographer
UR Active Minds is holding an ongoing event called “Tell it to the Wall.” The project is similar in purpose to Post Secret, a community project in which anyone can anonymously send in their secrets on a postcard. The secrets can then either be published on the PostSecret blog or used in PostSecret books or museum exhibits.
“Tell it to the Wall,” although not identical to PostSecret creator Frank Warren’s project, was inspired by the concept and will allow for students to anonymously write thoughts and feelings onto post cards which are placed on a long stretch of poster board outside of Starbucks in Wilson Commons. The “Tell it to the Wall” project has been done in years past, but this is the first year that the Post Secret component has been included.
“Our hope in doing this event is so people understand that their secrets may not be so uncommon and that they share something — good, bad, funny, sad or scary — with another person [on] the [UR] campus and hopefully [will] to find comfort in that,” Elyssa Sham, co-president of UR Active Minds, said.
She also pointed out that many students’ secrets are in relation to mental health issues and illnesses which supports the club’s goal of spreading awareness and changing the direction of conversations about mental health.
In order to publicize this event, tables were up a week before the wall was posted, at which participants were given arts and crafts supplies so that they could make their own cards for the wall. These cards were then placed in a box to ensure that people who submitted them remained anonymous. People are still able to add secrets to the wall now, with pens and pencils attached to strings next to the board.
“While we did not place direct restrictions on what students can post, we expect that they will be respectful,” UR Active Minds co-president Jessica Desanctis said. “If anything offensive or hurtful is posted we do our best to take it down as soon as possible.”
While the goal of the project is aimed at creating an environment of security, some students expressed concern with sharing private thoughts to the public.
Donnell Jackson, a graduate student in the Institute of Optics, said he was not considering participating.
“I only feel comfortable sharing information about my life with close friends,” he said.
Evidently not all students share this view though, as there are already a number of secrets posted on the board.
The “Tell it to the Wall” event will continue until this Saturday, Nov. 19.
Acosta is a member of the class of 2012.
