The helping hands of Kean: A Night for Hope

By Alexander Valdes | Published by November 11, 2019

For those that suffer from feelings of intense depression and suicidal ideation (ideation – the formation of ideas or concepts), there are those who wish to help you on campus. 

A Night For Hope is a way for Campus Ministry and the Kean Gospel Choir to connect to those that seek help. It’s a night for encouragement and spiritual wellness. The Kean Gospel Choir sing songs about God and how you can find love and hope in the arms of Jesus Christ, and guest speakers coming upfront to give their stories about their experiences with thoughts of suicidal ideation or stories from close friends or family that may suffer as well. 

The event was hosted by Shakira Jackson, senior and president of the Kean Gospel Choir and Mariama Rolda, Catholic Campus Minister for Kean University. 

Jackson had some things to say about what her inspiration for this event was and why she wanted to host this event for others.

“I’ve had two close friends attempt suicide, so, as a Christian myself, it was very hard to process that. I didn’t know what it’s like to be suicidal or even what to do when that comes up in life,” Jackson said. “The program is more for encouragement, not for those just suffering but also the peers close to those suffering.”

The event had a sign-in table with all sorts of pamphlets, detailing certain issues such as depression, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts and attempts. It was a very open session with peers aimed to let students be open about their thoughts and feelings and learn about combating these issues with the help of friends or with the help of the Lord through prayer and self-reflection through the lens of religion. 

Jackson spoke a little more about the growing issue with depression and anxiety amongst this generation of students and provided a message to them.

“In general, students just don’t know what resources are there for them, so they deal with it on their own. They don’t know that Christ is there to help them out, but there are also professionals that are willing to help,” Jackson said. “Just know that you’re not alone and there’s always someone out there that is there to help you.”

Nowadays, most students who suffer from depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation, tend to keep these issues away from others. A Night For Hope is meant to act as a safe space for those that wish to tell their story and receive the encouragement and motivation from their peers and professionals. 

Mariama Rolda spent a bit of time going over the purpose for A Night For Hope in greater detail. 

“The purpose for A Night For Hope is to give people an outlet to address suicidal ideation and mental health issues and bring awareness through the speakers we have, myself being one of them,” said Rolda. “It also gives an outlet in a spiritual way, that there is hope, that there are resources.”

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