MATT VOLZ
Editor in Chief
Photo of the Field of Memories outside LoGrasso Hall. Photo by MATT VOLZ | Editor in Chief
Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide.
Outside LoGrasso Hall, students may notice a display of white flags with a sign that reads “Field of Memories.”
But even though the display is likely seen by many, the meaning behind it runs deeper than it might upon first glance.
Each September, Ivory Brooks, a mental health counselor at the Counseling Center, puts the Field of Memories together to commemorate National Suicide Prevention Month.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 1,100 college students take their own lives each year.
The Field of Memories holds 1,100 flags – one for each student lost to suicide.
“That number catches me off guard every time,” Brooks said. “Every year, I check it and hope the number has gone down, but it usually stays about the same.”
Brooks began putting up the display in 2022, when the Counseling Center was briefly relocated to Igoe Hall because of renovations being done to LoGrasso Hall.
She said it typically goes up on Sept. 10 – which is World Suicide Prevention Day – and stays up for the entire month of September.
The display serves a double purpose for some, as many believe it also pays tribute to those who were killed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Although the field’s primary purpose is a memorial to college students who have died of suicide, Brooks said everyone is free to interpret the message in any way they choose.
“It’s our field of memories, right? So, I don’t get to dictate what that memory is,” she said.
Brooks said she has a personal connection to the topic that makes the display even more important to her.
“You never know what somebody is struggling with,” she said. “But you’re here, there are resources and I want to know that you need help.”
On each flag, students are encouraged to write a message of remembrance or hope, the name of a loved one who has died or anything that can help them through feelings of grief.
“Giving students another way to express those feelings of grief that we know come in waves, that’s why I continue to do it,” she said. “We encourage students, if you want to sit on the lawn, please do. It’s not a ‘look, don’t touch,’ so interact with it.”
In the days leading up to World Suicide Prevention Day, the Counseling Center held a table in the Williams Center which allowed students the opportunity to write messages on the flags before they are put up.
Brooks said that if any students missed them at the table, they are still free to write a message on a flag if they choose.
She also said that she has offered students the opportunity to plant flags with her, even if they don’t have a message to go on one of them.
In years past, the Field of Memories could be seen on the grass outside the Williams Center, but it is now next to the Counseling Center at LoGrasso Hall.
“We know that this is a main entrance to the campus, and we want [the display] to be more visible,” Brooks said. “So, look for the flags if you need support.”
Brooks hopes that the flags will draw more attention to the services that the Counseling Center can provide, and that they will help students to feel more comfortable reaching out for support.
“We want you to come get that support,” she said. “And if I have to put on a display to get you to think about us, then I will do that.”
Students struggling with suicidal thoughts are urged to dial 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
“If you are in crisis or need support, 988 will direct you to the appropriate services,” Brooks said.
Chautauqua County also has its own 24/7 crisis hotline, which can be accessed by calling 1-800-724-0461.
On campus, the Counseling Center has counselors available every Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Appointments can either be made in person or by calling the Counseling Center at 716-673-3424.
Another option for students is “Let’s Talk,” an informal conversation students can have with a counselor during select hours. “Let’s Talk” takes place on the second floor of the Williams Center in room S212.
However, it is important to note that “Let’s Talk” should not be considered a substitute for a counseling session.
“I’m hoping that [the Field of Memories] reaches more of our people who may not want to come into our Counseling Center and starts to destigmatize or break barriers,” Brooks said.
For more information on the Counseling Center and the services it can provide, go to www.fredonia.edu/student-life/counseling.