Last Friday on Nov. 3 the Christopher Newport Community came together for a night of impassioned speeches and stunning performances for the annual Night for Life event held by CNU’s chapter of Delta Upsilon. This event is dedicated to further the conversation towards mental health issues and to promote a community of understanding and healing on campus.
This event, which cooperates with organizations among both the Interfraternity Council and CNU’s broader community, is something that has grown over the years since its inception in 2018. The Night for Life began as an event held in honor of the tragic loss of two of their brothers from suicide in 2018. Since then, this event has been held every year in their honor and only reinforced in its purpose with another loss to their chapter more recently.
“This [event] shows how strong our brotherhood is, to be able to come together like this,” said sophomore and Delta Upsilon’s Philanthropy Chair Jack Seftas. He also explained the good the event does through their fundraising towards the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the individual impact such an event can have.
Annabelle Dreher, Vice President of CNU’s Chapter of AFSP, spoke on the subject of mental health, describing the effort being made by the foundation to break the stigma around mental health and encourage people to seek help.
“I don’t want anyone to feel the same way that I did,” she said, reflecting on her own personal experience as her motivation to get people the help they need.
Abby Haney and Gabriel Fischer of Psi Chi, speaking for CNU’s psychology fraternity, discussed the power that individuals have over their mental health, with particular emphasis on people’s ability to overcome these issues with proper assistance. Not only did they highlight campus resources, but insisted that anywhere and everywhere there are those willing to help – professional or otherwise.
Dr. Niehaus, Delta Upsilon’s faculty advisor, was unable to attend this year due to scheduling conflicts, but was present through a virtual message for 2023’s Night for Life. In this message he reiterated the event’s history, while adding that DU’s traditions have never been stronger. Niehaus emphasized that the culture of open communication of one another’s mental health issues allows the fraternity to be there for one another.
People shared gripping personal stories, but from these tragic experiences came the prevailing message that no one is alone in their struggles with mental health and that help is only a conversation, text or phone call away.
