The Alestle Thursday, February 9, 2012 Said

University Archives (02) Campus Box 1063 News .......... 1-4 Opinion ......... 5 Lifestyles ...... .6-9 Sports . .. 10-11 ALTON - EAST SAINT LOUIS - EDWARDSVILLE Classifieds ...... 12 Thursday, February 11, 2012 www.alesllelive.com Volume 64, No. 21 Karla Smith shines light on mental illness MANDY NEWSOME "Suicide is a permanent solution Alestle Reporter to a temporary problem. I still ask when I visit Karla's gravestone, 'Wh)~ "Challenge yourself to find the Karla? You had options,"' Tom said. good in the people and situations Karla's mother, Fran Smith, said around you. No matter what they suicide is preventable, but people are seem at first glance, there is always a not educated enough. brighter way to look. Stop e.xpt-'Cting "My regret with Karla is that I the world to change, for it is you that did not know what I know now to needs to change." help her," Fran said. "If a friend says These hopeful words were writ 'I can't take it anymore,' you should ten by Karla Smith, a woman who always take their thoughts seriously. battled with bi.polar disorder and died It is better to give them too much of suicide at the age of 26 in 2003. help than not enough." The Karla Smith Foundation Kevin said there are nine Strate came to SIUE Monday night. Ac gies one should take to help a loved cording to Karla's twin brother, one through a mental disorder that Kevin Smith, The Karla Smith Foun could lead to suicide. dation was founded by Karla's family ''I struggled with the acceptance with hope that they can erase the one the most," Kevin said. ''I said to stigma that comes with mental ill myself, 'My parents are overreacting. nesses and bring awareness that It's Karla. She will be fine.' Its so easy might eventually save lives. to believe that." '%ere are one million possibil Senior nursing major Sara ities and a lot of room for oppom1- Rosenbery, of Decatur, the student nity," Kevin said. "So, what are you The Karla Smith Foundation visited SIUE Monday to ra ise awareness for young adult suicide prevention. Key that set up the Karla Smith Founda going to do as a college campus to tion presentation at SIUE, said she speakers discuss the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 to 24-year-olds. erase the stigma? This needs a lot of has lost a friend to suicide. I Photo by Rebehka Blake / Alestle attention to get help." ''I knew he was upset, but it was Kevin said talking about his sis my mission to keep my twin alive by gling with bouts of depression. Two of the external causes from being that a complete shock," Rosenbery said. ter's death is still difficult, but there is sharing her story," Kevin said. years later, he was diagnosed with age can trigger depression," Kevin ''I never thought in a million years a reason he continues raising aware Karla's story starts with a girl bipolar disorder. said. that he would've died of suicide. It ness. who seemed to have a bright future. According to Kevin, college-age According to Tom Smith, was his first attempt." "It was hard at first because I She was an honor roll student, took people are the most affected by de Karla's father, a recent survey showed Rosenbery said much of the missed Karla. It's still hard some the lead in her school play and was pression, which leads to many sui. that 30 percent of college students stigma that comes from mental dis- times, but she wanted to educate elected to student council. However, cides. said that at some point they were "so people and help them. It has become at 19 years old, Karla started snug- 'The stress from college and all depressed they could not function." SUICIDE I pg.2 Functional Fashion: DLP breaks stigmas, not rubbers the Drag Show. That might seem LEXI Cortes retary for DLP, but he remembers a Alestle Opinion Editor cliche, but it gives people an oppor ti.me before he had any homosexual tunity to come to an event and open friends. Delta Lambda Phi is a fratemity their mind." ''I didn't know much about the whose unofficial mission is to touch According to Durham, DLP culture, so I felt like once I got into as many lives as possible in order to has been preparing for another the group, I would learn more about create change on our campus no event, which is the Bethany Place myself and the culture," Cooper said. matter the adversity they may face. Condom Fashion Show. The cloth "Si.nee I've joined this semester, I can One of the original founders, ing presented in the show is deco say I've grown a lot compared to my senior history major Michael rated with condoms. first year in college." DeMoss, of Danville, continues to 'That money is going to Sophomore classical music per support his brothers even though he Bethany Place, and they are a non formance major Alex Niemaczek, of is not an active member. profit organization that does HIY, Collinsville, vice president of D LP, "We accept everyone for who AIDS and SI1 testing, outreach said he came out right before he they are," DeMoss said. "One thing [ and] prevention for the Metro East graduated high school. Going into that DLP does on campus is just say and surrounding area," Durham college, he did not know much 'Look, we take you at face value. Can said. 'They go as far down as Mar about homosexual culture either. you take us at face value?' We don't i.on, Illinois and as far up as Northern "[DLP] was just a nice place have any motive except just to make Madi.son County." where I was around gay, straight, bi everything better; to remove a layer The event will take place at 7:00 or whatever, and they were accepting ofs tigma, to remove discrimination. p.m. Thursday Feb. 9, at Four Points and cool to hang out with," Those things are still there and if it's in Fairview Heights and tickets are Ni.emaczek said. "More importantly, there, you can bet we're going to ad discounted at $25 for students. they didn't just always want to get in dress it." DLP will host a separate Con your pants. When I started coming Graduate student in public ad dom Couture Fashion Show on out ... every guy I talked to, that's all ministration Joel Durham, of Mar campus toward the end of spring. it was reall)( It was nice to be around i.on, is also not an active member at While the fraternity has had the some people who just wanted to this time, but he is still working to chance to entertain and educate the hang out and get to know you, make get the word out about DLP and the campus at their events, they have also you feel appreciated." things they do for the campus. created bonds with each other along Sophomore psychology major ''We're a unique group of peo the way. Anthony Mai.er, of Springfield, Mo., Delta Lambda Phi members fashion pants with condoms In preparation ple ... trying to get out into the com One of seven active members, is DLP's president and the Gay for the Bethany Place Condom Fashion Show that takes place Thursday munity and prove stigmas wrong," sophomore dance major Brian Straight Alliance's vice president. He Feb. 9 at the Fou r Points Sheraton In Fairview Heights. Durham said. ''We host events like Cooper, of Chicago, is now the sec- I Photo by Rebehka Blake/ Alestle DLP I pg.2 MLK 29th Annual Ultrasound Oppor- C'-a Get your grub on at Red Storm President Scan here for video of Awards ceremony tunity Act opens .... new downtown resigns Alpha Phi :z: pagel0 hails excellence door to new discus- restaurants .... King of t; r :z Hearts page 3 :z: - sion page8 - .... .... pageant ! -A.. page5 .... A.. :z:- :z: - I -C'-a - __, - 2 // The Alestle www.alestlellve.com Thursday, February 9, 2012 said. "As far as them helping us out murual." SUICIDE I from pg 1 DLP I from pg . 1 KSPs 9 strategies to with it, that's a little more difficult Maier said the sororities were there for them when they had a low orders is due to lack of education and prevent suicide said he could have never predicted he because GSA is about the entire the way society is set up. would be in a fraternity. spectrum and we are a small por- point this semester after not getting "People do not want to talk "I had never considered joining tion." any pledges during Rush Week. about it because nobody knows how 1) Medication a fraternity or going Greek in any DeMoss said as one of the first ''We had one person show up to to deal with it. If something bad hap- Make sure your loved one is way," Maier said. ''I didn't know it members of DLP, he has seen the a rush event and he wasn't ready, so pens, people don't want to upset the taking their medication regu- was an option for me as a gay man. fraternity, as well as GSA, develop a that's very discouraging," Maier said. person by talking about it," Rosen- !arty I went to a rush event just to see great deal since he was a freshman.

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