The Tufts chapter of Active Minds, inspired by the well−knownPostSecret project, is collecting personalized postcards that anonymously reveal students' secrets in an effort to destigmatize mental health issues.
Members of Active Minds placed blank postcards and instructions for participating in the project in approximately 3,500 on−campus student mailboxes. Blank postcards are also available at the Rez and the Tisch Library circulation desk, where the postcards must be submitted by the end of this week, according to senior Lindsay Eckhaus, co−founder and executive board member of Active Minds at Tufts.
The inspiration behind this initiative is PostSecret, a popular community project that invites individuals to mail in their secrets on homemade postcards, which are then published online or in books.
Active Minds is a national non−profit organization dedicated to educating college campuses about mental health and providing resources for students who need and want help.
The Tufts chapter hopes to use this PostSecret project as an avenue to normalize mental health issues through anonymity, and as an outlet for students to talk about personal problems they normally would keep to themselves, according to Jacob Borodovsky, co−president of the organization.
The postcard submissions will be displayed at a high−traffic area on campus during reading period, Borodovsky, a senior, said.
"We're going to find some way of displaying them publicly, maybe in the Campus Center … so that people can see it, stop by and read it and hopefully in some small way change their whole perspective on the issue," he said.
Borodovsky explained that a problem that Active Minds hopes to address with this project is the stigmatization of mental health issues. He hopes that if people see that many members of the Tufts community are facing similar problems, they will be more open to talking about their own emotions.
Eckhaus added that she would like people to see the positive side of their situations instead of dwelling solely on what is wrong with their lives, as is often the case when dealing with mental health issues.
"Talking through an issue kind of helps you realize that you're probably thinking about something irrationally," she said.
"With a lot of mental health issues you're really only focusing on the threat or the negative aspect and not seeing the whole picture."
Adiel Pollydore, a freshman who is participating in the project, said she is curious to learn about what Tufts students really think.
"Seeing people's secrets … it can just toss all of those preconceived notions about your peers aside," Pollydore said.
She is looking forward to the potential impact of the PostSecret project.
"It's just a huge relief… when you have your secret floating out there but still remain anonymous," Pollydore said.
Active Minds at Tufts has considered pursuing a PostSecret project since its foundation but instead decided to focus on hosting speakers and screening movies, Eckhaus said.
She explained that the group was heavily influenced by other Active Minds chapters that have planned similar projects.
"Active Minds really supports doing a PostSecret event because it is so tied to mental health, the idea of keeping secrets and kind of restraining yourself and not being who you actually are," she said.
Although the group has not received many cards in the collection box yet, Eckhaus is expecting a lot of late submissions. She said the group expects to receive approximately 100 cards, but hopes for more.
Pollydore thinks, however, that many students will not submit a postcard because they are uncomfortable with sharing their secrets.
"I think many people are nervous about what they want to say," she said.
Still, Borodovsky said that regardless of the number of submissions, he would consider the project a success if it makes even a small impact.
"If you're going through something, it can be a very isolating feeling," he said. "Even if it just affects one person, like really impacts one person, that's all that matters."
