Read The Full Speeches On Mental Health From BC Ignites

The fourth BC Ignites was hosted in O’Neill Plaza last night, with multiple Boston College students giving speeches about mental health. Some of the speakers have allowed us to republish their words here. You can find their full speeches embedded underneath their quotes or by clicking the links:

Matt Hugo | A&S ’16

College campuses can be incubators of change; there is endless potential if we come together to address issues like mental health. The efforts of BC Ignites and To Write Love on Her Arms are helping students to finally open up about mental health with greater comfort. The ultimate deciding factor that caused me to speak tonight was when I figured that abstaining from speaking would perpetuate the stigma that made me feel so uncomfortable in the first place. Only through temporarily uncomfortable discussions can the stigma be lifted in order to pave the way for constructive conversation.

Michael Granatelli | A&S ’15

Even though I have to work towards maintaining my current state every day, being able to increasingly talk to my friends when I need to has been an integral part of making my life easier. Every morning when I wake up I have to make a conscious decision about what I can do throughout the day to work on self-love, to reinforce the positive aspects of my life, and to think seriously about how far I have come.

Kate Lewis | A&S ’15

I’m not saying that our day-to-day interactions should turn into pity parties or fishbowl-esque emotionfests, but a little honesty can go a long way. It’s not an easy thing to do, but the first step to breaking down the mental health stigma starts with ourselves—with simple mindfulness of what’s making you unhappy.

Read the pieces Lewis references in her speech here:

• Coming Out Crazy: Breaking Down the Mental Health Stigma

• Life Is Precious.

• Sad People Saying Funny Things