SUNY Oswego is like many other colleges across the country that hold meaningful walks to support a cause.
Recently, our college has held walks to bring attention to September 11, suicide, and Anti-Bullying. Other walks that have been held at Oswego are: Take Back the Night, a walk to bring awareness to prevent assault; Walk-A-Thon with the United Way, which provides funding for organizations such as the Red Cross and the Boy and Girl Scouts of America; and the Kidney Walk, which helps fund the National Kidney Foundation. These events have been largely successful and should continue to be held on our campus.
About three dozen students, faculty, and members of the Oswego community walked in silence to show their respect for those who suffered on September 11 this year. The walk could not have happened on a more beautiful day – the sun was bright and shining and the sky was a perfect blue. When the walk came to its final destination, the students looked at the 9/11 memorial and thought of what the events of that day meant to them.
Less than a week later, another walk was held at Oswego. This time, it was the Walk to Save Lives. Some of the people who went on this walk wore shirts with names of the people they had lost to suicide. Suicide is a touchy subject for many people because it affects so many lives. If they were up to it, members of the walk could share their stories of what suicide means to them and how it has changed their lives.
Even though not every college students attends these walks, the
ones who do see how lives have been changed and how they can help, whether it be through a simple conversation or raising money. These walks to raise awareness actually do work. They make students think twice and want to help do more for a meaningful cause. The walks also help people who have been affected by the cause realize that they’re not alone.