Benefit concert held at USU to raise awareness for mental illness

The Access and Diversity Center at Utah State University held a benefit concert in the Taggart Student Center Auditorium on Wednesday night to raise awareness for mental illness. The concert was a part of the center’s first annual “Mental Health is No Joke” week, which began on Tuesday.

“This is an open and safe environment for people to talk about it,” said Sheree Haggan, the multicultural program coordinator.

“Mental Health is No Joke” began as one event but soon extended into a week-long movement.

Haggan was planning for keynote speaker Alexis Jones, founder of the I Am That Girl organization, to speak at Utah State when she was approached by graduate student Ty Aller. Aller asked Haggan to help raise awareness for mental illness and she agreed, combining the campaign with Jones’ presentation.

Several other people came to Haggan offering their talents and abilities for the campaign, so she set up a series of events and workshops that would last an entire week.

Adam Jones, a member of the local band Legal Tender, was among those who contacted Haggan and they arranged the benefit concert in just two weeks. Jones recruited his own band as well as local singer Aaron Vera to play at the event.

“We want to make it OK to talk about the fact that people struggle,” Jones said. “Our flaws aren’t something that should be hidden. Our flaws bring us all together.”

The concert was free but a donation box was set up at the entrance of the auditorium. All of the donations are going toward two new scholarships available at Utah State. The scholarships will be given to those who have personal experience with mental illness.

In order to receive the first scholarship, the applicants must be actively doing something in Cache Valley to help with mental health issues.

“I want it to be all genders and all GPAs,” Haggan said. “I want it to be an opportunity for anybody who may not qualify for any other scholarship.”

The center is still working out details for the second scholarship, but one sponsor has already offered to donate $1,000 each year for the next 14 years.

“We want to start this dialogue about mental health and remove the stigma that this is a bad thing,” Haggan said.