From October 7 through October 9, Agape Service Organization, the newest service organization on LMU’s campus, held its second annual Mental Health Marathon. Raven Yamamoto ‘21, a junior journalism major and political science minor, Agape’s current president, shared the important message behind this event. “It’s supposed to symbolize a sense of urgency we have in ending that stigma that silences people from talking about mental health,” said Yamamoto. The marathon featured six different events to start a conversation. For Yamamoto, the week was about opening up conversations and having a dialogue about the topic of mental health. “It’s our stand against this idea that you can’t be vulnerable and that mental health makes you less of a person, said Yamamoto.
Yamamoto shares, “I hope that it encourages [LMU] to delve deeper into the subject of mental health itself. I hope people, whether they came to our events or not, are thinking about it and not only their own mental health but the mental health of others.” Yamamoto explains one of their events, a suicide awareness exhibit in Lawton Plaza where backpacks were laid out to represent those who had committed suicide. “People would stop and think, do I know somebody that I should be checking on? Do I know somebody that committed suicide, or do I have a friend that knows somebody? The fact that people can look at this and think of somebody is the exact reason we do it and why we have to keep doing it.”
Agape is not only fighting for more mental health recognition through this powerful event, but it’s in the organization’s three pillars: courage, compassion and change. “We try to have the courage to have these conversations and push people to get out of their comfort zones by thinking about this topic on a deeper level. It’s the compassion to empathize with others. It’s the kindness you need to have in your heart to listen and be there for people,” said Yamamoto. In addition to Agape’s pillars, Yamamoto explains how their mission connects to all of the pillars of the Student EXPerience, specifically commit to service and justice. “I think that mental health and the disparities that exist between communities. It’s how mental health disproportionately is affected in different communities is itself an injustice. As a university, we can’t call ourselves committed to the ideas of service and justice if we’re not thinking about mental health, because that on a personal level is what it’s about,” said Yamamoto.”
Yamamoto didn’t always plan on joining a service organization, but said, “it’s been a journey of getting involved, but not knowing I wanted to and then realizing it was the right place for me.” As the acting president, Yamamoto has learned about what it means to be a leader and that being a leader is not about you. “It’s about the people you’re serving, and your community and what’s best for them,” said Yamamoto. They share that Patrick Furlong from the Center for Service and Action has greatly impacted them during their role as Agape president. “He’s the type of person who doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, he tells you what you need to hear and that’s been so important in me realizing my leadership.”
Like many students at LMU, Yamamoto’s favorite part of campus is the community, and the reason they attended LMU was to honor their grandfather. “My grandpa went here and right before he passed, he told me his dream for me was to go to college, and he didn’t care which one, he just wanted me to be the first in our immediate family to be college-educated like he did,” said Yamamoto. “Going to LMU was my way of honoring him, and I was really happy to do that because I feel so much more connected to him.”
Next semester, Agape will be hosting “Rising from the Ashes” to bring together students and give them a platform to share their mental health stories of how they’ve overcome certain struggles. Follow Agape on Instagram or Facebook to keep up to date on all their events.