On the third floor of Baker lay a small brown box.
For the past week, Ohio University students have confided in this box to reveal their innermost secrets.
The idea is simple. Students write their secret on a card and drop it in the box. OU’s University Program Council did the rest.
Kate Willse, a junior studying public relations who works with UPC, helped organize the exhibit, based on Frank Warren’s international campaign to encourage people to spill their guts.
Willse said UPC has always wanted to hold a PostSecret-related event.
“It is the one opportunity to get something off of your chest without having any consequences,” Willse said. “The anonymity is really cool.”
As they passed by, many OU students visited the wall, while others chose to add their own secrets to it.
“I think that the entire project is contagious,” Willse said. “When one person writes a secret, more people are likely to join in and do the same. OU students are very open and are willing to share almost anything.”
Emily Jones, a junior studying psychology, submitted her secret for the wall.
“I enjoyed reading what other people were hiding, so I decided to put myself out there so other people can get the same benefit,” Jones said.
Students of all types revealed a wide array of various secrets.
“Some are funny, some are sad, and some are incredibly relatable,” said Sabrina Reda, a junior studying marketing.
One card read: “I skipped believing in GOD this summer… it would break my mother’s heart if she ever found out.”
Others secrets weren’t as somber.
Michael Outrich, a freshman studying meteorology said his favorite secret read: “I live in Ohio with a fear of whales.”
“I know, I shouldn’t make fun of the person who submitted the secret, but their secret is hilarious,” Outrich said.
With the variety of secrets exposed, some students said they thought the problem provided him a way to connect.
“The PostSecret project is a great way to confess and hear other people’s confessions,” Reda said. “It’s a great feeling to know that you’re not alone, and many others have the same secret as you do.”
Meghan Hughes, a freshman studying anthropology, said reading other students’ secrets created a sense of anonymous solidarity among students.
“It’s weird because you see your secret and relate to it so much, but you can’t tell anyone,” she said.
bc822010@ohiou.edu
