Story and Photos by: C/CPT Hong Seiyul
2023 Annual Light Up the Night
The Annual Light Up the Night began at the Carolinian Affairs Office on September 05, 2023. Cadets from Marianas High School Dolphin Battalion, Kagman High School Ayuyu Battalion, and the Saipan Southern High School Manta-Ray Battalion participated in this event. The Cadets marched in cadence with the goal of raising awareness of suicide prevention. The march was organized by CGC, the Department of Public Safety, PSS, and the Health Outcomes for Maternal and Early Childhood Visiting Program.
“As the outcome of the march, I hope for more people to be aware of struggling people. For the
people who are struggling alone, I want to tell them not to lose hope and there are still people who care
about them. I want to also tell the families and friends who have their loved ones battling mental illness
not to give up and to always be by their side. ”-C/CPT Lloren, Mark
“ I wish people who are struggling alone right now could notice that there are many people who
care for them and are always willing to help them when they need. And for the families and friends
who’ve lost their loved ones to the battle against their mental health, it is okay to grieve for them, You
don’t need to act like nothing happened and it’s okay to grieve for a long period of time, but I also with
them to know that not to fall in the deep hole when grieving and wish them to gain the power to brush off
and get back to where they were. For the public who are not aware that there are people who are
struggling I want to tell them that there can be anyone struggling close to you so please take care of
people who you love.”-C/CPT Hong, Seiyul
“I wish we could get the outcome to allow, and express how we feel about suicide prevention, and
to stop it from happening to the next person who is important in our life. I want to let the people who are
struggling alone know that there are other people they might not know who are willing to talk to them, It
doesn’t need to be someone you don’t know but they can be one of your loved ones or if you want to talk
to people anonymously you can talk to anyone in DCCA that would want to help you. I want to let the
families and friends who lost their loved ones know that even though you’ve lost them they will always
understand and will be with you spiritually and hopefully one day you guys can reunite again. I want to
tell the people who are not aware of this topic to be more understanding and open about the struggle of
mental health considering that most people do not understand what they are specifically going through but
to understand what that person is going through is important to make sure you are not ruining their
process.”-C/CPT Legaspi, Ariel
“ From the walk, I just want others to know that no matter your age, there are a lot of people going
through a lot of hard times. Don’t be afraid you. You can always talk to others no matter who they are,
they will always be there and step up for you. You don’t have to always keep it in. For the people who lost
loved ones, just know that their in a better place now from what I can say. Don’t worry about what’s
gonna happen next because they will always look over you. And for those who are battling mental illness,
don’t be shy to tell others your problems.”-C/PVT Faladay, Jasmine
Let’s take the connections we created and the memories of the illuminated night with us as we say goodbye to this event until next year. May this occasion serve as motivation for us to keep fostering the ties that bind our community together. A monument to the strength of human connection and the enduring light of hope that shines brightly when we gather together, “Light Up the Night” was more than just an event.