On Dec. 5 secrets were shared at the PostSecret Live event with speaker Frank Warren. In just over 12 years, over one million people have written confessions to Warren. These confessions have not just been written on postcards but also TV remote controls, flip flops, seashells, money, a death certificate, an In-N-Out bag and a potato from Idaho.

“I’ve been called the most trusted stranger in America,” said Warren. Warren has appeared on CNN, the Today Show, NPR and visited the White House. No other living person has heard as many secrets as Warren.

The event was hosted by senior reclamation major Megan Kubatzke and senior political science and business administration major Hannah Pease. Kutbatzke expressed that they wanted to put on an event that made a difference.

“Hannah Pease and I wanted to make an impact,” said Kubatzke in an email interview. “We are both graduating seniors, Hannah in December and myself in May, and we wanted to do something that we felt our campus needed. We saw a need for mental health—we needed to start a conversation.”

Throughout the night, Warren told the crowd secrets that he had received throughout his years, some of which came from different countries across the globe.

“This one is from Canada. It says, ‘I feel guilty for taking elevators when I just need one floor so I limp when I get out,’” he said.

Secrets ranged from admitting to actually not hating the band Nickelback to a young teenager sharing that she had a different kind of life growing up because her mom worked at a porn store. Some were light and humorous while others were emotionally heavier.

“This one says, ‘I started doing Adderall because of how much homework I had,’” he read. After Warren shared this particular secret, the mood of the room shifted.

Thousands of postcards were distributed all over campus the week before the event, and responses ranged like the ones Warren spoke about.

“A blank piece of paper is one of the most un-intimidating things you can give someone,” Kubatzke said. “We got secrets about depression and suicide, but we also got secrets about love and relationships. We have secrets about people’s childhood, both good and bad and academic stress.”

As the night went on, more secrets were shared.

“This one got a lot of feedback on the web,” said Warren. “It says, ‘I work at a vet clinic. When euthanizing a pet, we give the option of staying in the room or leaving them. Always stay, they are there for you once you’re gone.’”

At the end of the night, members of the crowd were encouraged to share their own personal secrets. However, the mission of the night was to start a conversation on mental health and help combat the stigma surrounding it.

“I hope people take away that we can all make a difference, and that only together can we truly combat mental health,” said Kubatzke.  “It’s as simple as asking someone how they are doing. It’s as simple as smiling at someone as they pass by. We all are catalysts of making an impact, it’s just what we choose to do that matters.”