Small black boxes can now be found scattered around campus for St. Thomas community members to submit anonymous secrets or confessions.

The university’s Queer-Straight Alliance will be accepting submissions for its Tommies Unspoken project until March 17. Submissions will then be displayed publically in the O’Shaughnessy Frey Library from April 3-7.

“There are just so many things that people kind of hide about themselves,” said QSA Event Coordinator and St. Thomas senior Lauren Schaffran. “Maybe it would serve to create a space for people to see what other people are struggling with and not feel like they’re alone in that struggle.”

According to sophomore and QSA Club President Elizabeth Herge, Tommies Unspoken is a project on campus-wide solidarity based on a similar project called “PostSecret” created by Frank Warren in 2005. Warren runs a blog and publishes books where he posts the secrets sent to him.

“We got the library to get the books so that when we present Tommies Unspoken, people can see where it was inspired from,” Herge said.

The small black boxes for submissions are located at the following drop-off areas: the Student Diversity and Inclusion Services office, the Diversity Activities Board office, the English Department office, the Luann Dummer Center for Women, Koch Commons, O’Shaughnessy Frey Library information desk and the Wellness Center.

“It’s kind of like opening people’s eyes to things other people are dealing with on campus, and showing those who are dealing with stuff that you’re not alone,” Herge said.

Besides showing support for university students, Herge and Schaffran hope the posted secrets may facilitate conversations within clubs and different social groups as well.

“That would definitely be another thing we would hope would come out of this … because that’s the first step to being able to work together, to understand and to help as many people on campus as we can,” Schaffran said.

According to Herge, Tommies Unspoken also has to do with the current political climate.

“Especially with our campus … it’s diverse, but it’s not as diverse as it could be,” Herge said. “There are people on campus who may not feel super comfortable with some of the things that they’re dealing with.”

Submissions can be anything on students’ minds, whether it’s related to race, family issues or sexuality.

“If someone is feeling suicidal, or if they were in a situation where they felt discriminated against and wanted to describe it, they could do that,” Herge said. “Even if it’s something that might seem silly, like I was saying at the activities fair that I’m afraid of ice cream trucks, you could put it down. We’re gonna post pretty much everything.”

However, there is a chance that not everything will be posted. According to Herge and Schaffran, QSA will use their discretion over what may or may not be posted.

“Obviously we aren’t going to post anything that has hate speech,” Herge said. “If someone draws a picture or writes some vulgar word, it’s our discretion if we’re gonna cover it up or anything.”

Schaffran stressed that even though the project is being put on by the QSA, all voices are welcome.

“We definitely would love to hear from anyone and everyone with anything on their mind, big or small. It doesn’t have to be a group that feels marginalized or anything,” Schaffran said. “It celebrates all backgrounds and all diversity.”

Maya Shelton-Davies can be reached at shel1181@stthomas.edu