A few passing clouds. Low 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..
A few passing clouds. Low 51F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: September 21, 2026 @ 9:06 pm
The WSU a cappella group Melodytroit performing “unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield at Voices Unlocked. Photo taken by Dawson Sarcona

The second annual “Voices Unlocked” event was held at St. Andrew’s Hall on Sept. 17. With its live music, resource booths, and speakers from the scientific community, the event aimed to connect scientific minds with Detroiters through art, conversation and personal stories. 
“Voices Unlocked” was hosted by WSU’s Trauma History Investigation of Neurodevelopment in Kids (THINK) Lab, an organization with the mission of researching the impact of trauma, stress, and the endocannabinoid system on both developing and adult brains. The THINK Lab’s focus is to determine how those factors affect the brain to increase risk for disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and substance use. 
This was an outreach event for the THINK Lab as they continue with efforts to make science approachable for everyone and build community support towards mental health research.
Hosts Jacquelyn Wrubel, a THINK Lab research assistant, and Natalie Thurston, a lab manager, said they realized the importance of the event when they looked at the Detroit community surrounding them.
“We just realized that we wanna highlight the gap and the bridge between us… so this event is all about connecting researchers to clinicians, to people with lived experience with these disorders, to the community we hope to serve,” Thurston said.
Wrubel said the event drew its initial inspiration from a similar event hosted by one of the world’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to mental health research and public education, One Mind. 
“They put on a similar event every year in California, and they do this big music mental health bash. And our boss (Hilary Marusak) really took inspiration from that and brought it to Detroit last year,” Wrubel said.
The live music and performance aspect of “Voices Unlocked” makes it very unique in comparison to other mental health awareness events available on campus. By connecting to others on stage through one of the most powerful forms of art, the community is drawn together regardless of any knowledge barriers between scientists, researchers, clinicians and the general public. 
Adam Todd, a member of WSU’s only a capella group, Melodytroit, said getting the opportunity to share his own voice at the event meant a lot to him and his group.
“Just being able to be a part of this event, ‘Voices Unlocked,’ has been amazing especially because mental health is something I take very seriously. So yeah, I just love performing, being able to connect with an audience, and people I’m singing with,” Todd said. 
The WSU a cappella group Melodytroit performing “unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield at Voices Unlocked. Photo taken by Dawson Sarcona
The WSU a cappella group Melodytroit performing “unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield at Voices Unlocked
WSU music majors and performers at the event, Lillian Fellows and Krypton Adams, said “Voices Unlocked” was a great opportunity for them to showcase their music to an audience beyond the classroom. 
When initially asked to perform, Adams said his response was instant. “We were immediately like, ‘Yes! We would love to,’ simply because we want to get a good message out there; we have a lot to say.”
“I think that giving artists the opportunity, and the spaces, and the venues to be able to showcase who they are and what they do is never ever a negative thing. It can only do good for both the artist and the people who are viewing said art,” Fellows said. “I think it’s really important for artists at Wayne, regardless of what their majors are, to be able to be given opportunities to showcase what they are and what their opportunities are.”
“Voices Unlocked” provided resources for campus organizations assisting with mental health issues or personal struggles. Additionally, the event hosted a silent auction with all proceeds going towards the International Brain Research Organization.
The event was not only a success in showcasing the art of WSU locals, but did so by building a deeper sense of community to back the work of the THINK Lab. Speakers and resource booths worked to inform the science behind mental health and bridge gaps between researchers and the community they represent. 
“What happens (to us) changes us… and we can all be the change we wish to see in this world,” Lana Ruvolo, speaker and WSU assistant professor in the Dept. of Psychology, said.
Dawson Sarcona is the Arts and Entertainment Reporter for The South End. He can be reached at hy2521@wayne.edu.
Cover photo taken by Dawson Sarcona.
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