On Tuesday, May 27, at the Senior Tree during lunch, Archie Williams Peer Resource (PR) organized a Mental Health Awareness Month stand. The event featured a table with entertainment and an informational game for students to learn about mental health.
Mental health can have a significant impact on students’ daily habits, especially with the compounding stresses of finals week, graduation, and school ending on the horizon. Mental Health Awareness Month originated in 1949 to help people understand the immense influence that mental health has in their lives, and to create a visible way for those seeking support to find it, stigma-free.
The lunchtime event aimed to raise awareness about individual students and their mental health problems, reminding them that there are many helpful resources available to help. On campus, students who are struggling with their mental health or who just need someone to talk to have resources like the Wellness Center and counseling. There are also outside resource providers available online, such as Huckleberry Youth Programs.
Archie Williams junior and PR member Tessa Davis explained the stand’s significance to PR, touching on how advocating for mental health awareness aligns with the leadership class’ mission.
“[In PR,] we educate people on mental health issues and how they can combat them. We want to negate the stigma around talking about mental health,” Tessa said.
The station’s main attraction was a spin-the-wheel game where students had the chance to win small prizes. Students spun a wheel, and a PR member asked them a question about mental health. If they answered correctly, they earned a little prize.
PR advisor Jenny Brown supervised at the stand and stressed the importance of taking care of your mental health, as everyone goes through different challenges.
“[As PR,] we help people recognize that mental health is important and that everybody deals with mental health issues in different ways and that we are here to help support anybody,” Brown said.
Along with the table and game, PR also set up a “positivity wall,” a poster that now hangs next to the office entrance where students can go and write positive things about each other.
Archie Williams junior Camden Hogan believes that the stand was an ideal way of promoting mental health awareness, reminding students that it’s important for everyone to be aware of their mental health.
“I think that addressing everyone’s mental health is important and that we should normalize it,” Camden said.
Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in May to recognize the importance of mental health within student bodies and far beyond. Events like this during lunch help Archie Williams students and staff understand the problems everyone faces, helping to cultivate a closer, more supportive Falcon community.
