W events to raise awareness of mental health and wellness
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, millions of Americans are affected, directly or indirectly, with a mental health condition. Mississippi University for Women will highlight the topic next week through activities open to campus and the community.
World Mental Health Day is Monday, Oct. 10, and the Disney Pixar movie “Inside Out,” will be shown at 7 p.m. on the Pohl Lawn. Refreshments will be served and participants are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. Admission is free.
This event is being sponsored by the Student Government Association, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council, the Common Read Initiative, Wesley Foundation and Baptist Student Union (BSU).
The W Counseling Center will host its second annual Mental Health & Wellness Fair Tuesday, Oct. 11 in the W Room, Hogarth Student Center from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Approximately 30 agencies have been invited participate. The fair is open to students, faculty, staff and public.
“We are very excited to have community vendors coming to share their mental health services,” said, Dr. Deb Wells, Counseling Center director.
Both events are in conjunction with The W’s Common Reading Initiative of Alexi Pappas’s book “Bravey,” a memoir that details how a drastic change in the Olympic runner’s life caused great highs, deep lows, joy and sorrow.
The main character in the movie “Inside Out” resembles the subject in the book “Bravey.” In that, both experience a range of emotions and have to learn how to navigate those emotions.
The Common Reading Initiative (CRI) ties in with The W’s rich literary heritage and builds on the tradition of teaching with the intention of developing an intellectual community, fostering an intellectual curiosity among all groups, deepening the understanding of issues in significant books, and providing opportunities for the community to engage socially in meaningful ways.