Many students at ABAC may not have heard of Active Minds due to it being a new club. However, it is already doing great things for ABAC’s community.
“Active Minds is the nation’s nonprofit organization which supports mental health awareness and education for students,’’ said Shubha Chatterjee, a counselor at ABAC. “Active Minds is a student-led group addressing mental health among college students.”
The group takes mental health seriously. So much, in fact, they participated in National Suicide Prevention Month this past week. During the event held in front of Conger Hall, Active Minds handed out necklaces that were color-coded to represent someone that has lost a specific person to suicide or knows someone who is currently struggling.
Previously, the club hosted an event called, New School Year’s Resolution. In October, Active Minds will host Leave a Note Take a Note, where guests will be encouraged to write a message of positivity for others. They plan to hold Notes of Gratitude in November.
“Active Minds members took a pledge to act as gatekeepers for their peers and for the community,” Chatterjee said. Active Minds hopes to help break the stigma of mental health by opening up the conversation as well as showing others that they are not alone.
Vice President, Jordan Pittman, wants students to remember that when it comes to achieving a good status of mental health that it’s important to maintain a balance between work and play. “School is important but it is hard to write with a pencil with no lead in it. Always remember to recharge and reload!” He also wants students to, “Treat yourself like you would your best friend. It’s easy to brush yourself off, so remember that it’s okay to be selfish!”
Active Minds is under the umbrella of the Helping Professions Association (HPA). HPA is a club designed for people wanting a degree in assisting with mental health and well-being. Active Minds officers are hard at work to make ABAC a better place. The officers are as follows: Laura Starnes as President; Jordan Pittman as Vice President; Lashley Peeples as the ICC Representative; and Jordan Jones, Terrell Jelks and Ja’Mi Barnes as the publicity crew. Meetings are held on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Bowen 207. All students are welcome to join.
