Student Wellbeing Day is an upcoming campus event about mental health and techniques to maintain it. Taking place May 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., activities are being held in Jackson Center and the Index Lawn.

“Everyone experiences mental health differently, and we want to help raise awareness of that,” said Narjis Alshatee, ASB Vice President of Administration.

Lasting throughout the entire event in Jackson Center, an Affirmation and Sensory room is being provided, offering attendees a quiet place to sit and reflect, sensory items to play with and crafting. The breakfast tent located on the Index Lawn will supply free breakfast items from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Yoga is being led by Instructor Cobi Seslar, outside from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m..

Starting at 12 p.m. and continuing throughout the rest of the event, all sorts of lawn games such as frisbee, cornhole and giant connect four are available.

There will be a Mindfulness Open Session, being led by Counselors Kerri Warren and Wynter Mayhle from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Jackson Center.

“Some ways that students may benefit from attending Student Wellbeing Day are by learning about the importance of self care, positive thinking, cultivating self awareness and healthy coping strategies to help manage the stressors in their personal/student life. Students will also be able to connect with campus counselors and learn more about the mental health resources available at EvCC,” said Warren.

Occurring on the Index Lawn from 2 to 5 p.m. is the petting zoo, hosted by Animal Encounters under their own tent. Some of the animals that they bring include wallabies, Patagonian maras, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Shetland Sheep, bahtan chickens and bunnies. Free popcorn and lemonade are being provided.

Pathway Support, an open forum for undecided students being led by some of the counselors, is taking place from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. inside Jackson Center. From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the same building, the counselors are holding an open discussion about International Student Mental Health Support.

College Dogs, a volunteer based group that provides therapy dogs, offer a free opportunity to pet and sit with trained therapy dogs outside from 4 to 5 p.m..

All outside events, except the petting zoo, are moved inside Jackson Center in case of inclement weather.

According to Hannah Kramer, ASB Vice President of Student Engagement, Student Wellbeing Day was proposed by the Student Senate’s mental health committee. They felt that it would benefit students to set aside a day to have fun while learning about the importance of maintaining mental health.

This will be the first Student Wellbeing Day held on the EvCC campus and is expected to see around two to three hundred students. Most of the Counseling Department, including Lisa Fryett, Deanna Skinner, Kristi Leksen and TRiO staff member Allison Werling will be assisting the ASB government members with managing duties. With all the hard work they have put in, Kramer and Alshatee hope to have this become an annual event.

The most significant reasons for attending this event are “finding new ways to support mental wellbeing, while recognizing that there is a community available to help,” said Kramer.

Counselor Warren states that mental health plays a significant role in the lives of students. “It is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed, making it more difficult to be successful. It’s important to take care of our overall well-being, especially our mental health. Mental health affects all areas in life, positively or negatively,” said Warren.

The National Alliance on Mental Health finds that one in three college-age students (18-25) experience a mental health disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the most diagnosed mental health disorders are ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety and depression.

“The most important thing to remember is that this is not a de-stressing event, it is about experiencing more ways to help manage mental health,” said Kramer.