Penn leaders made a commitment to further advance the critical importance of emotional well-being, and they’re sticking to it.
Just last week, University Chaplain Charles Howard sat in a meeting led by Provost Wendell Pritchett that included people from across campus to discuss the importance of mental health.
“It brought together students, both graduate and undergraduate, with faculty, staff, and administrators,” Howard says. “These gatherings allow for information-sharing, joint-visioning, and the coming together of various parts of the University to perpetuate wellness here at Penn.”
Self-care is a vital part of mental health. But it’s more than just eating right, exercising, and sleeping enough, says Alaina Spiegel, a psychologist and the coordinator of prevention programs at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS). She says adequate self-care requires taking it one step further.
“There’s no one right way to take care of yourself,” she says. “There’s a menu of ways that you can take care of yourself: Do you pay attention to your thoughts and emotions? Do you honor them? Do you journal when you’re upset? Do you let yourself cry if you need to? How much do you take care of the relationships in your life and connect with other people? Do you set boundaries for yourself in your professional or school life?”
In 2015, Penn Wellness began to foster collaboration, problem-solving, and idea-generation among student groups about wellness issues and implement new initiatives. Connecting organizations such as Active Minds, Penn Initiative for Minority Mental Health, Quaker Peer Recovery, Lambda Alliance, and other wellness-associated student groups, Penn Wellness provides a comprehensive list of campus resources, events and programs focused on well-being. It’s also one of the driving forces behind Mental Wellness Week, April 2-7.
The co-chairs of Penn Wellness, Serena Vargulick, a junior from Lowville, N.Y., majoring in philosophy, politics, and economics in the School of Arts and Sciences, and Yasmina Al Ghadban, a sophomore from Beirut, Lebanon, majoring in bioengineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, worked with the Penn Wellness cabinet to plan Mental Wellness Week.
They say Mental Wellness Week raises awareness while spotlighting initiatives that Penn Wellness’ constituent groups are working on and facilitating connections.
“Mental wellness is intrinsically linked to your overall well-being,” Al Ghadban says. “If you’re not feeling mentally well, it can be hard to find the motivation to maintain your physical wellness, find joy in your relationships, or pursue your academic or professional goals.”
Each morning, the CAPS student advisory board will be on Locust Walk giving out free coffee and donuts from 9 to 11 a.m. They will also be available to answer their peers’ questions about CAPS’ services and to share giveaways.
Every day during Wellness Week, the David Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, at 37th and Walnut streets, will offer free yoga sessions for students and its members.
Monday, April 2: Campus Conversation, 5-6:30 p.m., 200 College Hall
Hosted by Penn Wellness in partnership with the Wellness at Penn Initiative, a Campus Conversation will continue the discussion about caring for others and how to foster resilience, kicking off Mental Wellness Week.
“Through the Campus Conversation, we can recognize all the work that has been done over the years regarding mental health,” Al Ghadban explains.
Vargulick adds, “we want to encourage wellness initiatives and promote discussion with administrators to continue to address the different issues related to wellness on Penn’s campus.”
They say they’d like for the campus to become a genuinely open space for people to gain more insight into how others manage their own mental well-being.
Howard, who will moderate the Campus Conversation, says it will launch an inspirational series of events centered around mental well-being at Penn.
“I’m inspired by and thankful for the amazing efforts put forth by our students,” Howard says, “not only during Wellness Week, but those students who care for each other all year through peer-support groups and other initiatives encouraging us to take care of ourselves and each other.”
Tuesday, April 3: I CARE Training, 5-8 p.m. in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall
Mental Wellness Week brings attention to mental health in a proactive way, says Alaina Spiegel, who leads workshops like I CARE, which provides students with the skills and resources to intervene with peers who may be struggling. This session is open to all students at Penn.
“Early intervention is key,” Spiegel adds. “If you can help someone who is stressed, it can help them not get to the point of distress or crisis.”
I CARE offers information and exercises on how to differentiate between stress, distress, or crisis; understanding biases; and how to refer others to on-campus resources. Half the training is dedicated to role play for possible situations and requires participants to finish a 30-minute module online in advance.
The next I CARE training for faculty and staff is scheduled for Tuesday, May 1, 9 a.m.–noon, in the Terrace Room of Claudia Cohen Hall.
Wednesday, April 4: Mental Health Table Talk, 6-8 p.m. Rooftop Lounge, Harnwell College House
Table Talk facilitates conversations between people who might not ordinarily interact.
Along with Penn Benjamins, a student-run, in-person, peer-to-peer counseling organization, and CogWell@Penn, a peer-support network that’s committed to fighting the stigma surrounding mental health, Table Talk will host an open discussion during Wellness Week.
Using a speed-dating-like method with prompts, students are paired and asked questions such as “Where are you the happiest?” Each student has one minute to answer, before moving on to talk with someone new. The brevity of these conversations helps students exit their comfort zones and leave the other person wanting to talk more.
As Table Talk’s marketing coordinator, Hannah Lottenberg, a freshman in the School of Arts and Sciences from Los Angeles, manages its social media accounts and helped to drum up ideas for discussion topics during Wellness Week. She says this Table Talk session is about the availability of campus resources, prioritizing emotional well-being, making talking about mental health issues less “taboo,” and getting everything out in the open.
“It’s all about starting a conversation about things that are not talked about enough,” says Lottenberg, who admits that she’s experienced some highs and lows in making the transition from high school to college. “Table Talk wants to start an honest and open discussion to let everyone know you’re not the only one going through it. We understand. No matter who you are, you’re going through things. It’s important that it’s more open so that you know that you’re not alone and someone is there and ready to help you.”
Lottenberg’s hopes that attendees take what they’ve learned and talk with others.
“Even if one person goes to someone and asks, ‘How have you been feeling lately?’ It will make a huge difference on our campus,” she adds.
A schedule of other events throughout Mental Wellness Week can be found here.
“The more you take care of yourself, the better equipped you are to help other people. It’s just like when you’re on an airplane and the flight attendant directs you put your own oxygen mask on before trying to help others,” Spiegel adds. “We’re all in this together. We want to be a part of a community that cares for each other and looks out for one another.”
