Students who wish to de-stress from a difficult semester may be interested in attending one of the many wellness events that occur on campus.
Students filled the Harley multi-purpose room Feb. 25 from 6:30-8 p.m. for a night of tarot card readings, music, rock painting and more hosted by Shippensburg University’s National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).
Those who attended used the time to relieve anxiety they may have gained during the day. The executive board members wanted to provide a sense of relaxation for the students who attended.
“I needed to create Instagram posts and stories for people to remember we were having it and to tell their friends,” Dana Hoke, the public relations officer for NAMI said.
Hoke had high hopes for the event.
“The people who attend will get to have a fun, relaxing night. Classes, work, internships, etc. can be so tiring and stressful and sometimes you need a night to just relax,” Hoke said.
The executive board of NAMI said they planned this event with passion, care and hard work. The attending students smiled because of the calming air that filled the room.
“Before I came to this event, I was having tons of anxiety and after the event, I was distracted and happy. I went to this event hoping to get relaxation out of this event and I got just that,” student Abigail Heister said.
The event focused on having a calm, serene atmosphere so students could take a moment to take care of themselves after having a hard, anxiety-filled day.
Some of the attendees of NAMI’s wellness event mentioned there is stigma on mental health and they felt it is good to surround themselves with people who truly understand what it is like to have a mental illness.
The wellness event helped spread awareness about mental health and allowed students to find those whom they can relate to.
“I attended this event because I wanted to be a part of it [NAMI]. The stigma of mental illness really bothers me, so it’s nice to be in a room full of people who understand me,” student Lizzie Ritter said.
Brianna Armour, president of NAMI, believes mental health is just as important as physical health.
“I believe that we should all support each other in ending the stigma surrounding mental health issues,” Armour said.
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