Throughout the week of Sept. 14-17, the RecWell hosted numerous events promoting suicide prevention, self-care promotion and mental health resources for students in honor of Suicide Prevention Month.
The initiative of the events was to connect students on campus with necessary tools to support mental health and wellbeing while fostering a stronger campus community.
“[The purpose is to] spread awareness about suicide prevention, provide resources for those who are interested and may need additional support and help others identify how to help peers and friends that may be in need,” Joni Eisenhauer, Assistant Director of Health Promotion, said.
The week-long event featured a variety of interactive tabling and events including Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG) tabling, a guided meditation, a K-Pets visit and new this year, “Jay’s Don’t Haze”. The addition of educational material on hazing was introduced in hopes of strengthening belonging on campus.
“RecWell wanted to incorporate hazing prevention into our programming this year, and Suicide Prevention Week provided a meaningful opportunity to highlight the importance of creating supportive, healthy, and inclusive communities,” Whitney Crull, Senior Director for Student Involvement & Well-Being, said. “Hazing prevention aligns closely with many of the themes surrounding mental health, wellbeing and belonging.”
Nearly 100 students stopped by the Jay’s Don’t Haze table. Participants took the time to engage with the information, sign pledges and take photos with commitment posters and uplifting peers. The posters are on display in the BSC, serving as a visual reminder of students’ pledges in student clubs, organizations, sports teams and more, to a safe and supportive campus community.
“The engagement and positive interactions throughout the event reinforced the importance of continuing conversations around hazing prevention and creating a culture of belonging,” Crull said.
All tabling events had handouts and resources about mental health services to students. These included magnets, stickers and information sheets. Interactive elements were also incorporated, allowing students to be more engaged.
“We engaged students by having them write an uplifting message to others on campus,” Eisenhauer said.
“Students were invited to scan a QR code to take the Hazing Prevention Pledge through the Hazing Prevention Network,” Crull said. “In addition, we displayed posters that students, teams, clubs, organizations and departments could sign to publicly demonstrate their commitment to creating a healthy, positive and inclusive environment. Participants also had the opportunity to take photos with the posters as a way to show their support for hazing prevention. They are hanging on display in the BSC.”
The turnout of the events was very successful according to the organizers. Crull hopes to continue the inclusion of hazing educational resources to students during Sucide Prevention Week.
“Both RecWell and SAAC were very pleased with the success of this year’s event and would welcome the opportunity to make it an annual component of Suicide Prevention Week programming,” Crull said. “Moving forward, we hope to build upon the initiative by expanding the educational resources offered, strengthening collaborations with campus partners, and increasing our outreach and engagement across the campus community.”
Counseling services are available for students 24/7. Even after hours, students can call Campus Security for support. RecWell provides additional mental health support through promoting healthy practices and hosting events throughout the semester.
“We also have lists of off-campus resources if individuals need additional information,” Eisenhauer said. “Also, this is a very supportive community so I know many other individuals, departments, offices on our campus would help where they can.”
Students can look forward to more events hosted by RecWell by checking the schedule on their website: https://www.etown.edu/bowers-center/events.aspx . Events include CreativiTEA events, Demo Kitchens, fitness classes and more.
