Small Group Holds Bigger Meaning For Members
Montclair students Julie Dunic, Sarah Lauber, and Clarice Bourland have teamed up to take over Active Minds, an organization built to spread the word about the importance of mental health on campus and in all communities.
Every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. you can find a small handful of students chatting in a round table styled discussion in University Hall. All conversations are confidential and are sworn to be kept inside the walls of room 3008, as members are welcomed, but not expected to, share their own struggles.
The first meeting of the spring semester was centered around the similarities and differences between mental illness and physical illness. For example, both can be debilitating and prevent someone from going to school or work. However, many people don’t take mental illnesses as seriously as they would a broken arm or a case of the flu.
“I think what makes Active Minds so strong is that students can come together and connect in regards to mental health issues,” sophomore Psychology major and Vice President Sarah Lauber said. “It isn’t some formal lecture that you’d get from a professor, it’s contact from peers who share similar values.”
Lauber came into Montclair State planning to pursue history, and intended on being a high school teacher.
“I walked by an Active Minds table at an organization fair and talked to the president at the time,” Lauber said, explaining how she first became part of the club. “I had been neglecting my own needs for a while and felt that I needed to make a change in my own life, so I decided to see what the club was all about. I joined, loved it, and the rest is history.”
All students are encouraged to join Active Minds. The discussions themselves are very intriguing, as each member comes from a different background and has a different story to tell. The meetings are surrounded with a friendly and welcoming aura that makes each individual feel accepted and listened to.
“I first heard about Active Minds when my friend, who is a psychology major, told me she wanted to go after getting an email about it,” sophomore Chloe Dougherty said. “I want to be an art therapist one day, so I thought it could be a great club to join.”
“The e-board is so friendly and come up with interesting discussion topics every week. It’s a small group, but I love how close-knit it feels,” Dougherty said.
There are various events planned for the future. There is an event in the works where peers can open up and speak about their own struggles with mental illness and be supported by other students. Active Minds is also cosponsoring with other organizations in the future, and will be updating their HawkSync page with events.
The e-board hopes that Active Minds allows members to feel heard and know that there are resources out there that can help them.
“We are living in turbulent times, to say the least,” Lauber said. “There is a great need for mental health peer support. As the stigma surrounding getting help decreases, I assume attendance will increase.”
