Active Minds

Contributed by Yvonne Gonzales and Michelle Zbinden (Email Yvonne at ygonzales@live.esu.edu)

Active Minds is a newly recognized chapter of an organization on campus as of spring 2012 promoting mental health awareness on campus. The goal is for students to feel encouraged to talk openly about mental health issues.

Approximately 20% of college students experience eating disorders. Eating disorders, as with all mental health issues, significantly threaten a student’s ability to function, learn and grow. The organization believes this reality needs to be brought out into the open so as to encourage acceptance and recovery.

The 25th annual national Eating Disorders Awareness Week is taking place on February 26th through March 3rd. During this time, many of Active minds 300-plus chapters on college campuses across the country will host events to raise awareness about body image and bring national attention to the severity of eating disorders.

East Stroudsburg University Active Minds will be conducting a “Healthy is the New Skinny” event on Thursday, March 1 in the lower Dansbury common from 2:00-4:00 PM. During this time the following events will be taking place:

•    ESU BodyScape: a mural of body tracings of participants highlighting with diversity in size and shape;
•    Two speakers: Professor Christina Brecht and Susan Washington speaking all about healthy eating practices.
•    An exhibition of artwork contributed by individuals who have struggled with eating disorders;
•    A theme based interactive collage activity focusing on body image;
•    ESU Post-A-Secret activity where participants anonymously write a secret on a card;
•    ESU Body Talk, where students are invited to write a positive statement about their body. Educational information will also be available.

This event is free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to be a part of the movement against the silence of mental health issues.