Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

For the eighth consecutive year, Syracuse University’s Student Association and the Barnes Center at The Arch will host Mental Health Awareness Week from this Monday through Saturday, offering events and activities across campus aiming to destigmatize mental health for college students.

The annual event was first created in 2016 in collaboration with various campus organizations, including SU’s Disability Cultural Center, Hendricks Chapel and the Office of Student Outreach and Support. At the time, then SA Vice President Joyce LaLonde said she wanted the week to foster open conversations about mental health among students.

The schedule of events for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week will look slightly different than previous years. Instead of hosting multiple smaller opportunities for students, such as tabling and discussions, SA will hold two main one-day events that incorporate elements of past activities.

The Daily Orange has compiled the events schedule for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

Wednesday, Oct. 23

The “Butterflies and Bedtime” slumber party will take place in Schine Student Center on Wednesday from 8:30-11:30 p.m.

SA approved funding for the party during its Oct. 7 general assembly meeting. Anna Mirer, SA’s vice president of university affairs, said during the meeting that the party is designed to help students unwind and connect with peers.

The night will also include a screening of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” along with a slime station and craft corner, according to SA’s Instagram. From 9-10 p.m., students can attend a late-night yoga class and a “Growth Mindset” plant potting project.

There will also be a Halloween costume swap and fort building competition. SA will serve free chicken tenders and a midnight brunch.

Saturday, Oct. 26

SA will host Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández for a comedy night in collaboration with SU’s Intercultural Collective and Orange After Dark on Saturday. This event celebrates the end of Mental Health Awareness Week as well as Latine Heritage Month.

The association first announced Hernández as the show’s headliner on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Tickets for the performance are no longer available on SU’s Student Box Office.

The comedy special will take place in Schine’s Goldstein Auditorium, with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. Although there are currently no available tickets for purchase, SA will give tickets to the first 10 Halloween costume swap participants, according to the association’s Instagram.

Ongoing mental health resources

Barnes regularly partners with local organizations to host the Deborah A. Barnes Pet Therapy Program, which allows students to spend time with dogs trained to help them manage stress. There are five pet therapy sessions during Mental Health Awareness Week, all held in Barnes room 103.

SA has also posted a collection of mental health resources on its website, including Barnes Center counseling, Wellness Leadership Institute workshops and crisis hotlines. Meditation and other religious and spiritual resources are available year round through Hendricks.

Published on October 20, 2024 at 9:53 pm