Strong community responses to events, from elections to eating disorders

HAPPY LOVE YOUR BODY WEEK!

It does feel a little off to start this week’s column screaming with capital letters about love your body week, even if it is very exciting. This past week has been difficult for many of us. We, too, have felt an air of sadness, frustration and anger on campus.

If you have felt this way, in the wake of election results, know that you are not alone. One of the powerful things about this past week has been seeing our community come together to show love and support for one another. This support has come from not just each other, but our professors, too. In the science center, a comfort station appeared near the Leaky Beaker. Other professors designated class times for discussions about the election. Some professors also offered messages of hope. This past week has been a powerful example of how important community responses to big events can be for student well-being.

Deans, RAs, RDs, ORSL, the Stone Center and MHEs are all wonderful support networks here for you now, and every other time of the school year. We hope that you have found support if you needed it. If not, feel welcome to reach out to your MHE to learn about what resources could be helpful. We at Wellesley College Active Minds can promise that we will not diminish your fears and concerns. We will not stand for racist, misogynistic, homophobic and xenophobic language and actions.

As always, you can find your MHEs in your residence halls. You can also see them at events throughout this week, in celebration of Love Your Body Week!

Love Your Body Week is a week dedicated to celebrating body positivity and understanding different components of the mind/body connection. Active Minds is partnering with campus groups like PERA, SAAC, Mezcla and ORSL to host events for the week. The week began with an Ask Me Anything on eating disorders and body positivity.

Ask Me Anythings are panels of students connected by a common mental health theme. The students speak for a few minutes about their experience with the mental health topic, and the rest of the event time is dedicated to a question and answer session. Many of the questions on Monday night were about how to help a friend, or how communities could support the panelists. Again, just like with the election, we were reminded of the power of a strong community and the importance of coming together in support of mental health and well-being.   

You can learn more about eating disorders and disordered eating on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in the Lulu Cow Chair room. The Stone Center’s eating disorder specialist will be giving a presentation on eating disorders and disordered eating on Friday at 12:30 p.m. on there will be a body positive meditation in the Campus Center. Also on Friday, Active Minds is partnering with Mezcla and Slater for a global tea on stress and the body.

We hope to see you there, and hope that you’ve been able to attend the Ask Me Anything on Monday, colorism/color consciousness workshop on Tuesday and any of the PERA fitness classes. Regardless, we hope that you are finding ways to take care of yourselves and each other.

Follow us on Facebook and check your email to see the official Love Your Body Week spam.

Stone Center:  781-283-2839

As always, email any questions or comments to [email protected]