DJ Scrappy’s music played throughout campus during the Bulldogs Healthy Together event on Wednesday, Nov. 10, as students gathered in front of the Henry Madden Library for a chance to get goodies such as ice cream and succulents.
The event prioritized wellness throughout the pandemic and served as a reminder of the importance of unity among Bulldogs.
Organizers wanted to raise awareness about the importance of well-being, self-care and mental health.
“We know there is an increase in depression, and even suicide rates during the pandemic,” said Beatriz Montez, a graduate student who helped organize the event.
During the hourlong event several booths were set up, catering to the theme of the event: ‘Healthy Together.’
“It gets the word out,” said Zena Abdallah, who managed a booth for mental health awareness. “Some students aren’t aware they have resources for mental health and COVID-19 that are most likely free [and] that could be useful to them.”
There was also a “post a note, take a note” whiteboard where students were able to give encouragement to others and take one to carry with them throughout the day if they chose to
“We designed a mental health board with self-care recommendations such as eating healthy, exercising, meditation, coping techniques and so on,” Montez said.
The event was coordinated by two classes of Graduate Social Work students, who collaborated and merged the ideas of providing COVID-19 related information and resources to students. They also acknowledged the need to prioritize students’ mental health
The students distributed COVID-19 “survival kits” containing thermometers, masks, hand sanitizers and informational packets on how to stay safe during the pandemic.
“The event was a success due to a successful collaboration between 39 master of social work students, and their partners, such as the Social Work Student Association (SWSA),” Montez said.
The AlegrÃa Mental Health Task Force, one of the sponsors of the event, provided free donuts for students and a chance to purchase a drink from a Dutch Bros. truck.
Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, creator of the task force, spoke earlier this semester with The Collegian about the series of health-focused events AlegrÃa hoped to participate in.
“[These events] destigmatize the notion of mental health, but then the second part would be to really bring the community [together], to inform the community and to re-create the notion of who we are as Bulldogs,” Jiménez-Sandoval said.
Nadia Lopez distributed free succulents and aromatherapy candles to students.
Lopez said organizers chose succulents and candles to encourage students to practice self-care as finals season approaches.
Students led by yoga instructor Lauren Beatty had an opportunity to participate in yoga and meditation at the Peace Garden.
The goal was to allow both faculty and students who participated to have a break from the stress and enjoy a few minutes of calm.
The event also extended to a virtual Q&A session later in the evening, led by graduate students Carlos Mendoza and Andrea Feria-Zurita.
“We held a live Q&A Zoom event, open to the community, debunking COVID-19 vaccine myths with a doctor from the Family HealthCare Network in both English and Spanish,” Montez said.
Other event support came from ASI, the Social Work Department, the Social Work Student Association, AlegrÃa Mental Health Task Force, the Nursing Department, the Student Health and Counseling Center and more.