SLP Mind creates safe space for students
Club provides mental health accommodations
January 30, 2020
Noticing the stigma around mental health in society, junior Emma Heinzen said she felt passionate about starting a club that provides a space for students to connect and act on mental health issues.
“I feel like a lot of people think that they’re alone in dealing with (mental health), but everyone has a lot in common and it would be beneficial to have a safe space to talk about it with peers,” Heinzen said.
According to SLP Mind adviser Beckah Noble, she wanted to be involved with the club because of her own struggles with mental health. Noble said she wants to model the importance of self-care to students.
“One of my mantras is I can’t give what I don’t have. I want to model taking care of one’s own spirit, mind and heart,” Noble said. “So it’s important to me that kids don’t feel so alone if they are experiencing some of those same things, because when I was in high school, I really didn’t feel like I could name that.”
Heinzen said in addition to hosting discussions, the club plans on making random acts of kindness to spread positivity around the school.
“Writing little notes, putting them around the school to kind of spread positivity. Also maybe doing a yoga day, making self-care calendars and sometimes a coloring day or something calming before school,” Heinzen said.
Junior Macy Martinson, one of the club leaders, said her goals for the club include improving and addressing student-teacher relationships.
“We would also like to be able to use the club as a communicator between students and staff. Try to get some things done and improve the relationship between students and teachers,” Martinson said. “I think it’d be really cool if we had teachers come into a meeting and all do an activity together.”
Noble said she sees a lot of similarities between the problems students and teachers have with each other.
“I see students feeling like a lot is asked of them. I also see teachers feeling like a lot is asked of them. And so if you just have a lot of really worn out, overwhelmed people, where’s the joy in that?” Noble said.
While the club hopes to improve mental health accommodations at the high school, Heinzen said she recognizes that the issue began in earlier education years.
“We didn’t really get introduced to (mental health) in middle school and they don’t really talk about it too much. I think it would be good if they teach it to us earlier,” Heinzen said.
Martinson said she hopes the club can target lowerclassmen who haven’t yet learned how to cope with mental health problems.
“I think it’s important because I’m a junior, and I’ve been through it just like the rest of us. I think it’d be great to help out some younger students who haven’t really figured it out for themselves yet and just give them some advice,” Martinson said.
The next SLP Mind meeting will be held 7:45 a.m Jan. 31 in the Learning Lab. SLP Mind plans to meet every other Friday and meetings are open to all.
