What does mental health mean to you? With Bell Let\u2019s Talk Day approaching on Wednesday, Jan. 30, Brock University hopes to find out.<\/p>\n
An initiative started by Bell Canada nearly a decade ago, Bell Let\u2019s Talk Day is an opportunity to promote awareness of mental health initiatives and address the importance of ending the stigma surrounding mental health. Individuals and organizations from across Canada will be joining the conversation, including Brock University.<\/p>\n
Students, staff and faculty members are invited to share positive mental health and wellness messages by posting photos and videos of themselves on social media with the hashtags #BrockU and #BellLetsTalk.<\/p>\n
Brock\u2019s initiatives kick off Saturday, Jan. 26 at 2:15 p.m. with a Brock Badgers men\u2019s hockey game against Lakehead University at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St. Catharines. The first 100 people at the game will receive a free Bell Let\u2019s Talk toque. Fans will be encouraged to write positive messages on a large vinyl banner in the lobby and pledge to continue the mental health conversation. Speech bubbles will also be available to use in photos.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Jan. 30, a large photo frame comprised of blue and white balloons will be set up on campus in front of the chalkboard wall in Thistle Complex, across from the Brock Card office. Peer health educators will be on site between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. encouraging passersby to fill out whiteboards and conversation bubbles. These positive mental health messages will be placed on the walls and windows of Thistle Complex to inspire continued conversations at Brock. There will also be free coffee and tea as well as resources available for students, staff and faculty. The event is organized in partnership with Brock Sports, Health Management and Wellness, Student Life and Community Experience and the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre (SWAC).<\/p>\n
A similar photo experience organized by the Department of Residences will be set up in DeCew Residence Dining Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Lowenberger Residence Dining Hall from 2 to 4 p.m. Students can write messages on speech bubbles and take their pictures in a photo booth. Images will be immediately emailed for students to post on social media.<\/p>\n
Bell Let\u2019s Talk Day events will conclude with a #ConvoPlate workshop<\/a> organized by the Brock University Students\u2019 Union and SWAC, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Isaac\u2019s Bar and Grill. Participants will create decorative conversation plates and then pass them on in hopes of sparking mental health conversations. Space for the workshop is limited, so advance registration<\/a> is required.<\/p>\n The #ConvoPlate movement was initiated by the Paul Hansell Foundation in memory of a former Brock student who lost his life by suicide. The foundation\u2019s hope is that the decorative dishes make their way around the world. The plates have been passed to a number of influential people, including mental health advocate Margaret Trudeau, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In November 2017, Brock President Gervan Fearon was presented with a Convo Plate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also part of the University\u2019s Bell Let\u2019s Talk Day campaign is a video<\/a> created by SWAC that encourages positivity and features student-athletes and peer health educators.<\/p>\n