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This past Tuesday Carls gathered in the Chapel to take part in the second annual Break the Silence, organized by The Mental Health Awareness Collective (MHAC). 15 students shared stories about struggles with mental illness, reading their own, or on behalf of someone else.
Seniors Anna Zimmer and Lily Gage organized the event. Zim- mer said, “We have found that sharing stories can be a very powerful way to increase aware- ness and empathy for experiences of fellow Carls, as well as allow people a means to begin to talk about their own stories.”
The only significant change from last year they noted in the program was moving the location from the Cave to the Chapel. Last year over 200 people attended the event, filling the cave to its limits.
Trish Ferret ’17 emceed the event and said, “I was moved by the bravery and struggles that the speakers shared, but even more aware of what was not said. I know that there are still many conversations to be had on campus as it relates to mental health and I can only hope that we opened the door for those conversations to take place.”
Another student was unsure of the impact of the event saying, “it arguably doesn’t change the dia- logue greatly when a small number of students at a small tightly-knit college provide support for one another.”
MHAC plans to continue creating space for conversation about mental illness through a spring publication, and study break panels on residence hall floors.