One club SVSU offers to students is Active Minds. Jamie McArthur, third-year criminal justice major and Active Minds President, explained what the club is all about.
“Active Minds is a mental health organization on campus that strives to educate, support, and promote resources to the campus community in order for them to utilize these in times of struggles or other needs,” she said. “We’re here to make sure students know they aren’t alone– that there’s always someone in their corner– whether it’s the peer support of Active Minds, or even the Mental Health and Wellness Center.”
McArthur explained the structure of the organization.
“We [Active Minds] are overseen by Brett Boswinkle, Director of Campus Mental Health & Wellness Center,” she stated. “We also do a lot of collaborating with their department as well, but overall, the lesson we’re trying to give is that there are resources out there and opportunities to educate oneself and others for both themselves and their friends’ sake.”
When asked how McArthur became involved with Active Minds, she mentioned how she joined her freshman year,
“I joined as a general member, telling myself to try to get involved with at least three organizations,” she said. “One for fun, one for leisure, and one for my mental health, and one for academics, and Active Minds ended up being right up my alley. Everyone is just so kind and welcoming, and really just wants to help others.”
Looking ahead, McArthur was excited to share about future opportunities to get involved with Active Minds.
“We will be doing a Coffee House [with the Program Board] highlighting mental health on October 10th, and in November we are also partnering with the Office of Military Student Affairs to write letters to veterans.”
She explained the outreach the RSO has already been doing around campus.
“This semester so far, we’ve done our Empty Chairs Display, on September 1st for Suicide Prevention Month,” she said. “There were thirteen chairs set up for the thirteen college students who passed each year by suicide. On each chair, we had statistics, stories, ways to help, and ways to use mindful language for students to be educated on suicide prevention. We also did tie-dying and vision boards.”
McArthur reflected on her time in the RSO, and how it changed her life so far.
“Being a part of Active Minds changed my trajectory at SVSU immensely, when I first came to the University, I was originally thinking of doing corporate law and wanted to go more into that aspect, but now, my post-degree dreams are to go into mental health law,” she said “There are about twenty-three mental health courts in the United States. I think mental health and mental health courts are extremely important, but mental health in prisons and the criminal justice field overall is underrepresented.”
McArthur gave students advice on the topic.
“Always remember resources are available, and that if you see something, say something. Speak out because you never know if you could save a life.”
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