By Caitlin Brown (RU-2026), Work-Study Student, Reinhardt Communications
This October, Reinhardt University’s Office of Prevention and Awareness recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Mental Health Day, and Alcohol Awareness Week through multiple events and opportunities designed to bring awareness to the many facets of the issues. To recognize Mental Health Day, students gathered to see a showing of ‘Inside Out 2’, a film notable for its accurate and insightful depiction of human emotions.
On October 15th, Reinhardt staff and students attended the yearly Candlelight Vigil, held in Downtown Canton and hosted by the Cherokee Family Violence Center (CFVC). This event remembers those who have lost their lives due to domestic violence. Destiny Newson (RU-2028) reflected, “Being at the candlelight was a powerful experience. With it being my first candlelight vigil, it opened my eyes and made me see things differently.” Ty Hatter, Reinhardt’s director of the Office of Prevention and Awareness further underscored the event’s importance, “We all may struggle silently, but even someone’s silence has a voice. Be the eyes for those who cannot see and be the voice for those who need help speaking up.”
In September, Reinhardt University actively supported Suicide Awareness Month. The office hosted events to encourage students to be more engaged with others and to bring the community together. The events featured a tie-dye event and a letter-writing exercise. Nearly 70 people attended the tie-dye event, which helped students connect and bring awareness to the mental health support the campus offers. Elise Moore (RU-2027), a work-study student in the Office of Prevention and Awareness, explained how it also helps prevent isolation. “The tie-dye event was to bring people out of their rooms and provide an opportunity for them to make new friends. Because some people remain in their rooms, and that could lead to depression.”
A few weeks later, the dining hall offered a table with writing materials. Students wrote letters to fellow students, or to family members or friends. Moore further explains, “It’s a way to make sure everybody knows that they are loved because not everybody feels loved. That’s why suicide prevention is a big thing because people commit suicide because they don’t feel loved or needed or that nobody sees them or wants them in the world.” The letters aim to connect students with family members that they might miss, as well as create a deeper connection with the people they see every day.
Ty Hatter notes the unique aspect of Reinhardt’s community by saying, “Reinhardt does a lot of things differently from other colleges. Here, we represent a message of not only diversity, but it’s a Reinhardt community where everyone feels like they’re family,” she says.
