On March 1, West Liberty University (WLU) held a Mental Health Celebration in the Union Ballroom. The event ran from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with speakers and presentations given. This event was a creation of Dr. Douglas McCall with a collaboration from other departments on campus such as the Art Therapy and Counseling, Dance, English, Media & Visual Arts and Theatre. McCall created this event to highlight the importance of mental health and to celebrate the idea of why mental health matters.

The event was kicked off with a display of multiple pieces of art created by students of WLU. The artworks were all based around different depictions of the mind and mental health. After that, a concert was given by the WLU Singers directed by McCall. The chorus sang a melody from the hit broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen”. Then, different members of the theater department read poetry of people who struggled with mental health and shared their story.

The guest speaker, WLU alumni John Antal, spoke about the importance of taking care of our mental health and how to prevent things such as burn out. He emphasized how taking care of the mind and our body is highly important, especially as college students.

Finally, the mental health celebration was closed with one final piece from the WLU singers called “The Mental Health Suite”. Following their performance, a small reception was held for who all attended and refreshments were provided. This celebration was the first to go on at The Hilltop and it is hoped to continue annually to bring awareness to the importance of mental health.