On Thursday, Oct. 22, the Active Minds club hosted Smash the Stigma at the Smith Hall patio. The hour-long event consisted of a fire to make s’mores and pumpkins.
On the pumpkins, attendees could write mental health stigmas or anything they needed to get off their chest. Then, participants would smash them, effectively releasing any pent-up emotions.
The whole purpose of this event was to bring awareness to stigmas surrounding mental health. Freshman Ximena Ortega Soto, an Active Minds member, was excited to be at the event.
“I personally enjoyed making s’mores and the overall vibes,” Ortega Soto said. There were a limited number of pumpkins available at the event, but to get around this, participants would reuse the large pieces left behind by smashed pumpkins.
“I do wish there were more pumpkins for more people to write on. Other than that, it was awesome,” Ortega Soto said.
Sophomore Emma Schuele, president of Active Minds, shared, “Smash the Stigma is for everyone, it is kind of like a burn your trauma event, but you get to smash pumpkins! I thought the event went well and that we had a decent turnout,” Schuele said.
Overall, the s’mores were a hit, and plenty of people were able to smash their stigmas.
