HCHC Hosts Second Annual Fresh Check Day

The Office of Spiritual Formation and Counseling Services, in collaboration with the Office of Student Life, sponsored HCHC’s second annual Fresh Check Day on March 8. These fun-filled events, held on many college campuses around the country, serve a serious purpose: to promote students’ mental well-being and make them aware of the resources available to them at school, in the community, and nationally. “We spend most of our time on intellectual and spiritual activities here at HCHC,” says Dr. Bob Murray of the OSFCS, “so this is an opportunity to learn about mental health issues in our society.”

Each booth in the brightly decorated Reading Room focused on a particular aspect of mental health through thought-provoking interactive exercises, most of them created by HCHC students and staff. For example, the prevention of suicide–an urgent concern on campuses everywhere–was addressed in part by asking attendees how they would talk to friends contemplating taking their own lives. The booth dedicated to alcohol safety brought home the dangers of impairment not only with printed material but also with ‘beer goggles’ that mimic the effects of excessive drinking.

The day offered a variety of opportunities to learn coping skills for stress and some entertaining hands-on outlets too. One booth invited people to “Paint Your Art Out” and have fun with Play-Doh. Three trained therapy dogs were hugged by just about every person in the room. Giveaways included bright t-shirts, abundant treats, and a variety of prizes.

Fresh Check Day is the signature program of the Jordan Porco Foundation, named for a young man who took his own life as a college freshman.