As a part of Mental Health Awareness Week, the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy workshop class collaborated with the newfound Sam Houston State University chapter of Active minds to host a screening of “Silver Linings Playbook” last night.
“Silver Linings Playbook,” an academy award-nominated movie starring an A-list cast including Jennifer Lawrence, who won for best actress, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper, was released in 2012. Through a comedy-drama style, the film exhibits several mental illnesses including bipolar disorder, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Junior mass communication major Grace Ngo is part of the GCJD workshop class which hosted the event.
“[The movie] tries to make it more relatable—they’re people too,” Ngo said. “I like at the very end when Bradley Cooper says ‘everyone has a little bit of crazy in them’ and instead of rejecting it or denying it, it’s better to own it, accept it and to work through it. We should just be accepting of other people’s [mental disorders] because that’s part of who they are. And I guess it gave a window view, perspective into people with mental illnesses and disorders which is interesting and made it more relatable and you can connect with them and empathize with them.”
Prior to the screening of the film, Selina Guerra, a staff psychologist at the Sam Houston State University Counseling Center, spoke to students about the importance of mental health and advocated for a coping skills workshop the center is hosting throughout the semester. Two representatives from Active Minds also addressed the audience regarding their newly formed SHSU chapter.
In addition to the movie screening, the group will host a series of events this week to raise awareness for mental health related issues. Some of these invents include a demonstration today #LetItOut activities and a Kat Klub social night on Wednesday, a meditation session on Thursday, as well as an information table with giveaways in the Lowman Student Center Mall throughout the week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
