Lean on Me—an anonymous student-to-student texting service—will be launching at Boston College this January. The service originated at MIT when, after a string of suicides at the university, a group of students decided to create something to support student mental health.
Ashley Stauber, this year’s chair of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College’s Mental Health Committee and MCAS ’20, has prepared a two-pronged agenda: She’s aiming to both raise awareness about mental health issues and alleviate stress for students.
“To uphold the expectation that one should be always happy is a disservice and an injustice to yourself.”
In an interactive event, the first ambassador of hip hop to the U.S. State Department Toni Blackman led students in an engaging discussion about mental health in the music industry.
“In the brief, the signees argue that setting such a precedent would require these employees to make judgments they are not qualified to make.”
“Based on what seems to me to be a proper understanding of the spiritual nature of many of the “mental health” problems that affect most students, BC does an admirable job in making resources available for maintaining our emotional well-being.”
Formed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016 after a number of suicides had occurred, Lean on Me (LOM) is an active network at five major universities across the country.
The Heights Editorial Board believes that LOM BC is a promising alternative to an overbooked counseling system.
Lean On Me is currently operating at the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
With an access code, BCWelltrack, students are able to sign up, create an account for WellTrack, and begin a personalized course to improve their mood through working on skills and exercises designed to address anxiety and depression.
