In order to continue to promote a culture of student mental health on campus, the SBA Senate Student Wellness and Programming Committee is kicking off a pilot program, “Wellness Wednesdays.” The program will consist of weekly and monthly events, on a repeating schedule, that will provide stress-relief outlets for students at the Law School.

The Wellness Wednesday kickoff panel discussion will be held on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. in the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room. The panel will consist of Dr. Matt Knauer, a clinical psychologist who has experience working with law students in Washington, DC, Dean Renee DeVigne, Professor Todd Peterson, and SBA President Theresa Bowman. After spending some time discussing some mental health issues, the floor will open to students who wish to express concerns, propose ideas, or ask questions of the panelists. Refreshments will be provided.

Wellness Wednesdays will consist of morning and afternoon programming on a repeating schedule every week. Each Wednesday morning, starting January 26, Dr. Sumer-Richards will lead a Mindfulness Meditation group in the conference room of the Student Conference Center from 11:10-11:55 a.m. Students will be able to spend forty-five minutes bringing clarity and context to usher in the rest of their week. No prior meditation experience is necessary.

In the afternoons, the Committee has planned a slate of events on a repeating monthly basis. This semester, the first Wednesday of each month will have cooking competitions; the second Wednesdays have roundtables on student mental health; the third Wednesdays will have team trivia competitions; and the fourth Wednesdays will be Wii Sports days. In addition, the Committee will be planning a monthly nighttime hallmark event to make sure evening students and L.L.Ms don’t have to miss out.

The program was prompted by a study conducted by Professor Todd Peterson in collaboration with David Mitchell, Class of 2011 and former SBA Senator. Inspired by their concerns about the high incidence of substance abuse and depression among lawyers and law students, the SBA Senate passed the David Mitchell Student Mental Wellness Act, which created the Student Wellness and Programming Committee and charged it with working with the Office of Student Affairs and the University psychologist assigned to the law school on creating wellness programming on campus.

Events will be coupled with information regarding mental health issues in the law profession, as well as helpful information about nutrition and wellness.

The Committee is excited to kick off its semester of programs and hopes to have as much student involvement as possible. If students have any questions, comments, or concerns, or if anyone is interested in volunteering, please contact Student Wellness and Programming Committee Chairman, Nick Nikic, at nnikic@law.gwu.edu.

Look out for e-mails about upcoming programming, and flyers on the bulletin boards on campus. We hope to see you at our events!