Students, faculty and staff can watch a horror movie with members of a mental health awareness club at “A Horror Movie Watch Party with Active Minds” 3:45-5:15 p.m. Oct. 26 in Room 223 of the Central Academic Building.
Attendees will vote on a movie in the public domain due to copyright laws, such as “Night of the Living Dead” (1968), “Nosferatu” (1922) and “Little Shop of Horrors” (1960).
The event, which includes free snacks, allows students to bond with each other in a safe space, said Logan Adams, president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s chapter of Active Minds.
Adams says the organization is the only student-led mental health awareness group on campus, and helps the A&M-San Antonio community with both educational and social events.
“We strive to really, just, raise awareness about mental health and provide space for students who need a social support system,” Adams said. “We really like to connect with students and provide them with an environment where they’re able to be open about whatever is on their mind and just, you know, be a part of this community.”
While the contents of a horror movie may be unnerving to some students, the goal of the event is to provide a comforting environment, and to connect with peers.
“It can just be very beneficial for students to have time to relax and decompress with fellow students,” Adams said. “It shouldn’t be too serious, and more of just an event that serves more leisurely purposes.”
This is the first time that Active Minds is hosting an event like this, according to Adams, and if it does well, then Active Minds will seek to host similar events in the future.
“We find that students typically respond most positively to the social events, and since Halloween is right around the corner, … this is a wonderful opportunity to really just branch out to the students of TAMUSA and get people wanting to socialize with each other,” Adams said. “Maybe if they have a good experience at this event … they will feel more compelled to come to some of our other events.”
While an RSVP is not required to attend, students can RSVP for the event on JagSync: https://tamusa.campuslabs.com/engage/event/9451266
For more information, visit the Active Minds JagSync page, https://www.tamusa.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/activeminds, email Adams at ladam016@jaguar.tamu.edu or follow the club on Instagram, @activemindstamusa.
