SMH DAY AT DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY, OCT 4 2010

Letter from the Dalhousie Student Union President

Adversity comes in many different forms and varies from one person to the next. At some point in our lives we may all face family issues, financial need, emotional problems, physical impairment, ailment or mental illness—the list goes on and on. Everyone deals with adversity differently. We can spend our time trying to avoid those struggles that will invariably occur, or we can learn how to deal with them and, whenever possible, celebrate, applaud and even laugh at them. That’s the powerful message that comes from the comedians of Stand Up For Mental Health; in laughing at our challenges we rise above them. That’s a valuable lesson for every university student to learn.

I am excited that members of the Stand Up for Mental Health program will be performing at Dal during our inaugural LiveWell@Dal Week and helping to bring the conversation about mental health into the mainstream. Often, there is stigma associated mental illness, and for that reason it is kept quiet. But the fact is, more than one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and young Canadians—particularly those aged 15 to 24 years—make up a significant part of those statistics.

It’s easy to believe that we are alone in our struggles, or that the adversity we face is entirely unique. Representing every socio-economic, gender and cultural background, the comedians in Stand Up for Mental Health prove that adversity affects everyone and, armed with courage, resilience and a killer one-liner, all of us have the power to move through it.

Sincerely,

Chris Saulnier, President
Dalhousie Student Union