The Davis Centre has received a much-needed face lift thanks to an installation of mental health balloons.
Speech Communication students Art Tso and Andrew Cen set up the balloons, turning a class project into motivational art for the rest of UW to enjoy. The balloons feature attached messages promoting positive mental health, written by UW students.
Tso and Cen have personally experienced difficulty with mental health, with both citing past academic problems as a result of stress. Cen also struggled with depression, which went undiagnosed until his third year at university.
Their personal experiences, as well as a growing student concern for mental health in the wake of the student death March 20, inspired the project.
“When I think of balloons, I think of something fun and happy, and the colours [of the balloons] are actually the faculty colours,” Tso said. “We wanted to make DC more colourful, so people will have more fun when they come over to study,”
“If you feel like you’re struggling, and you don’t know what it is, seek help. We do have a lot of services, they just aren’t well advertised,” Cen said. “Aside from that, don’t worry too much about exams coming up, and do your best.”
“Don’t stress — there’s always a way through these kinds of problems.,” Tso added. “Talk more to people and you’ll get it,” Tso added.
Tso and Cen haven’t received clearance from the university for the installation, so how long the balloons will stay up remain to be seen.
