We have hosted a variety of events including yoga nights, gingerbread house construction, and concerts. Happy Hour supports members’ mental health in a variety of ways, creating an opportunity to learn about mental health and share resources.
“Conversations like this that we have in our meetings only create a safe space for students to share their stories and listen to others, and that these struggles are normal.” and reinforces the idea that no one is truly alone,” said Gabriela Barclay. She is the club’s vice president of outreach and a senior majoring in psychology and theater.
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Safia Zaman, a senior communications major, founded the club in January 2022 after experiencing gaps in connecting students with mental health resources. Zaman said she had trouble finding a therapist in Los Angeles after she moved from Houston to the University of Southern California.
“We heard students say they tried to attend USC, but it was difficult,” said Zaman, the club’s president. “I wanted to bridge that gap and make that process smoother and easier, because I believe everyone should get the help they need and there shouldn’t be such barriers. Because there is.”
The club focuses on normalizing mental health issues among college students through dialogue with experts and club members. They also have a list of LA Mental Health’s resources on his website.
Happy Hour was established using funds awarded from the Kaleigh Finnie Memorial Endowment Fund. Established in 2019, the fund supports students in the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism who work to advance conversations about mental health.
Happy hour speakers included former University of Southern California athlete Victoria Garrick Brown, who spoke about depression and anxiety, and memory formation researcher Caroline Leaf.
This year, the organization hosted “Kind Fest” and “What a Wonderful Thing to Be an Annenberg Student,” which had some of the largest numbers of participants. The event was produced in partnership with Annenberg, which provided additional funding for production costs and guest speakers.
For Kind Fest, The Happy Hour hosted Rachel’s Challenge, an organization focused on combating bullying and violence in schools.
“I’ve heard a lot about Rachel’s Challenge and it’s nationally known,” Barclay said. “We knew this was a bigger deal and would cost more money. So we decided to: A. Obtain the funding and B. Deliver this very important presentation to a wider audience. We thought, ‘If we’re going to do that, why not combine this with other organizations or other departments of the school that we can?’ Are you going to make this into something bigger? ”
The event has the slogan “A kind Trojan is a Trojan like me,” and will feature T-shirts, snacks, watercolors, and a “kindness tree” where students can leave encouraging messages for each other. It was prepared. Participants were asked to create a chain reaction of kindness. Zaman hopes Kind Fest becomes an annual event.
“I want to see this event continue to grow,” Zaman said. So I’m not going to stop, but I definitely have high expectations. ”
The group’s meetings include conversations about academic burnout, eating disorders, and sexual violence, often coinciding with activities aimed at promoting health. Recently, the group discussed how to deal with members who are having anxiety about graduation or other major life changes.
Happy Hour coordinates events to further the goal of promoting student wellness and promoting mental health. The club wanted to provide a relaxation space for students with yoga events, and held a concert in November 2022 to raise money for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
“So many people struggle with anxiety,” said Sophia Marriott, the club’s fundraising and outreach coordinator and a senior majoring in film and television production. She said, “I feel like there’s a space where they can talk about it, rest their heads, do yoga outside, listen to presentations, talk to speakers, ask questions of speakers. [is] It was really helpful. ”
As many of the board members prepare to graduate, the club hopes to continue its efforts to support mental health on campus. Zaman particularly wants more support for embedded counselors. The program is implemented in select schools and student spaces to support students with challenges specific to their field of study or identity.
“Having it at each school instead of doing it across the University of Southern California makes it more personal, easier, and less scary to reach out to because we can actually make one-on-one connections with each other. ,” Zaman said.
Other leaders said they hope to continue to destigmatize conversations around mental health and be more kind and tolerant of individuals caring for their mental health.
“[We are] We continue to make sure student voices are heard, validate student experiences, and create safe spaces on campus,” Professor Berkeley said. “It starts with happy hour, but we hope it extends to our classrooms and administration as well.”
