Wednesday's screening of "It's Kind of a Funny Story" led students not to laughter, but to questions about mental health.
Earlier this semester, Jacob Blum '13 and Matt Silton '13 introduced a club charter for a Bowdoin chapter of Active Minds, a national organization.
With adviser Bernie Herschberger, director of counseling services, Active Minds seeks to bring awareness to mental illness and stress.
"On the Bowdoin campus, mental health and illness are not often talked about, and we tend to find weird vibes surrounding the Health and Counseling Centers," said Blum.
"We really wanted to be part of changing the stigma around Bowdoin's services and around mental health in general," he continued.
In honor of National Stress Out Day yesterday, Blum and Silton chose to screen "It's Kind of a Funny Story" as their inaugural event.
"The film depicts mental illness in pop culture," said Silton, and brings light to the prevalence of anxiety and depression in contemporary times.
After the screening, attendees were debriefed by members of the Counseling Center who facilitated a discussion about mental health and illness as they affect Bowdoin students.
Blum was enthusiastic about reaching a wide audience.
He hoped this and future events attract all members of the community, not simply those affiliated with the club.
Active Minds, in conjunction with the Bowdoin Film Society and the Counseling Center, organized and sponsored the event.
"The better attendance we get and the better cross section of the campus we get, the better discussions we can have," he said.
-Compiled by Karoline Dubin.