It is now nearing week two of the Wings of Hope campaign, which means origami displays have taken over Bloomsburg University’s campus.

Wings of Hope is a united message of positivity and hope based on an ancient Japanese legend. It is believed that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by the gods. Cranes, doves and other birds are symbols of peace and love and over the past couple of weeks they have made their way to the BU community.

If you have not seen the birds in flight yet, check out the displays in the gathering place, bookstore, health center, and the stairway in the lobby of the student services center. 

We are also nearing week two of the Healthy Minds Study, a survey that can be found in your email inbox and you are encouraged to complete. By taking the survey, you will have the opportunity to use your voice and help BU to better understand its students’ needs.

Last summer, BU began a four-year long process with the JED Foundation. Donna & Phil Satow founded JED in 2000 after they lost their youngest son, Jed, to suicide in 1998. Their mission is to help schools build a uniform model for preventing suicide on campuses. Our local JED Campus Team is being co-led by BU Health & Wellness and the McDowell Institute. 

The practice of becoming a JED campus is designed to guide BU through a collaborative process of assessing existing struggles with mental health and substance use and building upon suicide prevention efforts on campus.

The initial gathering of data is done through the Healthy Minds Study. Getting this information from students will help BU get a clearer picture of how our students handle the stresses of college life and how well their mental and emotional health needs are being met. Even more importantly, BU will gather valuable information to help us improve mental health programs and resources on campus.

The survey takes between 25 to 30 minutes to complete. It’s 100% confidential, which means your responses cannot be traced back to you. We want to hear from you because your voice matters.