Finding Gratitude: Scrapbooking and Journaling During Gratitude Wednesday

By Jake Eberhart

Upon arrival at the Harbor Center, students will find couches and chairs that form a circle, enclosing two tables in the center of the room. The room is illuminated by candles, dim lamps and string lighting, presenting a cozy and comfortable vibe for attendees.

Visitors are welcomed with positivity and presented with notebooks, glue sticks, scissors and magazines that are neatly organized on a table ready to be.

Table layout at Gratitude Wednesday. (Photo by Jake Eberhart)

This is the site of Gratitude Wednesday, where mental health is the main focus. Here, students can choose between scrapbooking, journaling or simply talking with peers and friends.

“It’s a place for social and anti-social students to get out of their dorms,” said Claudia Beasley, a senior communications major and a health promotion intern who created the event.

Beasley said she wanted to create an environment that didn’t force students to focus on a particular subject, letting them pick and choose between options.

“I put a prompt on the board to give people a starting point if they don’t know what to write about,” she said. “This is an opportunity for anyone to release their struggles and frustrations on paper.

Students aren’t obligated to complete any tasks; there is no mandatory objective. It is a relaxing and laid-back environment meant to give people a place to socialize after classes.

“It is very relaxing and enjoyable,” said Kayley Shanks, a senior creative writing and literature major. “It is a place where I can go to talk with my friends and enjoy my nights.”

Shanks worked on her scrapbook for the majority of the session, finding pictures and quotes from magazines that were interesting to her.

She wrapped up her night by finding crossword puzzles from magazines and working on them either there or back at her dorm. This is a place where you can be yourself and enjoy doing the things you like to do.

Kayley Shanks working on a scrapbook. (Photo by Jake Eberhart)

Notebooks are presented as an option for attendees to store either their journals or scrapbooks. It is encouraged that students take home their notebooks and bring them back for when they return the following Wednesday. If notebooks aren’t their style, then there is colorful construction paper ready for the same work.

“Most of the time, I prefer to draw, but it’s nice to have options,” said Emerick Taber, an alumnus.

Students scrapbooking. (Photo by Claudia Beasley)

A small wooden container holds around 50 magazines to choose from. This is where students can get ideas for their scrapbooks; they find a picture they like, cut it out and then glue it to the page in their notebook or construction paper. It is as simple as cutting and pasting.

While scrapbooking, students can search for different pictures relating to a certain topic, such as the beach or animals. Students can find pictures that have a strong meaning to them or use whatever pictures they like best.

Gratitude Wednesdays take place every week and will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 136 in the Harbor Center. Beasley is the host of each event and encourages students to show up, even if scrapbooking and journaling aren’t their strong suit.

“We are here for people who are having problems with school, work, relationships or any other issues that are important to them,” said Beasley.