The University of Memphis Active Minds chapter gathered at a booth in the University Center on Wednesday equipped with a mirror, some sticky notes and a scale with the hope that they could change the lives of students.
At the table, students were encouraged to weigh themselves on an unconventional scale. It didn't reveal a numerical weight-it displayed adjectives such as "awesome" or "super" to describe the people who braved the scales.
"My word was 'fun'," Kyle Cobb, freshman health and human performance major, said.
According to Cobb, the numbers on a scale have meanings that make people feel a certain way-either good or bad. By taking away the numbers, Active Minds is seeking to change the way people feel about weight and the social connotations that go along with them.
The organization is a national group advocating for awareness of students with mental health issues. They seek to raise awareness about suicide, eating disorders and other mental health issues.
"We want the people on campus to know that they are beautiful," Rachel Townsend, freshman member of Active Minds, said.
This week, the organization seeks to encourage and direct students to a better way of thinking about their image.
"We set up here to support National Eating Disorders Awareness week," President Of Active Minds Kimberlyn Brown said.
Shamyra Donald, a recent graduate of the University's Department of Psychology, returned to campus to support Active Minds in their efforts.
"I came back because these issues affect everyone. Body image is important because it is tied to social stigmas, eating issues, low self-esteem and mental health," she said.
According to Brown, the idea of perfection is evident in the stereotype that everyone should be beautiful. This is what creates bad body image perceptions by offering a fictional example of what it means to be beautiful.
"So often we are told that we should be a certain size, weight or even that we should be someone else," Brown said.
Brown is no stranger to the feeling of not being perfect.
"I totally understand how someone can feel that they're not necessarily good enough," she said. "But we are all special."
Townsend, like many others, related to that feeling.
"I have always held negative opinions of my body," she said.
She chose to join Active Minds because of their uplifting outlook. The organization's positivity helped her recognize that while no one can be perfect, she is beautiful.
The main goal, according to Donald, is to provide resources for students. By seeing their table in the UC, they hope that students find accurate information about how to seek help and know that they are never alone.
"We should all embrace who we are," Brown said. "That's what Active Minds is all about."
