The junior class officers hosted the inaugural “21 Talks,” a wellness seminar centered around the idea of open communication and mental health, last Thursday, Jan. 23. The Shackleford Auditorium held a panel set-up while the floor had a group discussion set up. The first portion of the seminar involved the panelists sitting down and answering previously submitted questions with a group, and the second portion involved the actual panel.

Madison Meeks, Junior Class President, came up with the idea of 21 Talks, and is excited about the positive influence that it will have on the school.

“I started 21 Talks to give more light to mental wellness. It’s kind of forced by the administration upon us and then it’s kind of abandoned,” Meeks said. “When we think of wellness we think of an orange card and going out to the gym, so I wanted to do 21 Talks to give people a soundboard. I wanted it to allow people to expand outside of their social circles to talk more about their struggles in this very, very high-pressure environment.”

The panel was composed entirely of seniors, including Linda Arnoldus, Cameron Thomas, Tiwaniya Tyler, Reggie Zheng, Ada Fulgham, Kresha Patel and Niamke Buchanan. The panelists took turns answering questions from the audience and discussing their small groups once on stage, and the wide range of opinions offered on questions created a diverse set of advice. This particular 21 Talks was based on advice directed to juniors. However, many seniors still attended the event and enjoyed the event.

“I enjoyed talking to the juniors that I haven’t talked to before, and giving them advice about their upcoming senior year. Overall, it was a worthwhile experience,” Alden Wiygul, a senior, said.

Patel voiced the importance of seminars like this, as she believes that learning to balance different aspects at MSMS can prove difficult.

“The reason why I liked the idea of this seminar is that the juniors are able to get first-hand advice from seniors who have already experienced the troubles that the juniors face. As a junior, I wish that we had something like this,” she said.

Issues addressed during the seminar included college choices, managing stress, MSMS rules regarding gender identity and religious acceptance. On the issue of stress, Linda Arnoldus discussed the radical idea that relaxation is a form of productivity, an idea that impacted many students. When asked about her contribution, Arnoldus said, “I think that a lot of people think of relaxation as counterproductive or lazy, but the more you work you do, the less productive you’re being because you exhaust yourself. Relaxation is essential because it recharges you and allows you to work better.”

“If you can’t relax, you can’t get your work done. Hearing Linda talk about her similar experience regarding the need to be busy made me realize that I am not alone in this reality,” junior Adriana Mays said.

The next 21 Talks date is currently undecided, but the junior class officers are in the process of planning the next one, and they look forward to another large turnout.