Channeling Mrs. Doubtfire: Challenge raises suicide awareness in memory of Robin Williams
October 1, 2014
By Anne Halliwell
In the name of suicide prevention, 42 students, staff and administrators took pies to the face during Tuesday’s Wildcat Wellness and Suicide Prevention Fair.
The fair, held by the UK Counseling Center, brought booths from campus and community resources like University Health Services, UK Student Wellness Ambassadors and the Lexington Healing Arts Academy onto the Student Center patio.
Counseling Center staff partook in the Doubtfire Face for Suicide Prevention Challenge, smushing “pies” of whipped cream into their own faces in reference to actor Robin Williams’ role in “Mrs. Doubtfire” and challenged students and staff to be filmed doing so as well.
Staff psychologist and coordinator of career counseling Megan Marks said she was challenged by a member of another university’s counseling staff and, instead of completing the challenge on her own, decided to make it part of the campus-wide event.
“It’s very lighthearted, and sometimes that’s where people are, in wanting to hear about a topic,” Marks said. “Students tend to enjoy being silly and being in videos.”
Vice president of student affairs Robert Mock and student body president Jake Ingram also took pies to the face, Marks said.
International studies and history junior Matthew Whisman completed the Doubtfire challenge after seeing a poster featuring Robin Williams in Patterson Office Tower.
“Robin Williams is my childhood hero,” Whisman said. “We went up and were like, ‘Can we do it?’”
As a member of UK’s chapter of the Sigma Pi fraternity, whose philanthropy goals pertain directly to suicide prevention, Whisman said the cause was one almost anyone could relate to, since suicide affects the family of the victim and even the community at large.
“I think everyone’s affected by suicide,” Whisman said. “I think this is a good way to raise awareness … and it’s fun, it’s not ‘please donate money’ over and over again — it’s different.”
While Marks said there had been some controversy about the challenge because of the heavy topic, she said she believes the awareness it brings is a good thing.
“One thing that we were hoping is that students understand that suicide is preventable,” Marks said.
Senior biology major and president of UK Student Wellness Ambassadors Haley Wehder said SWA likes to partner with the Counseling Center, especially now that the organization is trying to branch into mental health.
“Just from what we’ve learned in our organization, suicide is a bigger problem than we know about because it’s a silent problem,” Wehder said. “It’s good to get the word out.”
