Mental health is a common university buzzword, but it’s a lot harder to make discussion of mental health personal. Under the Surface aims to create an outlet for Harvard students who want to share their experiences with mental health or who are passionate about mental health advocacy.
Under the Surface’s mission is to create an inclusive forum that promotes awareness and dialogue about mental health within the Harvard community through literature and art. By creating this forum, our intention is to destigmatize mental health and change the campus climate regarding mental health. By making space for these voices, we’re sending the message to students that they belong at this institution, and that mental health is a collective issue rather than an individual one. Our aim is to illuminate that mental health is multidimensional by allowing voices to be heard and experiences to be shared.
Though we are an undergraduate-run organization, we welcome submissions from students at any of Harvard’s schools. The founders of Under the Surface derived inspiration for the publication from The Yale Layer and received invaluable guidance from their team.