Still, We Run!

Mental health awareness is a rising conversation that deserves special emphasis in today’s everevolving society. With a quarter of the world’s population regularly struggling with it because of its potency to affect everyone regardless of age, sexual orientation, race, religion or creed. Awareness is definitely not the solution to this ever-growing problem but it definitely does two really amazing things to humanity; it provides hope and support for the victims of mental health and it sheds light on the sufferings of these victims whilst destigmatizing mental health issues and as well as debunking the myths that come along with them.

As part of their initiative to bring light to mental health awareness, Taylor’s College Student Council (TCSC) organized, Still, We RUN!, a charity run which was a pioneer event held in the lush, green and nature oriented campus of the University of Malaya where 90% of its profits were channeled to the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) to support its mental health screenings, rehabilitation services and as well as, its public education activities.

“The theme of mental health awareness carried by Still, We RUN! was introduced to battle the various mental health problems such as anxiety disorders and depression that council members have observed among their social circle and other college students. We believed that it was part of our responsibility as the college’s student council to address this problem and bring it to light as the first step of combatting this problem,” explains Mr. Sanjay Mogan, Project Manager of Still, We RUN!. He further added that TCSC, incorporated the idea into a fitness event as exercising is a proven method to de-stress.

Another important feature of Still, We RUN! was the message it brings forth alongside it’s tagline and eye-catching design elements such as banners, bunting and medals. The tagline, “Pain is Real but so is Hope” according to Mr. Sanjay, conveys the message that there is hope in every moment of darkness and it is our job as a society to give those in need of help the hope that they deserve. This is absolutely true in cases where the victims of mental health issues rarely get the support needed especially from their loved ones.

Further elaborating on the important design elements was Mr. Joshua Ang ZhiYuan, Head of Design for the event. “Still, We RUN! is a charity run organised to raise awareness for mental health in this current era of globalization. So in the early phases of curating a visual identity for the run, we thought that the visual components needed to reflect the event’s overarching theme which was mental health awareness. Green was chosen to be a major visual component as it is the color for mental health awareness.” “Another striking component that is present throughout most of the designs for Still, We RUN! are the teal glows. This was done on purpose to reflect the tagline; ‘Pain is Real but so is Hope’ or more, specifically, the overarching theme of hope. Teal glows were used in contrast to the pitch black background to create an imagery of there being light the dark which basically gives a glimmer of hope to anyone experiencing mental health issues. One of the fonts that were selected to be consistent in Still We RUN!’s visual identity is NCAA George Fox Bruins. This font was chosen in particular for two purposes, its boldness, which is a reminder to step out of your comfort zone and to reflect it being a sports event as the font has a visual correlation to the sports activities. Still We RUN! has a striking visual identity in which the strong contrast between color really help make the designs stand out. I’d like to think that the stark contrast captures the attention of the audience and raise greater awareness for mental health as the important issue it is.”, he explains.

This run consists of two categories being the 5 km and 10 km run and it’s actually far from being your typical oh-so-ordinary charity run. Still, We RUN! set the bar higher and invited the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) to provide a talk on mental health issues in Malaysia and provided a free mental health screening on the day of the event. This thoughtful event was further graced by Ms. Charmaine Chew, as the ambassador for the event and as well as Miss International Malaysia 2019. Due to her presence and insightful speech prior to flag-off, TCSC really hoped that the participants would be aware of the severity of mental health issues in the nation and as well around the globe.

Of course, behind every successful event, there would be various obstacles faced and TCSC was never short of that too.“ There were numerous challenges that we faced during the planning and execution stages of this event. Some include disagreements among members, unavailability of important event venues, inability to obtain approval for certain routes, workload clashing with class assignments and exams and time constraints. However, through proper work allocation, effective meetings, calm discussions and teamwork, we managed to pull through every obstacle which ultimately led to the event’s success.” stated Mr. Sanjay.

Do take note that this big-scaled event was organized by college students between the ages of 16-19. This is no easy feat but TCSC managed to overcome all odds for the sole sake of contributing and giving back to the society.

Ms. Ameris Liang Mei Jin, Assistant Project Manager for Still, We RUN! had some interesting information and feedback to share too regarding this amazing event.

“Since Miss Charmaine Chew had supported our run, I think that the people who participated would realize how important it is to have a high awareness on mental health issues. The free mental health screening provided by MMHA also encouraged lots of people to get to know themselves more and I think it is an important step for them to avoid mental health issues and tackle them proactively. It was a tough journey since June but we wouldn’t be able to do it without everyone’s help. I really appreciate it even though it’s a little help, but it really impacted a lot for our event. Although there were many ups and downs throughout the planning process and on the event day itself, thank you everyone for staying together, working together and not giving up on each other.”

This is indeed true in a materialistic world where a whole lot of people,especially the millenials of this day and age fail to decipher the importance of a healthy mind in their daily lives.

When asked about TCSC’s future projects, here’s Ms. Ameris’ say in it, “ As I’m going to step down as the Director of Event Management for TCSC on

March, there is no any big projects coming up by my batch. However, I hope that my junior members will plan something real big and impactful not only to Taylor’s student, but also to the society.”

Nevertheless, TCSC’s initiative to set-up this charity run is truly applaudable and deserves a standing ovation by itself. However, if there was one thing that I’ve learnt from this event, it would be the fact that an amazing team spirit with new perspectives would bring out the best in any events. This is my take from TCSC itself and also, Still, We RUN! These wonderful people from three different generations of TCSC, set their differences aside and managed to host a visionary event whilst uplifting each other in their own special ways. Teamwork has always been the keyword in TCSC and I’m glad that this could be a revolutionary example to anyone regardless of who or where they’re from.

Want to know more about Taylor's College Student Council and their social initiatives? Hop on to their website at www.tcsc-taylors.com , Facebook page (Taylor’s College Student Council) and Instagram page (@tcscstudentcouncil) to find out more.