SPOM. It sounds like SPAM, but it’s healthier for you.

Stanford Peace of Mind (SPOM), a student group that was started two years ago, is looking to have its most productive year yet. According to SPOM co-President Mirra Schwartz ‘09, part of SPOM’s mission is to normalize the discussion of mental health on campus. The second facet is an outreach program for imprisoned men and women.

A Psychology and Neurobiology major, Schwartz became involved with SPOM last year, though the group’s goals did not come to fruition then. She and fellow co-President Supriya Misra ‘07 decided to revive the group this year.

“Our hope is to bring up a problem that is taboo and underrepresented on campus,” Schwartz said.

Last year’s SPOM poster proclaimed: “Draw the line between the disorder and the person. [SPOM is] committed to decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness among undergraduates at Stanford.”

Larkin Resident Assistant (RA) Sarah Victor ‘08 said that students often do not utilize on-campus resources such as The Bridge Peer Counseling Center and their dorm staff members.

“They feel like they can just handle it on their own,” she said.

One member of Mirror, a body-image and disordered eating awareness group, said that often, students would like to know how they should go about talking to their peers.

Schwartz continued to mention the “Stanford duck syndrome,” the oft-cited metaphor that describes appearing serene on the surface but paddling furiously underneath to stay afloat.

While school administrators have tried to efface the fears of incoming students and encourage them to seek help, SPOM is currently the only student group reaching out to the community to cover a wide range of mental health issues.

In addition to reaching out to those in the Stanford community, SPOM’s other goal is to conduct writing workshops with prisoners in the Bay Area.

Schwartz got the workshop idea from Jill McDonough, a Stegner Fellow who has done similar workshops in the past.

“Research has shown how beneficial narrative writing can be,” Schwartz said.

To spread campus-wide awareness, the group will host panel discussions, the first of which will be directed at Stern Hall residents on Feb. 25 in the Larkin lounge.

“We can’t have any sort of change without awareness,” Schwartz said.

Panelists will include current Stanford students and recent graduates who have struggled with or were directly affected by mental health issues while in college.

“No one’s normal,” said Sophie Hwang ‘08, a SPOM member.

If you would like to become involved in SPOM, contact Schwartz at meschwar@stanford.edu.