By Anusha Trivedi '23

Notre Dame’s leadership group, Lighthouse, had an event called The Great Chalk Art Start during the week of October 11th. Their goal was to spread positivity and send empowering messages to the students of Notre Dame. The Friday before, Lighthouse leaders spent their designated leadership period drawing on the floor of 3rd Street Cafe with colorful chalk, covering the ground with uplifting quotes and positive drawings. Boxes of chalk and flyers with instructions were then left out on 3rd Street Cafe, inviting the Notre Dame community to add their own drawings or messages. Along with this, Lighthouse placed unpopped popcorn bags with positive notes attached to them near the microwaves in the Student Lounge Center, to provide snacks for students. The popcorn and notes were accompanied by free stickers designed by their members. 

This event was Lighthouse’s “debut” for the 2021-2022 school year, so they were also aiming to spread awareness about Lighthouse to the Notre Dame community. Lighthouse is a leadership group focused on promoting and educating others about mental health. Their work includes holding a series of discussions on topics such as suicide prevention and body positivity, leading self care days for students, and more. Ambika Ramadurai ‘23, a Lighthouse leader, says that The Great Chalk Art Start was “very successful” because they were able to “engage Notre Dame students and promote mental health” through a fun activity!