The weight of a paper plane
Walking through the packed cafeteria, it’s easy to be surrounded by hundreds of people and still feel utterly alone. Laughter from one corner, arguments in another, yet beneath the noise lie invisible battles. If mental health had a sound, maybe it’d be the echo of unsent voice notes or the silence before saying “I’m okay.” On October 27th, the Counseling and Wellness Centre (CWC) decided to answer that silence with “You Are Not Alone,” a day-long peer support event reminding that connection can be built over one paper plane at a time.
The Peer Ambassador programme, launched in 2019, is made up of trained BracU students. “Active listening and showing empathy, these aren’t always things your friends can do, but we can,” one ambassador explained. Guided by coordinators Syeda Tanzila Huq (Counselor II, CWC) and Ayesha Seddiqa(Counselor III, CWC), the discussion hinted that mental health isn’t just a textbook concept. Every student is a petal in the flower named university. “Jekono papri jhore porlei, shei jaygata faka hoye jay,” as Ayesha ma’am beautifully put it.
The room was filled with laughter as curious students indulged in watching film clips and playing quirky outdoor games. The race, where partners balanced a balloon between their heads, represented active communication. The blindfold maze, guided by a partner’s voice, showed the importance of reliance. A pair game where each partner could only use one hand to make a paper plane became a metaphor for collaboration and trust. Tasfia (Sophomore, CSE) said “Better advertisement is needed. Many people don’t even know this service exists!”
When the program came towards the end and all were wrapped in making paper planes, there were failures. But they were masked by the sound of laughter reminding us that it is not about winning but about people coming together to build something. A plane with one hand each and watching it fly.
Perhaps that’s what peer support truly is; not about fixing someone’s flight, but standing beside them as they learn to take off again.
Because sometimes, all it takes is one voice saying,
“You’re not alone”
And one heart willing to believe it.
