On March 22 from 6-10 p.m., WHS students will have the opportunity to attend the Guy and Girl Thing, a free event where students from all backgrounds can come together for “fun, food, friends and finding out what matters.” The program is run by Health Teacher Susan Kolesar, who was considering taking a break from running it this year.

However, she said: “So many students approached me and asked me to reconsider. Because of my love for the program and the students’ desire to have it, I decided to find a compromise that would work.” The result: a combined Guy and Girl Thing.

The Guy and Girl Thing is partially facilitated by Wingmen and Covergirls, upperclassmen who share their own experiences and listen to others. They are in a similar position to upperclassmen leaders in freshmen Transition Project groups and are there to help attendees with anything they need.

The event, according to Covergirl Chloe Landau, addresses issues that are often dismissed, including “everything from drugs and sex to coping with mental illness, family trouble, suicidal thoughts, grief and personal trauma.” She added: “The conversations are really guided by what students are receptive to. It provides a space and a support that proves necessary again and again.”

This year’s theme is “Level Up” and, as always, it will be a forum for students to share their experiences and hopefully “level up” their coping skills and learn about mental health awareness. There will be a motivational speaker, dodgeball, dancing, pizza, an ice cream bar and more. Kolesar shared that she sees it as “a chance for the juniors and seniors to share their experiences and help [underclassmen] learn from them.”

She added that she is not too worried about the Guy and Girl Things being combined since “variety is the spice of life” and mixed-gender Guy and Girl Thing events have been held in the past with success. While some people may prefer the old format, Kolesar added: “I’ve learned that you can’t please everyone. We will do our best to make it a special night for all.”

Most importantly, there is no expectation for attendees to share their own experiences. There will also be opportunities for small group sharing as well. For anyone unsure about attending, Kolesar said: “I really hope you take a risk and come if you are on the fence. So many current Wingmen and Covergirls attended when they were underclassman and now want to facilitate. Even alumni ask to come back and be a part of it. I’ll let that fact speak for itself.”

Many students have decided that this year was the perfect time to join. “I’ve never been a part of the event but after hearing my friends’ experiences and how much it impacted them I decided to be a part of it,” said junior Julia Colleran. “I think a lot of issues are overlooked in a school setting and this is giving kids a chance to open up, share experiences and get support.”

Junior Alex Maurillo added: “Once I found out about it, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of. A ton of my friends were talking about it at lunch and said how much they enjoyed it last year, so I went to the first meeting and now I’m in it.”

If this event sounds like something that you want to attend, make sure you sign up today during lunch periods. Kolesar noted that space is limited, and this is something you don’t want to miss.

In the words of senior Eli Hamlin: “The Guy and Girl Thing will not only be a very fun night, but also a very impactful night that could help a lot of people to know they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through.”