As the EBI speaker for Uppers and Seniors this term, Matt Bellace spoke on the importance of natural highs to relieve stress.
Calling students onstage to rap and twist themselves into human chairs, Matt Bellace, psychologist and comedian, brought an interactive presentation to Uppers and Seniors for the Fall Empathy, Balance, and Inclusion (EBI) term talk. Bellace highlighted strategies for coping with stress and maintaining mental health without the use of substances, emphasizing humor as a key tool for stress relief.
Matteo Horvat ’25, who participated in Bellace’s “Guess That Song” activity, felt that the interactive elements of the presentation set it apart from other speakers. He pointed out how Bellace’s approach of engaging directly with the audience, often venturing offstage, made the session more enjoyable and relatable.
“The event was really fun. I liked the guy. He was energetic and engaged with the crowd. It seemed like people were really listening. He was an engaging speaker, [and] he was good at what he did… I liked that he incorporated the mental health aspects into popular culture references or jokes he made. Even if they came off as a little corny at moments, it was still very nice and fun to listen to. He got everyone laughing, which was good,” said Horvat.
Brigitte Leschhorn, the Transitional Director of the EBI program, emphasized EBI’s need for open engaging conversations rather than just delivering information. She explained how that goal played into selecting Matt Bellace as a speaker.
“EBI is often seen as just delivering content,” said Leschhorn. “We’re not saying this is the only or right way to think about mental health, gender, race, or any topic. We essentially say we will hold space as a community for this conversation. Having an engaging speaker helps decrease cortisol and increase positive feelings… A speaker like Matt Bellace provides that space for enjoyment while prompting students to consider how to find joy in life without relying on substances.”
Taylor Ware, Upper and Senior Grade Course Head of the EBI Program, explained why the EBI program for upperclassmen has evolved to be a smaller commitment. Unlike the weekly classroom sessions for lowerclassmen, Uppers and Seniors only attend presentations once a term.
“Basically, we’re just bound by the constraints of a very packed schedule at PA, and that is the amount of time that is available at the moment… One of the reasons we shifted to this model away from the seven-weeks-per-term class model for Uppers and Seniors is because they tend to be a little bit busier and their schedules are more demanding, so we didn’t want to continue to take part of their lunch periods away to have classroom EBI in Upper and Senior year,” said Ware.
In line with Ware, Ashiq Kibria ’26, an EBI Upper who leads a class for Juniors, mentioned how once-a-term EBI benefits Uppers and Seniors. He also noted how the presentation style made the content more memorable.
“As an EBI Upper, I’ve gone through the ninth grade EBI sessions, and it’s interesting to see how the focus shifts as you get older. The 11th and 12th grade EBI focuses a lot more on guest speakers, and we only have it termly, whereas the younger grades have it weekly. That approach works better for older students since we’re probably more receptive to occasional sessions rather than something more frequent,” said Kibria.
Bellace has spoken on campus twice before. Ware expanded on how Bellace’s presentation could be relevant to students, expressing his hope that students would take Bellace’s advice.
“His message around balance, stress management, and anxiety is essential, especially at this point in the Fall term. He engages the audience with volunteers, humor, and speaks about the power of laughter, friendship, and authentic relationships in managing mental health,” said Ware. “I hope that this first speaker this week left them feeling excited about what’s to come, and that they took away some really meaningful elements from the talk that they could use in their lives.”
