February 2019 — The Mental Health Issue

REPORTER FEBRUARY 2019 reporter.rit.edu

The Mental H

ealth Issue

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REPORTER EDITOR IN CHIEF Frankie Albin PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Cayla Keiser ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Victoria Sebastian COPY EDITOR Ramya Shankar NEWS EDITOR Kasey Mathews TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Karina Le LEISURE EDITOR Anika Griffiths FEATURES EDITOR Morgan LaMere WELLNESS EDITOR Tyler English VIEWS EDITOR Taylor Synclair Goethe WRITERS Morgan LaMere, Cayla Keiser, Tyler English, Karina Le, Anika Griffiths, Kevin Zampieron, Jessica Sides, Taylor Synclair Goethe, Kasey Mathews

ART ART DIRECTOR Alyssa Minko ONLINE ART DIRECTOR Monica Nguyen-Vo SENIOR DESIGNER Lily Garnaat DESIGNERS Elin Smith, Lily Garnaat, Kendra Murphy, Lauren Perttula, Kathy Liu, Nancy Perez, Dhensel Dorji, Cassy Smithies ILLUSTRATORS Maggie Dybas, Asher Bozman, Unique Fair, Maliheh Rahrovan, Monica Nguyen-Vo, Ting Chu, Stephanie Chan

PHOTOGRAPHY

EDITOR’S NOTE The culture we experience in college life binds us to an environment that constantly puts our mental health at risk — more than we may sometimes like to admit.

This culture is incredibly toxic.

As college students, we are constantly bombarded with our academic, personal, work, family and everyday pressures, expectations and stressors — with little opportunity to breathe. We have to manage all of that, along with the undertones of being pushed to succeed and be perfect in all of those aspects of life.

The ever-increasing expectations that are ingrained into us, and those we put on ourselves, lead to a situation where our mental and physical health become forgotten priorities for the sake of success, or even just getting by.

We inevitably lack the time, ability and mental capacity to reasonably meet all of those expectations.

We continually feel selfish for taking time for, or caring for ourselves. Oftentimes we compete with each other in harmful ways — comparing how little we have slept the night before or how little we ate that day.

We are so engulfed in our academic and work lives that we don’t always take time to be human beings. We don’t even have time to deal with the crises that occur in our personal and family lives that would otherwise be life-disrupting.

We should not be forced into, or force ourselves into, this pernicious culture of being overworked, unbalanced and overstressed. When we see this happen to others, we just think we need to push ourselves even harder to keep up — and the cycle proliferates.

We currently have an overwhelming amount of life to live, and to juggle. We should not be crawling along, day by day. I see everyone around me breaking. I see myself breaking, too.

In seeking to improve mental health, we need not solely look at the treatment of symptoms, but also the cause. Why is our college culture like this, and what can we do to change it? We as a university, and as a community, need to work to address this question, along with our other conversations and efforts, and not allow it to be omitted from those conversations and efforts.

PHOTO EDITOR Catherine Rafferty PHOTOGRAPHERS Tony Wen, Olivia Kaiser, Cheyenne Boone, Debmalya Ray, Ben Morrow

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February 3

TA B L E O F cover and TOC illustration by Maliheh Rahrovan

Please note that this issue of Reporter discusses sensitive topics such as suicide and self harm. Please be mindful of this content before reading this issue.

NE WS 6

WHY IS RIT SO MENTALLY STRAINING? What in particular makes RIT such a mentally-straining school to attend?

T E CH 8

APP-TASTIC WAYS TO HELP MENTAL HEALTH Four apps designed to help your mental health

LEISURE 10

12

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@reportermag 4 February

SIMPLIFYING SELF-CARE How to integrate self-care into a busy college schedule

THE VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES A look into how mental health is experienced by marginalized identities

AYL: WANDERING TO WELL-BEING Meander through a maze of resources on your way to emotional well-being

CONTENTS FE AT URES 16

RELATIONSHIPS + MENTAL HEALTH = COMPLICATED Interpersonal relationships can be complicated, but mental illness adds another dash of difficulty

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THE RIGHT TO CRY Explore gendered stereotypes about mental health

WE LLNES S 24

THE REALITY OF PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION What you should know before trying psychiatric medication

VIEWS 26

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LANGUAGE OF DISTANCE Students need words of support from administration.

Where are they?

WORD ON THE STREET In what ways are you emotionally vulnerable?

A HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH AT RIT Take a closer look at how mental health services have evolved at RIT

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RINGS RIT’s digital confessional

reporter.rit.edu February 5

Why is RIT Mentally Straining?

by Morgan LaMere | photography by Tony Wen | design by Elin Smith

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t’s late and the open labs close in less than an hour, but you have a project due at midnight. When you get home, you have a choice: either get a full night’s rest or work on the next project early into the morning hours to stay on track.

This is the reality that many students at RIT face — a lifestyle forced upon those who seek to strive and excel at this high-paced technical institute. From Game Design to Engineering, and Animation to ASL Interpreting Education, RIT creates an environment where students can succeed, but not without a cost.

The Cost RIT’s “sink or sail” culture doesn’t impact many students until their second year. This was the case for Emma Maze, a second year 2D Animation student.

“Second year was a lot tougher. There were a lot more expectations with projects and stuff like that, and there was a lot more pressure to excel,” she said.

Kira Hansen, also a second year 2D Animation student, added that students often face weekly projects from every class.

When asked how RIT was doing with providing mental health services to compensate for the workload, both students laughed.

“I’m hoping it will get better,” Maze said.

But providing vital services to students is no laughing matter.

It’s Not Enough The overarching opinion from students seems to be that RIT doesn’t provide enough mental health services. Complaints range from long wait times to simply not enough staff. Yet this isn’t the only factor.

Daniel Devor, a fourth year Psychology and ASL Interpreting Education double major, lays partial blame upon RIT’s culture.

“RIT has this culture of innovation, change and creativity. That culture trickles down to the students,” Devor said. “If you put that much pressure onto your students, yes you’ll see a lot of people succeed and do great things

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... But at what cost to the individuals who didn’t come in here expecting that?”

Traditional students undergo strain enough, but non-traditional students, transfer, commuter and international students can often face unique difficulties.

Justin Allen, a third year Accounting and Management Information Systems double major, transferred from Monroe Community College.

“RIT is not very understanding of some of the pressures of non-traditional students,” Allen said.

Allen has seen no hints of support for non-traditional students, and such services are vital to a student’s mental health. Many students, traditional or otherwise, are forced to take on jobs to make ends meet.

“There are a surprising amount of students who work an illegal amount of hours,” Devor said. “They get more money, but at what cost?”

Another stressing issue all students face is workload, a problem that only gets worse as time goes on.

“I think the most stressful part of RIT would be the suddenly-increasing workload at the end of semester,” said Jacob Nemeth, a second year Game Design and Development student.

He mentioned that if class schedules could be better organized, it would greatly

Estaeban Polands, a third year Computer Science Major, reviews the concepts of parallel and distributed systems at Golisano Hall in Henrietta, N.Y., on Dec. 12, 2018. When asked about the workload at RIT, Estaeban said that it depends more on how well he knows about how the course works than how well he knows the material.

Mickey White (right), a third year Film and Animation major, shares his stories with his friend Jax Ohashi (left), a fourth year Industrial Design major, at Wallace Library in Henrietta, N.Y., Dec. 12, 2018.

benefit students. Furthermore, exams should preferably not be held on the same day.

What has RIT been doing to solve these issues? Many students would say not enough. However, David Reetz, the director of Counseling and Psychological Services, disagrees.

What is so mentally straining about RIT? “The extracurriculars contribute to stabilizing mental health, but it’s increasingly difficult to have any time for those extracurriculars.” —

What They’re Doing Reetz is responsible for overall procedure at the August Center. He identified several unique mentally straining factors that RIT students face.

The effect of technology can be seen clearly. Reetz cited less in-person interaction creating social anxiety, making it difficult to connect with professors and peers.

Depression often stems from this anxiety, diminishing motivation and the need to perform self-care. A lack of sunlight and an extended winter do nothing to alleviate mental stress.

“The university has been listening to students,” Reetz said. “We’ve been talking about these numbers and seeing these trends ... most counseling centers around the country are seeing sharp increases [in student needs].”

RIT and other universities experienced a 30–50 percent increase in student health needs in the past year alone, Reetz communicated. He explained that to accommodate for this, Counseling and Psychological Services has created a 24 percent increase in student access. At the end of the 2015–2016 academic year, two additional staff members were brought on, increasing their capacity to see students. A number of new positions have also opened up, including an Outreach Coordinator to go to students directly.

In addition, Reetz has planned to install five new embedded offices across campus — the first of which will be located in Golisano Hall — to increase ease of access. They will serve as local, personalized walk-in offices providing counseling and psychological services.

“We evaluate what we’re doing — modifying, changing [and] creating greater access with evaluation,” Reetz said.

Hopefully, these changes can bring about what students so desperately need — a reliable and expedient mental health service.

Devor seemed to hope so. “They already have taken steps about what they intend to do.

That’s a good step ... No one is wishing ill will. ”

What could RIT do to help?

“There are higher-risk students who need more support. I’ve known people that desperately need help and it’s cost them.” — Emma Maze, second year 2D Animation student

Justin Allen, third year Accounting

“There needs to be more recognition

and Management Information Systems

for praising a student who’s taking time

student

for themselves. We only see media of

“Finding friends, being social and performing academically.” — Ellie

those students who are really killing it.”

— Daniel Devor, fourth year Psychology and ASL Interpreting Education student

McCullagh, second year NTID and Psychology student “In life, it’s either sink or swim. At RIT, they really teach you how to swim.” — Kira Hansen, second year 2D Animation student quoting an alum “I started out trying to go with the mentality I had in high school —

“More financial aid, [a] rule to have no exams or projects due on Career Fair week [and a] rule to not allow professors to punish students because the student couldn’t attend class because they were at Career Fair.”

— Holly Hastings, fifth year Software Engineering student

pay attention in class and do the

“Let students know they are not alone.

homework at the last minute. I

Yes, college is a time to ‘grow up,’

quickly realized how much of a

but not all decisions have to be made

mistake that was.” — Jacob Nemeth,

alone. 90 percent of my first year

second year Game Design student

professors made no effort to help me

“Paying for school, looking for coops [and] jobs [and] all projects/ exams always at the same time.”

with tough decisions. They told me, ‘You’re an adult; make those decisions yourself.’” — Ellie McCullagh, second year NTID and Psychology student

— Holly Hastings, fifth year Software Engineering student “Doing labs, which often take hours to complete, on top of ordinary homework.” — Lucas Horigan, fourth year Electrical Engineering student

A blackboard outside August Center in Henrietta, N.Y. on Dec. 11, 2018. It is filled with positive quotes written by students.

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App-tastic Ways to Help Mental Health

by Cayla Keiser | illustration by Maggie Dybas | design by Lily Garnaat

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s college students, we’re always on the go. Running from place to place, working on one assignment after another — it can be overwhelming. In our few free moments, it’s easy to gravitate towards our phones. Why not dedicate some of that time to your mental health? Here are four apps that can help turn that free time into self-care time.

Happify Happify is a colorful, easy-to-use app that places you on a track targeted at improving your mental health.

Acacia Parks, Happify’s chief scientist, said Happify combines research-based activities and games that could help a person’s well-being and put them in a user-friendly format. For certain activities, you enter what you did in a text field and rate how much you enjoyed the activity. “[There are] gamification elements ... that make it like you are leveling up in life,” Parks said.

An example of this is Uplift, a game designed to improve your mood and teach you to think positively. It releases colorful hot air balloons with negative and positive words written on them. The goal is to click as many positive words as you can and to earn as many points as possible.

Parks stated that optimal usage is two to three activities per week, and it can reduce depression and anxiety symptoms. “[There is] research showing that depression and anxiety symptoms make your immunity worse, make your sleep worse, make your productivity and concentration worse, make you less creative —​all of these things that you need to be in college,” Parks said. “[Happify] is a pretty big payoff for a pretty small amount of time put in.”

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Talkspace Like therapy in your pocket, Talkspace is message-based therapy for when you need it most.

Your journey begins with a genuine conversation with a consultation therapist to gauge your reasons for seeking treatment.

You can ask as many questions as you desire to see if Talkspace is a good fit for you.

After subscribing, your consultation therapist will suggest therapists who can best help you, but the decision is ultimately yours.

At any time, you have the ability to switch therapists if the connection isn’t working.

“The most important thing you have in treatment is the bond you have [with your therapist]. We feel really strongly that giving people the power over that relationship is important,” Dr. Neil Leibowitz, the chief medical officer at Talkspace said.

Mimicking the SMS message look for ease and familiarity, Talkspace lets you send text, audio or video messages. Some therapy plans include live sessions, too.

“For most of the country, what we can give in a month really costs very similar to a single session, and you’re getting access to that therapist the whole month,” Leibowitz said.

“That to me is one of our real credo [belief ]—​ therapy for all. We really want to bring access to treatment.”

Headspace A meditation app with attention-grabbing graphics, Headspace’s adorable cartoons and soothing voices are designed to add mindfulness to your day-to-day life. With a warm colored interface, you can choose your desired meditation theme and length — spanning from three to 20-minute segments — to ease your mind.

Reducing stress, controlling anxiety and enhancing self awareness are a few of the perks that come from meditating, Healthline said.

Sasha Mekker, a second year Graphic Design major and Headspace user for over six months, instantly fell in love with the simplicity of the app and notices improvements in her well-being when she mediates regularly.

“Some weeks I won’t [meditate] because I’m busy ... but when I do use it, it’s such a change,” Mekker said. “Especially with sleep.

I can never fall asleep, and if I [meditate] before bed, I always fall asleep super fast.”

Headspace has a sample of basic meditations and sleepcasts for everyone. The majority are behind a paywall — a relatively inexpensive one with the student discount —​but the first meditation of each course is typically available.

“It’s five minutes. It’s not like you have to sit there for an hour and try to calm yourself down,” Mekker remarked. “I think that’s why so many people like it and why it has good reviews —​because of how easy it is.”

Calm Much like Headspace, Calm is a meditation app designed to take your mind to another place.

After first opening the app, you instantly see relaxing backgrounds, like the warm glow of a fireplace or moving waters on a lake accompanied by the comforting sounds of the scene.

Tons of different meditation tracks are available. Not only does Calm offer sleep stories and guided meditations, but also “10 minute guided video lessons on mindful movement and gentle stretching,” the Calm website reads.

When breathing becomes tough, the Calm app has a special feature simply called “Breathe.” A periwinkle bubble expands and shrinks to the rhythm of your guided breathing for as long as you need to use it.

Past the free content, a seven-day trial period unlocks Calm Premium before a subscription is required.

Users tend to love the app, and Apple named it the 2017 iPhone app of the year.

Business insider said, “[It] promises to help users sleep better, boost confidence and reduce stress and anxiety.”

No matter how or why you may need some extra support, simply downloading an app can be a good start. With a few clicks, help is always an app away.

“[There are] gamification elements … that make it like you are leveling up in life.”

Happify $14.95/month* iTunes: 4.5/5 stars Google Play: 3.7/5 stars

Talkspace $49.00/week iTunes: 4.1/5 stars Google Play: 3.4/5 stars

Headspace $9.99/year (student)* iTunes: 4.9/5 stars Google Play: 4.5/5 stars

*have free versions available

Calm $12.99/month* iTunes: 4.8/5 stars Google Play: 4.6/5 stars

Technology 9

Simplifying Self-Care

by Tyler English| illustration by Asher Bozman | photography by Olivia Kaiser design by Kevin Zampieron

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ou find yourself waking up before the sun today. You need to attend class, turn in assignments, participate in meetings, pay bills and — at some point — eat food. College students are expected to get the most out of their time in school while earning their degree. They are expected to be heavily involved on campus, work a job so that they can start paying off those looming student loans and have a social life to get the full college experience. The pressure to be a perfectly wellrounded student creates many stressors. An effective way to help manage these stressors is to integrate self-care into your everyday routine.

What is Self-Care?

Dr. Kirsten Condry, a professor of psychology, said, “Self-care is monitoring [emotions and stress levels] and trying to maintain balance in your life so that stressors can be balanced with positive things.”

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Stressors can weigh on someone so that they negatively impact physical well-being, Condry added. Something as small as a reward system during an intense homework session is effective self-care.

Liana Altieri, a second year ASL Interpreting Education major, defines self-care as “doing the things that you need to do before you can take care of your responsibilities.”

Altieri also explained how self-care is not frivolous. Self-care is not always taking a bath and lighting a few candles. It can simply be taking a shower to get clean or eating a meal so that you have energy to get through the day. The focus of self-care lies in putting one’s own health and well-being first, whether that be eating, sleeping, exercising or talking to someone about what is going on in your life. “[Self-care is] a person’s ability to be aware of the way that they are currently feeling, being able to correctly identify that state and a skill set to help and recognize that emotion,” Dr. Joseph Baschnagel, the chair of the Department of Psychology said.

Baschnagel expanded the meaning of self-care by highlighting the importance of monitoring and acknowledging one’s feelings at any given point in the day. Accurately knowing when one is sad and why they may be feeling that way is an important component of self-care.

However, recognizing when life is in balance is just as important as recognizing when sadness

and stress is taking over. It is in those moments that we get a chance to pause and reflect on why things are going well.

“When things are going well, and we recognize it, we can aim to repeat those events,” Condry said.

Self-Care for College Students With college students having to manage their education, job and social life as they transition into adulthood, time for self-care can easily slip away. The pressure to get good grades and finish assignments on time drives students to stay up late or pull all-nighters. These are some ways that students take time away from selfcare to put towards school.

“There is a lot of evidence coming out that ... college students are the most ‘underslept’ of anybody and it has dramatic effects on [the student’s] cognitive ability,” Condry said.

One of the most crucial times when students should ensure they are getting the proper amount of sleep is during finals week, according to Condry. Monitoring your sleep and starting to form healthy sleeping habits can be a way to integrate self-care into daily life.

Baschnagel stressed the importance of sleep, but also suggested that college students incorporate exercise into their daily life.

Whether it’s hitting the gym or walking around campus, exercise can take students’

We give all day, every day. It is super important we take care of ourselves before we do that, and during and after too. minds away from school work for a few minutes to re-center themselves.

“Make time for your physical health, make sure you have time to exercise and are being healthy. The hardest part is starting, [but] once you fall into a habit it becomes easier and easier,” Baschnagel said.

Working out at the gym is not for everyone; some may find it hard to get to the gym and others may find it intimidating. However, physical health should be worked into a busy schedule. With hundreds of at-home workout videos on YouTube and countless healthy recipes online, college students can find a form of physical activity that fits with their lifestyle.

Finding a workout routine that’s right for you is just as important as finding a friend group. A network of peers who are going through similar experiences is an invaluable asset.

“Being genuine is super important. Figuring out what values you align with and then being

your honest and open self ... you will find people come to you,” Altieri said.

A network of supportive friends is crucial to thriving in college. However, Altieri also said that it is important to be independent and able to stand on your own when you need to.

Importance of Self-Care Self-care can seem like a lavish experience that only those living stress-free lives can enjoy, but it’s necessary for all individuals. Everyone has stressors in their lives that can be difficult to deal with at times.

“You can’t often make stressors disappear, but you can manage them,” Condry said.

College students are expected to wake up at the crack of dawn and sometimes stay up so late that they see the rooster wake up the next day. Condry said that lack of sleep can impair cognitive ability, meaning your grades

could suffer from that week you got four hours of sleep a night. As important as finishing assignments is, ensuring that your body is cared for takes priority.

Putting yourself first sometimes isn’t weak.

It shows maturity and strength.

“We give all day, every day,” Altieri said. “It is super important we take care of ourselves before we do that, and during and after, too.”

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by Karina Le | illustration by Unique Fair-Smith | design by Kendra Murphy

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hether it is always taken seriously or not, many people acknowledge that mental illness is a problem. But people who need help sometimes struggle with taking the first step towards recovery. This is especially true for marginalized communities. Groups that often face discrimination frequently have to deal with dual stigma. This means they are stigmatized for their mental illness, but also their identity.

Many people within marginalized communities also grow up in cultures or environments where mental health is rarely discussed in a positive light — if it’s spoken about at all. For misinformed students, their stigma on mental illness can negatively affect how they handle stress in college.

For many LGBTQ+ students, one of the biggest contributors to their mental distress is the negative perception of their identity.

There is a fear that after coming out, their parents will reject them.

Henry Farr, president of OUTspoken and second year Computational Math and Computer Science major, noted this struggle.

“In the LGBTQ community, mental health — like other things — tends to be more impactful,” Farr said. “Some [transgender] students I’ve spoken to personally cannot seek treatment with their parents’ knowledge, because [the parents] might find out about

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their identity and then disown them, or otherwise won’t support them in their efforts to become better.”

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, a grassroots organization that educates on and advocates for mental health, found that LGBTQ+ individuals are almost three times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition. With the added occurrence of dual stigmatization, it can be difficult to ask for help when experiencing these issues.

For students who come from households that aren’t accepting, there can be detrimental consequences to both their home life and mental health.

“When I first came out, my mother cried,” Ryan Roy, vice president of OUTspoken and third year ASL Interpreting Education major, said. “A lot of people have to worry about whether or not they’re gonna get kicked out of their house, whether or not their family is going to disown them, you know? Is your mom going to cry?

Is it going to take years for them to accept a part of yourself that took you years to accept?”

In the LGBTQ+ community, these worries are common and can further complicate the struggles of mental illness.

In reaction to this, Roy discussed the need for more representation in RIT services, including Counseling and Psychological Services. Many students find it more comforting to talk to people that can empathize with their struggles. This is the same with other marginalized communities.

Beyond the city of Rochester, the Deaf community tends to be hidden in the shadows. It makes up about 0.38 percent of the U.S. population. Because of that, there are few studies on how mental illness impacts hard of hearing or deaf individuals. In The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, the collective authors concluded that deaf individuals have a certain vulnerability towards mental illness. Though they didn’t know concrete causes for this trend, it’s important to know that the trend is there.

President of NTID’s Student Congress and fifth year Applied Arts and Science major through SOIS, Taylor Repetski, explained mental health in RIT’s Deaf community in a simple manner.

“Though I can’t really speak for the entire Deaf community, I want to emphasize that every person is different,” said Reptski. “We’re all human. We all have our issues ... And we try to get services to help with it.”

However, finding the right services for deaf and hard of hearing students is difficult, Repetski described.

“The counseling services only have two counselors that know sign,” began Reptski.

“They’re pretty much available for both deaf and hearing students, which is nice ... if [those counselors] aren’t available, the student gets another counselor with an interpreter.”

However, the additional steps to request an interpreter or inability to communicate directly in ASL — if that is the individual’s communication preference — can be a barrier for easy mental health services access.

Looking at mental health from a marginalized perspective is important for normalizing discussion and advocating for proper treatment. For those who are hesitant to go directly to a mental health professional, finding a person who has experienced the same difficulties is helpful in unlearning the stigma of mental illness and can be the first step to getting the help they need.

Among racial minorities, mental health is often considered a taboo subject, which leads to lots of misinformation. A possible reason as to why some people of color may be more uninformed on the topic can be found in a study by the Mental Health American (MHA) organization.

“Knowledge of the mental health needs and attitudes of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders regarding mental illness is limited.

Few epidemiological studies have included Asian Americans or people whose English is limited,” reported MHA. Carlos Villegas, vice president of ALANA Collegiate Association and fourth year Business major, is familiar with the stigma of mental illness.

“I remember as a child, my mom would just tell me that [mental illness] would just happen to white people. But that’s definitely not the case, and it took me a while to realize that,” Villegas said.

The struggle for racial minorities is partly trying to unlearn the shame tied to mental health that they were raised with. There is still much to improve on the way the community handles mental health, Villegas believes.

“In the past few years, [the community] has been doing a good job in spreading awareness to it,” he said. “But right now we’re a little stagnant ... Though we’re learning about [mental illness] and we’re acknowledging that it exists, we’re not taking those further steps to making sure our friends are okay.”

Ultimately, this trend of acknowledging mental illness is a step in the right direction.

However, individuals need to actively move to help themselves, and the people around them, to get the help they may need.

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by Anika Griffiths | illustration by Maliheh Rahrovan | design by Lauren Perttula

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ife as a college student can be overwhelming at times. When you feel your emotional health start to slip, navigate all your support systems and resources that are available to help.

The winding path to emotional well-being doesn’t have to be a lonely one.

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RELATIONSHIP + MENTAL HEALTH = COMPLICATED

by Kevin Zampieron | illustration by Monica Nguyen-Vo | design by Kathy Liu

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hen discussing mental illness, the conversation is often centered around the individual. But talking about the intersection of mental health and interpersonal relationships can be a lot more complicated. After all, the topics of mental health and relationships don’t come up easily and are both still largely taboo.

The two topics are also inexorably linked — a decades-long 1938 Harvard University study found that quality relationships were more important to one’s mental and physical health than money, status or work.

Maintaining quality relationships, however, is far from a simple task — especially when mental illness is a part of the equation. Be it your significant other, your friends or your family, mental illness is going to add a new complication in how you deal with other people. So how do you go about it? And how much of an obstacle does it really pose?

Coping Together When 2015 Kennesaw State University graduate and psychologist’s assistant Skylar Seigler — who has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety – went from a community college to one hour away from home, symptoms of her mental illnesses began to manifest for the first time.

“I think it was a combination of being away from my family, being in a new place and that my roommates weren’t very nice,” Seigler said.

The shock of these drastic life changes triggered bouts of anxiety and depression

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that she hadn’t experienced before. Her illness kept her from completing her degree on time, extending the last two years of her college education by another year.

“I just kind of spiraled, I guess,” Seigler said.

Though she was separated from her traditional support systems, Seigler’s thenboyfriend — now husband — remained as a stabilizing force throughout her struggle with mental illness.

“Me and my husband actually met in high school and dated throughout, so he’s been with me through the whole thing,” Seigler said.

Having her husband as an emotional baseline gave Seigler vital perspective into her own mental state.

“I guess it was good that he was there because he knew what I was like before,” Seigler said.

Seigler’s husband learned to be a supportive force in her struggle with mental illness. But it can be tough to be in a relationship when your partner is suffering from a mental illness.

Communication is important in any relationship, and clearly defined lines about healthy and unhealthy boundaries is a must when mental illness is in the picture, according to Adriana Rogachefsky, a Rochester-based licensed marriage and family therapist.

“I think that it’s really different for each couple — no two couples would have the same line or same boundary of where healthy turns unhealthy. I think it’s more about communication and having them talk to each other and

seeing what feels best,” Rogachefsky said.

Seigler’s experience is far from unique — according to a study by the American Psychological Association, one in three first year college students suffer from at least one mental health disorder. These students often don’t possess the skills to emotionally cope with these new stressors. And while Seigler was fortunate enough to have a supportive partner, things might not always go so smoothly.

Self Harm and Care Donovan Wolfe, a second year ASL Interpreting Education major, has depression and anxiety. He dated someone for a year who also had depression and anxiety. According to Wolfe, having this in common helped them grow closer as a couple.

“It was difficult, but it was also kinda nice that someone else I was close to understood everything I was thinking and going through,” Wolfe said. “Our boundaries were different because we were open about asking pretty personal questions.”

But regardless of the common ground, mental illness created tension in the relationship.

“His depression was so much worse than mine. I would constantly be waking up wondering, ‘Hey, I wonder if he’s going to wake up too,’” Wolfe said. “I didn’t really try to deal with it. I would not think about it and when I did think about it I would start doing self-harm stuff.”

According to Rogachefsky, this can be a common pitfall for relationships that have to deal with mental illness.

“Help yourself first and make sure you’re stable,” Rogachefsky said. “You can’t be an effective partner or an effective pillar of support if you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Though that relationship turned toxic, it wasn’t Wolfe’s only experience dating someone else with a mental illness. Wolfe’s most recent ex-girlfriend suffered from bulimia and depression, an issue that would cause them to fight daily. These experiences have led Wolfe to take a break from dating.

“I don’t know if I could handle a relationship that’s that intense again. So it’s a struggle trying to find the balance,” Wolfe said. “What I’m doing for self-care is not looking for a relationship because I need to focus on myself for a little bit.”

Taking a bit to focus on yourself is a tool Rogachefsky frequently recommends to her patients.

You can’t be an effective partner or an effective pillar of support if you’re not taking care of yourself.

“Even if you’re not in a romantic relationship, it’s still important that we date ourselves,” Rogachefsky said. “Often times we treat other people way better than we treat ourselves.”

Staying Together John Carr, a second year Management Information Systems major, has borderline personality disorder (BPD). He is in a relationship with Cayla Boyce-Wright, a second year Political Science major who has anxiety and depression. In past relationships, Carr’s BPD had posed problems.

“Basically it’s pretty much affected every relationship I’ve ever been in,” Carr said. “I go through stages. At first I idolize them — I get obsessed with whoever I’m with at the time.”

This experience is characteristic of those who suffer from BPD, a disorder characterized by mood swings and unstable relationships.

“Then bits and pieces of their actual selves start to reveal themselves and then I kinda degrade in my mind,” Carr said.

Although Carr is now more mindful of his disorder, it still manifests in his current relationship.

“On a day to day basis, she’s the girl I love. But sometimes a switch will flip and emotions do their thing I guess,” Carr said.

When Carr began his relationship with Boyce-Wright, the topic of their respective mental illnesses came up quickly.

“I think it was probably a week or two after we started dating,” Carr said.

“Not even,” added Boyce-Wright.

This open channel of communication proved to be a vital factor in keeping the relationship strong and healthy.

“I wanted openness in the relationship so I put everything on the table immediately,” Carr said. “I know a lot of my problems stem from me keeping a guard up. When I begin to let that guard down and become more trusting, that’s when the solutions begin to arise.”

But even with communication and clear boundaries, Boyce-Wright and Carr still face challenges.

“I have a habit of caring about his well-being more than my own. I make his problems my problems, but don’t let him make my problems his problems,” Boyce-Wright said. “In my head I just assume that if I let him into all this, he’s going to be like ‘euggh.’”

Boyce-Wright’s impulse is not uncommon.

“If someone has a mental illness or is in therapy, they themselves can be selfdeprecating about being in relationships,” Rogachefsky said. “There’s definitely still a stigma in young adults still trying to figure themselves out — there’s still some hesitation with sharing things that we’re struggling with and sharing vulnerability.”

When Rogachefsky notices this hesitation or self-deprecation, she finds that they often need a nudge to see their situation more objectively.

“If you are in their shoes — in a potential partner’s shoes — would you not date them or see them anymore because they’re struggling?

That usually helps debunk that one,” she said.

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On a day to day basis, she’s the girl I love. But sometimes a switch will flip and emotions do their thing I guess.

Caregive and Caretake Mental illness doesn’t just limit itself to romantic relationships, though. Our relationship with our parents is often the most consequential of our lives — and potentially the most complicated. When a parent has a mental illness, the typical caretaker/caregiver relationship can become flipped.

“When there’s an insecure attachment, it sort of messes with care-giving and caretaking. So what happens is the child will end up going out of their way giving emotional, logistical, tangible supports to sort of compensate for the adult,” Rogachefsky said.

Wolfe described a similar dynamic with his parents, who both suffer from PTSD and anxiety — especially during their worse episodes.

“When I was a kid, I had to be like ‘Ok, what can I get for you? How can I help you in what kind of way?’ It was very much reversed,” Wolfe said. “It was tough at the time, but at the same time I didn’t think about it.”

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This situation is unfortunately common, Rogachefsky mentioned.

“It’s when we’re not taking care of ourselves and not having insight around who we are and what we’re doing. It tends to come out especially on our kids,” Rogachefsky said.

It can also be difficult for parents without mental illnesses to relate to their children who have a mental illness. For example, Boyce-Wright’s strained relationship with her great-grandmother — who raised her — negatively affected her mental health.

Boyce-Wright’s great-grandmother raised her as a Jehovah’s Witness, a strict denomination of Christianity with unorthodox medical views.

“She would send me to the people in the religion who would tell you what was wrong with you,” Boyce-Wright said.

Because of this, Boyce-Wright received multiple diagnoses from different sources and did not receive the treatment she needed. Religious values became a point of contention in BoyceWright’s home, among other things. The constant conflict took its toll on BoyceWright’s mental health.

“I grew up with people basically instilling into my brain that I’m the problem,” Boyce-Wright said. “When you get told that nobody cares about what’s in there, then what’s the point?”

This toxic home life coupled with a lack of support caused Boyce-Wright to internalize the thoughts caused by her illness.

Though this certainly wasn’t the intention of Boyce-Wright’s family, their negative impact on her psyche remains.

“At a very young age I developed a hole somewhere, and as I got older the hole got bigger,” Boyce-Wright said in reference to her upbringing.

“I think of parents as big kids. They have struggles and issues too and a lot of the times they don’t realize the impact they’re having,” Rogachefsky said.

Clearly communicating what that impact is can be vital in repairing strained or damaged relationships. But in cases where the relationship becomes particularly unhealthy, Rogachefsky recommends more drastic measures.

“There are certain situations where people might have to behaviorally act, meaning don’t answer the phone, or don’t make contact,” Rogachefsky said.

Your health comes first, even when family’s involved.

Be Curious In relationships where one or both parties have a mental illness, it seems the fundamental markers of successful relationships still apply — communication, empathy and honesty are still key. But there’s also no sense in pretending that it’s not an added factor, according to Wolfe.

“I don’t think you should change who you are if you’re dating someone with mental illness, but I think you need to acknowledge it’s a thing,” Wolfe said.

Drawing lines between supportive and enabling behavior is a must to keep the relationship healthy.

Rogachefsky discussed how one of the most important things in understanding a loved one with a mental illness is the sincere desire to understand.

“Curiosity in relationships is so important.

We can never assume where someone is coming from,” Rogachefsky said.

If both parties are comfortable, actively participating in therapy can be a good way to start the dialogue.

“Ask if you can come into a session with them. I think those conversations are really important,” Rogachefsky said.

With both increased prevalence and awareness, ignoring mental health as a factor in your relationships is no longer an option. Navigating the complications created by mental illness, in a healthy way, is a vital skill, especially when it comes to those closest to you. Regardless of your particular relationship with mental illness, being curious about the inner lives of your loved ones can only create stronger relationships.

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The Right to Cry

by Jessica Sides | photography by Cheyenne Boone Warhol | design by Nancy Perez

Editor’s note: This article uses terms such as “man” and “woman” as a means to explain gender stereotypes associated with those terms. However, these challenges are of course faced by people of all gender identities.

H

ave you ever felt pressured to hide certain emotions? To hide your current state of mind? Have you ever felt weak just because you were told you should be?

There are many fixed beliefs about how those of a certain gender are expected to act when it comes to mental health. Women are often made out to be emotional, irrational and fragile. Men are supposed to be emotionless, inexpressive and strong.

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Misconceptions and Stereotypes Some of these misconceptions stem from toxic masculinity — the restriction of emotions that boys and men are allowed to express. The social expectation for men is to be dominant and express only anger, in terms of “negative” emotions.

Laura Allison, a Rochester-based licensed clinical social worker, addressed what these stereotypes may look like on campus.

“It’s socially acceptable to see a woman crying to a professor during his office hours, but not a man. There would be more of a reaction to a man crying,” Allison said.

Allison explained that it is the expectation that women default to emotion rather than logic.

“Girls usually go straight to tears because that’s what they’re encouraged to do,” Allison said.

With men, it’s a whole different ball game.

Society as a whole makes boys believe that they can’t express themselves freely. People say that “real men don’t cry,” but there’s little truth to that.

“Society can excuse a man punching a hole in a wall, or two boys beating each other up on the playground by saying, ‘Boys will be boys.’ If a boy were found crying in the bathroom? Their peers would make fun of them for that,” Allison said.

Dealing with Mental Discontent One thing that is particularly bothersome is that society only allows a set amount of time to deal with grief and loss.

Anna Belle Scally, a first year undecided major, finds this particularly frustrating.

“We either move on too quickly or take too long to get over things,” said Scally.

Abo Huang, a first year Electrical Engineering major, thinks that it’s “stupid” the way society judges people.

“I know masculine females and feminine males. It doesn’t matter, you can be who you want,” she said.

Casey Rigas, a second year Political Science major, is the vice president of Global Union and is transgender.

“It’s difficult to express who you are at your core,” Rigas said. “It’s a lot of emotional labor to interact with people you don’t know.

It’s even more difficult to interact with people you do know that don’t accept you for who you are.”

These masculine and feminine emotional stereotypes can be particularly difficult for someone who is transgender, and can be pushed from both directions depending on the people you interact with.

“Everyone should be able to deal with things in their own way. Men should be allowed to show weakness, and women shouldn’t have to show everything,” Scally said.

The Growing Issue of Suicide

First Steps to an Accepting Society

These bottled up emotions can lead to some dangerous decisions that can’t be rescinded. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. In 2017, 47,173 Americans committed suicide; that’s 129 suicides per day. In that year, there were 1.3 million suicide attempts.

One statistic that may be surprising to most is that men commit suicide 3.54 times more than females. In 2016 in particular, white males accounted for 7 out of 10 of suicides.

As a society, we need to destigmatize mental illness and begin to open up in healthy ways.

Huang wants a way we can stay anonymous.

“If there is a way to be anonymous, you don’t have to outcast yourself. You aren’t exposed through therapy. It would be nice to open up if they [therapists] don’t know who you are,” Huang explained.

Rigas just wants people to listen.

“Listen to understand instead of listening to debate. People may not physically look the way they identify. People don’t accept us [transgender people] and aren’t willing to change the way they think. Just be respectful,” they said. “It’s easy to get lost in where you grew up. It’s not easy to change your mentality. But at the end of the day, you shouldn’t put your belief or religion above another person’s right to existence.”

Allison, on the other hand, wants to attack the problem at the root.

“A good first step would be focus groups.

We could hold seminars for elementary kids’ parents to talk about children and their struggle with gender roles. We could encourage them to allow their kids to open up and to cry,” Allison continued. “This is how we begin to dismantle the problem. I try to do this in my own little way by chipping away at the problem one family at a time.”

America has already come a long way in accepting people regardless of their gender.

These days we see people of all genders working as nurses, doctors and engineers.

The idea of change is in the hands of our generation. Knowing this, hopefully, we can start a ripple effect that leads to a more accepting society for all of us.

Allison agrees. “Nothing can happen if we don’t talk about it.”

“

Men should be allowed to show

weakness, and women shouldn’t have to show

everything.

The causes of this are merely speculation, but it’s likely that men feel obligated to keep their feelings bottled up to be “real men.” It’s also a known fact that women are much more likely to seek mental help than men. That is likely because they feel less ashamed of having mental issues because that is what is expected of them. The truth of the matter is that men and women are equally affected by mental health problems, just in different ways.

“

These masculine and feminine emotional

“

stereotypes can be particularly difficult for someone who is transgender.

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A History of

Mental Health Services at RIT

by Morgan LaMere | illustration by Ting Chu| design by Dhensel Dorji

March 2015

2015–2016 Academic Year

February 2017

RIT’s administration hired Keeling and Associates to complete an audit of the institute’s mental health services using an open forum. Students expressed frustration with said services, especially concerning how difficult it was to get personal appointments.

RIT’s response: Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Sandra Johnson attempted to create what she called an “integrated health model.” This opened new positions within student affairs to help students more effectively.

The new positions included Associate Vice President for Student Health, Counseling and Wellness, filled by Dr. Wendy Gelbard and Director for Counseling and Psychological services, currently held by Dr. David Reetz.

CaPS created the 2015–2020 Student Affairs Strategic Plan with a priority to maximize reach to the student population and reduce group therapy sessions. Counseling and Psychological Services added two additional staff members, increasing its budget by 17 percent.

RIT’s Counseling and Psychological Services expanded amenities to students by opening an immediate care hotline at 1-855436-1245 from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., including weekends and holidays.

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2016–2017 Academic Year There was an increase in CaPS Campus Outreach Education and Mental Health Training hours from 65 the previous year to 343.

May 24, 2017 Dr. Annamaria Kontor, qualified to fill and update hormone prescriptions from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, was fired for providing prescriptions and laboratory tests to transgender students.

Student Health Center policy had prohibited prescribing hormone therapy for gender transition — a fact Kontor claimed she had no knowledge of. This effectively ended hormone therapy treatment on campus.

Increase F unding to the Student H ealth Cent er for Menta l Health”

Oct. 19, 2018

Nov. 9, 2018

2017–2018 Academic Year

A PawPrints petition titled “Increase Funding To The Student Health Center For Mental Health” was written, and went on to receive 3267 of the required 200 signatures to be reviewed by Student Government. This issue stemmed from the long waiting times to see a therapist.

In response to RIT’s claims of improvement in regards to mental health, Student Government unanimously passed a student-presented demand calling for a task force to be established to follow through with President Munson’s promises. In addition, the statement called for diverse mental health professionals and a student advisory board within CaPS.

CaPS served 24 percent more students compared to two years ago. Walk in appointments were implemented and increased from 183 in 2015–2016 to 894 in the 2017–2018 academic year.

Dr. David Reetz, director of Counseling and Psychological services, announced a new service for students who are unable to get to the August Center. New, locally staffed offices will be built into five buildings across campus, the first being Golisano.

A number of new mental health positions, aiming to be filled by the 2019-2020 academic year, are being implemented — including an Outreach coordinator to speak with students in their places of residence. These new positions are being facilitated by Dr. Reetz and other RIT administrators.

Nov. 2, 2018 In response to a suicide on campus on Oct. 31, 2018, RIT hosted a mental health forum to address student concerns about mental healthcare accessibility. Following the forum, President Munson sent an email to the RIT community labeling steps the administration would take to ensure better mental healthcare.

Dec. 2018 RIT sent out an email announcing the formation of a joint student and administrator-led Task Force intended to investigate RIT’s services and student concerns.

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e h T Realit

of

y

PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION

by Taylor Synclair Goethe | photography by Debmalya Ray Choudhuri | illustration by Monica Nguyen-Vo | design by Kendra Murphy

I

t goes without saying that college is a stressful time. Anything from the overload of assignments, poor diets or struggle in finances can deteriorate a student’s mental health over time. Many people who struggle with different mental illnesses might seek medication for the first time while in college, as I did. So what are some of the hard truths about psychiatric drugs?

SIGNS YOU MAY NEED HELP One in six Americans take some form of a psychiatric drug, according to Scientific American. These types of medications alter the chemistry of the brain and nervous system and can be prescribed for a range of

24 Wellness

treatments, from cognitive diseases to ADHD. However, psychiatric medications are most commonly associated with treatment for mental health disorders.

This is especially true for college students — an estimated one in four adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness. More notably, according to the American Psychiatric Association, about 50 percent of mental illness begins by age 14 and a remarkable three-quarters begin by age 24.

Andrew Cyrus Marcy, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner for Nazareth and St. John Fisher, advised when students should seek mental health treatment.

“It is normal to experience some degree of anxiety and sadness during stress and life

transitions,” Marcy said. “If mild-moderate symptoms persist beyond a week, I recommend seeking treatment.”

As always, the first step in getting help is receiving a diagnosis. In the midst of semester chaos, it can be difficult to notice your own red flags.

Silka Houghton is a third year double major in Photojournalism and Business Entrepreneurship. When her parents noticed she was struggling to focus in school, they scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist.

“In second grade, I was officially diagnosed with ADHD, OCD and major depression. At the time I wasn’t on medication because I was so young. Instead, I went to therapy through the school and private therapy,” Houghton said.

MEDS ARE TIME AND MONEY Since many students aren’t diagnosed early on, they end up having to balance consultation appointments with schoolwork.

I started my treatment plan for major depressive and anxiety disorder in my sophomore year of college. Even with consistent treatment, I am still considered “high-risk” for suicide, which is common.

No singular medication is a cureall for mental illness. and college isn’t quite the best environment for managing stress. This is why reaching out to a general practitioner or local prescriber sooner in the semester is a good idea.

“Unfortunately, there are often long wait lists to see a prescribing specialist [off campus] ... Expect that you will see the specialist approximately once every month until your symptoms are stable,” Marcy said.

Typically, medications take four to eight weeks to take effect.

It then takes another six to 12 months of symptom remission for the person to be considered “stable.” Yet any prescription works best if it’s a part of an overall treatment plan, and for psychiatric drugs that often means therapy.

Many medical providers, including the Student Health Center, will not prescribe medication without proof the patient is under the supervision of a counselor. Fortunately, the Counseling and Psychological Center is free to students, although the wait times are typically long.

“The first action should always be going to a therapist to see what’s best for you. Even if it’s not medication, but another alternative treatment plan,” Houghton said.

If medication is the best treatment option, the unfortunate reality of psychiatric drugs is that they are expensive. The ideal option is to work with local medical providers. However, college can make that complicated especially if students are competing for appointment slots.

Private counselors typically have more open appointments and offer a wider pool

of cultural diversity. Some students, like Houghton, may prefer private counselors, even if it means paying out of pocket.

“I found a private therapist that works for me, but now I also need to find private psychotherapy. That’s like four hundred dollars out of pocket and it’s not covered by my health insurance plan,” Houghton said.

RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS There’s no sugar coating it — medications can be dangerous and there’s a lot of trial and error. It’s important to communicate regularly and honestly about side effects and concerns.

“The majority of side effects experienced with these medications are adjustment side effects. They occur shortly after starting the medication and resolve within one to two weeks,” Marcy said.

For the first couple of weeks on antidepressants, I suffered several migraines. Though the migraines disappeared, some side effects persist no matter how long a person has been on medication. In my case, this meant random spells of nausea.

Usually, these symptoms are mild and the “tradeoff” for mental health relief. Every medication has its own list of side effects — possible headaches, nausea and libido — and everyone’s body responds to medication differently.

However there are serious symptoms that shouldn’t go unchecked.

“If you have an allergic reaction, your symptoms are severe, you feel disoriented or confused or you have increased/new thoughts of self-harm, you should contact your prescriber or seek immediate medical attention,” Marcy said.

I’ve experienced both a severe allergic reaction that resulted in hospitalization and a rapid increase in suicidal thoughts as the result of trying new medications. Both could have cost me my life if I was less receptive to changing conditions.

Medications that have warnings of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts have a black box warning attached to them — the FDA’s highest warning.

Houghton recalls taking a new medication that triggered the maniac phases of her

depression. She was on it for two days, but called in three weeks of absence from work.

“You don’t want to necessarily admit you have a problem that needs treatment. It’s really scary because you don’t know how your body is going to respond to the medication,” Houghton said.

CHANGE TO BODY CHEMISTRY A common misconception is that patients need to be on psychiatric drugs forever. This can be true in some cases, but is far from the truth for many antidepressants and anxiety medication.

I was once afraid to begin medication because I was convinced it would ruin my life as an artist. In reality, my art improved.

It took a whole year of trial and error to find a regiment that works for me, but I do not regret seeking treatment.

Medication is a tool, not a prison. Once you are stable, it’s completely okay to discuss with your psychotherapy providers about stopping.

At the same time, never feel ashamed to stay on medication. Medication does not change who you are.

“

Medication does not change who you are.

Wellness 25

by Kasey Mathews | illustration by Asher Bozman |design by Kathy Liu

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T

he language we use can make or break us. In crisis situations, it’s imperative to communicate decisively and efficiently.

Yet language is much more than the words we use — it includes tone, as well as non-verbal messages. Sometimes, the strongest language is that of silence.

Every community is prone to unrest and discontent, a university like RIT being no different. When this discontent comes about, the response from those in charge can mean the difference between uproar and applause.

I miss the applause.

Past Offenses So often crises come about and the administration seems to act like a PR machine. Any questions on the matter must be filtered through a specific office or specific individual for a response. The response is always the same, too: RIT is doing the best it can to care for their most important stakeholders — the students.

If that were true, though, students would be able to take comfort in the words of the administration. These administrators should empathize with the students, understanding their concerns more personally. It’s true that students want answers — that much is human nature — but moreover, students want to feel secure in the campus they’ve come to call home.

As transgender healthcare became a question in the summer of 2017, the administration was faced with student concern. In response, they closed ranks and filed all questions through a select few channels, leaving an unofficial moratorium on the subject for all other staff.

Democrat & Chronicle reported on the situation several times, covering student protests as well as the administration’s response — a complete defense of their actions in firing the doctor who had previously provided transgender care.

It was this response that continued to stoke the flames. While informative, the stoic defense seemed to further the cold idea that administrators had little empathy for the communities of students they were supposedly putting first.

Reporter staff have found it exceedingly difficult to gather information from the Student Health Center, as staff are apparently prohibited from commenting on the record about even the simplest things, such as what services the center provides for students, without direct approval from their director.

While trans healthcare has now been restored at RIT, the lasting effects have left a scar on students’ trust. To worsen the distaste, RIT still advertises itself as a university that wholeheartedly supports trans healthcare and rights.

More Recently After a student’s tragic and public death by suicide, the administration once again took on a defensive role. Information was difficult to come by. Students learned more from one another than they ever did from the administration they’re expected to look to in times of crisis.

Faculty and staff didn’t have the luxury of the students’ network. They were largely unaware of the events that had transpired the previous night and were oblivious to the effects it had on the student body. This only exacerbated those effects.

By this point, students had pieced together what had happened. They had come together and consoled one another. Nov. 1, 2018 was a solemn day.

President Munson released a “message of caring” the same day. The message began illput, with Munson touting RIT’s “commitment to promoting a culture of caring and support” in just the short second paragraph.

Never in the message was there a moment of personal emotion. The message, in its entirety, read as a press release more than a true message of support. It covered expansions of counseling and health services, including both those temporary expansions in response to timely need and previously scheduled expansions unrelated to the incident. Noticeably absent was any sense that Munson and the administration were in any way affected by the tragedy, or that they could at least sympathize with those who were.

While it’s important to not fake empathy for the sake of coddling support, a sympathetic tone should still be felt in times of such trauma. Instead, administrators have kept their stoic visage, serving as a news agency more than the support network they tout themselves to be.

Lack of Access Moreover, further information and opinions beyond those that are discussed publicly are difficult to come by. In preparation for this article, an interview was scheduled with President Munson.

While certainly productive in explaining some areas, such as clarifying the parents’ wishes to keep the victim’s name anonymous from the press, other areas were far more disappointing.

Joining the interview unannounced was Bob Finnerty, chief communications officer for RIT. While putting forth the assurance that he was present only to listen and record soundbytes that may later be able to be utilized, Finnerty instead answered the majority of the questions in the interview, steering the discussion to a realm of positives over those of questionable negatives. For every question, a vague answer. For every attempt, a dismissive defense.

Moving Forward The university has a history of making the wrong move and defending it to the last breath.

From trans healthcare to mental healthcare, an educational entity that should be putting its students first instead seems to be closing itself off from any sense of understanding.

I truly believe RIT has the best intentions in mind; however, their actions so often betray a lack of self-awareness that can be startling to say the least. There must be an understanding on behalf of administrators that students require more than simple information. Just as the president of the nation would console its citizens during a crisis, so too should the president of the university act to console its students. Information is important, but so is the need to feel safe and supported.

Lists of avenues for support simply won’t make due. A personal touch isn’t just an added bonus — it’s necessary.

Students need safety as one of their core requirements. Just saying, “You’re safe” isn’t enough.

A language of silence, of apathy and of distance won’t suffice any longer. If administrators expect the approval of students, they have to ensure they take great care with student lives.

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WORD ON THE STREET

In what ways are you emotionally vulnerable? photography by Ben Morrow | illustration by Stephanie Chan | design by Cassy Smithies

“I’m a touchy person. It’s a way I can feel close to others.” (left) Serena Nappa First Year, Photojournalism

“I play a lot of music and I can feel vulnerable when I have an emotional connection with a song. When I sing, I often leave it all emotionally on the stage.” (right) Jon Frey First Year, Applied Mathematics

“In my relationships in general. I’m a commuter student so I’m not always here to spend time with my peers to make close friendships.”

Darion Bubel First Year, Criminal Justice

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“I’m most vulnerable with how I succeed or don’t; one of the things that worries me most are my potential failures.”

Joe Olsen First Year, Mechanical Engineering

“When I’m off my meds, because I can then have panic attacks and I become irritable.”

Nick Cornish Second Year, Photography Exploration

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compiled by Taylor Synclair Goethe illustration by Ting Chu design by Elin Smith

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