Feeling Under the Weather?

by Violeta Bagazgoitia

As we enter the darker months of the year, a cloud of sadness hovers over our heads. Doom and gloom are creeping into the cracks of our summer memories, which seem farther away with each day. With this in mind, we need to get ready to face the hormonal imbalance (referred to as seasonal depression) that comes to many as the seasons change.

It might come as a surprise to some, but this concept goes further than girl in red’s song; seasonal depression or “seasonal affective disorder” is a mood disorder, and therefore a type of depression. This chemical change in the brain is triggered by the shortening of days and leads to several depressive symptoms.

To many, it might seem absurd to think that the weather has such power over our emotions, and for this reason, there is undeniable scepticism towards those who suffer from SAD (as ironic as the term may sound). However, depression is completely different from feeling sad or unhappy. It is not a condition that can be willed away, this is why it's important to shine a light on winter depression.

In order to create an image of what this disorder entails, I will pose a series of questions; do you sleep a lot, feel drowsy and irri-

Dearest Campus

table? Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Do you have headaches and more appetite? These are just a few of the symptoms that come with SAD, along with anxiety and low sex drive.

However (and this is a big however), this does not mean that if you`re not in the mood to give a blowjob to your boyfriend or if you`ve gained some weight after returning from Christmas at home, you have seasonal depression. Some may relate to a few of the symptoms and confuse them for the disorder. In other words, hypochondriacs. Feeling “under the weather” right now is perfectly normal, the days are shorter, the sun barely comes out and the temperatures are decreasing as we approach the end of the semester. Having a slow day and just wanting to stay in your room with a cup of warm tea and a movie is completely justified, however this does not mean you have seasonal affective disorder.

Whether you actually have this disorder or not, feeling blue during this season is perfectly normal, but not something you should ignore. Treat each day as it comes and don’t let the sad ones get the best of you. Remember that others are also going through the same thing as you, so don’t be scared to ask for help if you need it. And if you don’t feel like directly asking for help, you can always just ask for a hug. Take some slow days for yourself every once in a while.

Winter, along with all its dark clouds and heavy raincoats also brings colourful Christmas lights, hot chocolate (with or without whipped cream on top), warm hugs from grandparents and a lot of family dinners. So, in light of all that is to come, don’t forget to take care of your mental health.

As campus prepares to welcome the dread of the festive season with international students scrambling to make plans for the new year and coming to terms with being alone during the holidays, I hope this edition brings you much needed companionship with articles on Diederix and his life story, the history of Chinese food on Christmas, fatphobia, daddy issues alongside a spread on neurodivergence.

This is Kitty, our PR manager’s last edition with us. I bid her goodbye with sadness in my heart and wish her all the luck. I hope she knows she lights up every room she enters.

I want to thank the lovely Clara for such a wonderful cover page. She is endlessly kind and always lets me borrow her bike. Pablo, Ida, Katrina, Hilde, Sophie, and Isa, thank you so much for all the work you put into every edition.

To the graduating class, congratulations! You’ve made it and no longer must smell the wafts of pig manure in the air or the pure joy of getting gently refrigerated chips or tampons. I wish you all the very best in what’s to come.

As I get out of class in complete darkness and spend time by my radiator drinking soup, I leave this edition with you. Perhaps it will reach you in the midst of packing up things from the three glorious years you’ve spent here, or as you prepare to go on exchange, or as your childhood trauma comes to greet you at the dinner table with your family, or maybe just as you pick up fresh oliebol.

If you're alone this New Year’s Eve, sit by yourself in front of your UCU table (make sure no damage comes to it, wouldn’t be fun to pay 100 euros for it) with perhaps a candle and a 15 euro pizza. Don your best clothes and listen to yourself. Cry if you need to. I know I will.

With love,

Avantika Bhowmik Chair & Layout Director