General

November 20, 2019 — I’ve always struggled with the changing weather and lack of sunlight brought on by the fall season. As the months move from September to October to November, I find myself staying indoors and in my bed. The times I do leave my room, I am persistent on only wearing black leggings and baggy sweatshirts to […]

November 13, 2019 — Bringing Active Minds to your campus or high school sounds as if it’s a really big task. It is quite the opposite.  There was an Active Minds chapter at Kent State many years ago. Unfortunately, this chapter started to drift away and was no longer active. Spring semester 2019, I was given the task to […]

November 8, 2019 — “Well it all started when I was born…” I’m pretty sure those are the first words I said to my therapist during my intake appointment. What followed were a lot of tears, a huge sigh of relief and follow-up sessions every two weeks.  Deciding to go to therapy was one of the scariest things I’ve […]

November 1, 2019 — Upon finishing the prolific and frankly disturbing HBO series, “Years and Years,” I could not stop thinking about politics and the news and pop culture and international relations. What is my role in all of this; do I have a role in this?   A synopsis of the show reads: The six-part series follows the British […]

October 25, 2019 — Author and researcher Brené Brown says, “It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” It’s midterms season and I find myself having to read this quote over and over each day as a reminder to put my health first. Although Oxy isn’t […]

October 21, 2019 — A few weeks ago, it was reported that one year following the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students are reporting more anxiety and depression and cutting classes. Research has long demonstrated that the effects of shootings and other campus-wide crises (i.e. suicides, weather-related destruction, and other unexpected accidents), as […]

October 17, 2019 — Say hello to our wonderful group of fall 2019 interns! We are so excited to learn and grow alongside these passionate and driven mental health advocates. Kaylan Escamez Where did you go to school and what did you study? University of Reading (Reading, England), Art & History of Art Where is home to you? Gibraltar […]

October 14, 2019 — Careful Watch your step You may break me.   Stop!  No sudden movements I’m very fragile.   I’m very sensitive.   My mother always tells me it’s like walking on eggshells talking to me. She has to be careful what she says and how she says things, or else I get upset and defensive. “Are […]

October 3, 2019 — Last fall, our chapter partnered with our school’s Counseling Center to begin implementing basic mental health trainings for members of our college community. Over the course of the semester, members of our chapter co-facilitated trainings with members of the Counseling center, educating members of the community on mental health, informing them of available resources, and […]

October 1, 2019 — Content Warning: This piece contains mentions of suicide. One of the most important factors in terms of a student’s decision to seek help is campus climate. Students are uniquely positioned to have direct and immediate effects on their peers’ perceptions of mental health issues and their likelihood to access mental health services. In the year […]