Thursday, April 24, 2014

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Vol. 124, Issue 57

The University has one of the best mental health systems in the country — at least, according to Tim Davis, the newest director of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.

“I’ve worked with a lot of places and a lot of big places, and this is the sharpest group of counselors and psychiatrists I’ve ever been affiliated with,” said Davis, who joined the University in Aug. 2013 after stints at the University of Michigan and Indiana University.

M e n t a l

health services at the University are extensive and have been increasingly utilized by the student body in recent years. During the 201213 school year, CAPS had approximately 10,000 visits — an increase of 29 percent in a fiveyear period.

The rise in visits could be indicative of heightened outreach by the CAPS team, which works throughout the school year to inform students about the services available to them on Grounds. But it could also be in line with national trends, which indicate a growing number of students have mental health issues during their college years.

“The demand for CAPS services has gone way, way up,” Davis said. “I don’t think it’s anything particular about U.Va.” In recent years, the most common mental health issue faced by college students has shifted f r o m

Contemplating

d e pression to anxiety.

According to the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, 46.2 percent of students in counseling services suffer from anxiety, while 39.3 percent face depression. This is followed by 35.3 percent who identify as struggling with relationship issues, 17.9 percent with suicidal thoughts or behavior and 11 percent with alcohol abuse.

Davis said he noticed anxiety was the predominant mental health issue while working at the University of Michigan, but he didn’t realize it was a national trend until later on.

“What we found when we put all our data together nationally it was happening everywhere,” he said.

There are two ways University students who desire help can obtain CAPS services.

The more traditional route is to contact CAPS and schedule a brief screening over the phone. During the screening, a clinician assesses the student’s needs and makes a suggestions on how to best address those needs. A student who needs to see a clinician right

away c a n a l s o walk into CAPS and receive immediate attention.

After the initial screening, students will often undergo another 50-minute interview with a clinician in order for the CAPS staff to gain a fuller understanding of the student’s concerns.

There are a variety of options available to students at CAPS. Some students attend anywhere from two to 10 sessions of individual therapy.

After 10 sessions, the student will either conclude his or

see CAPS, page 2

Mental Health University aims to combat psychological struggles through comprehensive support options Leopold Spohngellert Senior Associate Editor

VIRGINIA ENHANCES MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION PAGE 4

A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH PAGE 3

EMERY: MENTAL HEALTH IS ABOUT US, NOT “THEM” PAGE 12

MENTAL HEALTH GOES TO THE MOVIES PAGE 10

NCAA TO RULE ON PAYING STUDENT ATHLETES PAGE 5

The Cavalier Daily

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CAPS Center serves 8.3 percent of student body Continued from page 1 her involvement with CAPS or seek other providers of therapy with CAPS’ assistance.

Additionally, some students receive a referral for medication. According to Davis, 15 to 20 percent of students who visit CAPS for counseling take medication.

One of the most popular and effective forms of treatment is group therapy or workshops, Davis said.

“The group counseling pro-

cess for college students is really wonderful,” he said. “Enrollment in group counseling was up 100 percent this year, which we’re thrilled about,” CAPS offers a variety of groups that address several issues that students face. For example, there is a group for international students, students with bipolar disorder and those who struggle with academics. The group setting allows students to help each other, with the oversight of a professional clinician.

“The student feels really engaged and cared about by another student,” he said.

Part of CAPS’ main goal is to make students comfortable with talking about their issues and tackling stigmas against mental illness.

Davis said CAPS has successfully connected to the student body — noting 8.3 percent of University students are being seen at CAPS, compared to the national average of 7 percent.

“That means that whatever we’re doing with our outreach program is working,” he said.

Still, with mental health issues highly prevalent among college students, Davis said he knows his work is not complete

and that CAPS has room to grow. He said he aims for CAPS to become more integrated with the University, and become a place where students not only to seek counseling and treatment, but also go to better themselves.

“I’d really like to be more available for students who are coming in and just want to be the best version of themselves,” Davis said. “I’d like us to be more in tandem with the ideal that U.Va. puts out about the best and brightest leaders of tomorrow that want to be able to make a difference.”

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NEWS

Thursday, April 24, 2014

3

Top universities struggle with mental health Suicides at Yale, University of Pennsylvania prompt strong reactions from students, school counseling services plagued by long appointment waits Kaelyn Quinn Associate Editor

With a recent spike in highlypublicized collegiate tragedies attributed to mental illness, increasing attention is being paid to deficiencies in psychological and counseling services universities offer. State incidents, including the campus massacre of 32 Virginia Tech students in 2007 and the number of suicides which occur every year, have increased pressure on Virginia schools to both meet and monitor the mental health of young adults.

Dr. James Turner, former University executive director of Student Health, found suicide outpaced alcohol related incidents as a leading cause of death in his 2011 study, “Leading Causes of Mortality

Among American College Students at Four-Year Institutions.” According to the study, the rate of student suicide has remained constant since the 1980s, suggesting a lack of successful preventative action around the issue.

Several of the University’s peer institutions struggle with incidents of mental illness. In 2010, Yale junior Cameron Dabaghi committed suicide by jumping off the observation deck of the Empire State building. The same year, six students committed suicide at Cornell University, two of them jumping off bridges on campus.

In January this year, University of Pennsylvania freshman Madison Holleran jumped to her death from the roof of a parking garage in Philadelphia. Since Holleran’s death, two more students at the university have also committed suicide, and a graduate student committed

suicide while away from campus in December, bringing the total to four student suicides at the university for this academic year.

Despite these incidents, students claim universities are at times reluctant to support victims.

After her suicide attempt while at Yale, Rachel Williams was forced to withdraw from the university with no guaranteed readmission.

After a one-year leave of absence, the university allowed her to reapply and return to the university only after carefully screening her mental health and ensuring she posed no liability, Williams wrote in a column for the Yale Daily News.

“Those of us who have admitted, at some point or another, that we are legitimately not okay, have learned that there are real and devastating consequences of telling the truth,” she

wrote. “Because Yale does not want people who are not okay. Yale does not want people who are struggling, who are fighting. Yale, out of concern for its own image, wants them to leave. And Yale makes them.”

A victim of a sexual assault, University of Pennsylvania senior Carissa Lunquist checked herself into the hospital in October after her attacker was acquitted. When she returned to school in January, the university did not confirm her re-enrollment until mid-February.

Lunquist said she would have taken legal action against the university if she had not been re-enrolled.

“I feel like Penn wants me to say I’m okay, I’ve moved past it,” she said to the The Daily Pennsylvanian. “But I’m not going to tell them that things are fine. ... Being here is really hard because of the way the whole system

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

A look at William & Mary Services The William & Mary Counseling Center offers scheduled appointments throughout the week for students. In the event of an emergency — described explicitly as suicide threats or attempts, rape, sexual assault or other trauma, and severely disorganized, psychotic, or out of control behavior — the Center staff are on-call and available for students at all times.

The college is the former school of Charlottesville Sen. Creigh Deeds’ son Austin “Gus” Deeds, who repeatedly stabbed his father before taking his own life last November. Gus suffered from bipolar disorder and had been enrolled at William & Mary A look at Virginia Tech Services Since the massacre seven years ago — in which undergraduate student Seung-Hui Cho fired upon 47 individuals, killing 32 before committing suicide — Virginia Tech has expanded the resources of the Cook Counseling Center, the university’s main mental health services provider.

“We’re changing and evolving all the time,” said Charles Anderson, associate director of the Center. “We’ve gone to this walk-in system just as of this year, beginning in the fall of 2013. We’re always trying to improve our services and take a good look at ourselves to try and see how we can do our work better, do our jobs better.”

In addition to this change, which allows students in distress to be seen without a set appointment, the Center retains an on-call

seems to have failed me, even though I did the whole process correctly.”

Though Yale and the University of Pennsylvania each offer free counseling services to all students, both schools’ systems have received recent criticism. In 2013, Yale College Council’s Report on Mental Health said “negative perceptions of [Mental Health and Counseling] are prevalent.”

The report cited long wait times before initial appointments and too few therapists for the number of patients as causes of concern. In 2012–13, the average wait time for an appointment with the school mental health services at the University of Pennsylvania was 13.2 days. According to an article in The Daily Pennsylvanian, this has been a large contributor to rising student dissatisfaction with the system.

counselor — available to students at any time day or night — and conducts a weekly health and wellness series. The Center also provides training to faculty, staff, students and resident assistants.

Since the 2007 tragedy, Virginia Tech has established a threat assessment team comprised of multiple departments — incorporating members of the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling Center and the Virginia Tech Police Department, among others — to review cases of potential threat on campus, whether from students, faculty or staff. The university also established the Crisis Assessment, Response and Education Team to address issues pertaining exclusively to the student body.

“It is a way of responding to emerging concerns that might show up that aren’t

since 2007, though William & Mary spokesperson Brian Whitson told The Guardian Deeds’ time at the university was not continuous. Gus withdrew from the school a month before the stabbing ensued.

The Center also provides consultations to RAs with specific concerns about students in their care, and hosts a range of workshops and programs encompassing issues surrounding relationships, academics and personal health and wellbeing, which are available upon request.

The director of the William & Mary Counseling Center was not available for comment.

—compiled by Catherine Valentine

necessarily threat related but might be related to students’ psychological wellbeing,” Anderson said. “Since 2007, there have been a lot of changes that have taken place not only at Virginia Tech, but really across the country.”

Other campuses, including Temple University, have followed Virginia Tech’s lead.

“The CARE Team was formalized following the Virginia Tech shootings to provide a central resource for those troubled by students’ problematic behaviors,” Temple University’s Faculty Herald newsletter stated.

“Typical CARE Team referrals include matters of self injury, suicide attempts, depression … and a wide range of other issues.”

Another major change at the Cook Counseling Center, Anderson added, has been the launch of a case manager position.

“He not only helps us deal with behavioral

issues on campus and providing assessments for people that we’re concerned about — he also is involved in tracking people here who might go into the hospital system,” Anderson said. “We are able to coordinate follow-up care after they are released from the hospital, and we are also able to have an active role in the decision-making process for whether or not a person is ready to be released back into the community.”

Virginia Tech continues to face a significant challenge, however, in that students who check into the hospital on a voluntary basis are not required to inform the university.

“They have no obligation to let us know,” Anderson said. “This is an area where a person’s right to seek treatment overrides anything else.”

—compiled by Catherine Valentine

4

NEWS

The Cavalier Daily

Laws target mental health support

Virginia Tech shooting, Deeds stabbing prompt legislators to pass psychological care reforms A 2007 preliminary report of the Commission outlined the initial plan to conduct intensive studies in 2007, hold public hearings in the spring of 2008 and distribute a final report in the fall of 2008.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

State Sen. Creigh Deeds (above) was stabbed by his son Gus last fall, sparking mental health reforms in the Virginia legislature.

Kathleen Smith Associate Editor

The state of Virginia has reformed the legal procedures surrounding mental health care twice in the past several years — first in the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy, and then again following the stabbing of Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville.

Beginnings of change Back in October 2006, however, Chief Justice Leroy Rountree Hassell,

Sr. of the Supreme Court of Virginia initiated the Commission on Mental Health Law Reform. The commission aimed to analyze Virginia’s mental health laws to improve their efficiency for both psychiatric patients and their families. Law Prof. Richard Bonnie chaired the commission, which produced reports through 2009 and concluded work in 2011.

“I chaired [the] Commission created by the Supreme Court from 2006-2011 and we were able to make substantial reforms," Bonnie said in an email. "Important changes were also made this session."

After Virginia Tech, an expanded effort The mass shooting at Virginia Tech in April 2007 changed many of the initial plans, however.

"The Panel charged with investigating the Virginia Tech shootings found that an aborted episode of involuntary treatment in December of 2005 was one of several missed opportunities to uncover Seung Hui Cho’s deepening emotional disorder and distress before it exploded into horrifying violence,” Bonnie said in a Commission report. “The compelling need for change — long recognized by people within the mental health system — now became evident.”

The Commission accelerated its schedule and presented a Blueprint for Comprehensive Reform in Dec. 2007.

The report was followed by a series of policy changes during 2008 and 2009, which, according to a 2009 progress report on the Commission, included reforms to "the length of the emergency hospitalization period and the possible expansion of mandatory outpatient treatment.”

The Commission also attempted to improve access to and integration of services.

New regulations were imposed on local mental health authorities in Virginia, known as community service

boards — as well as on magistrates, judges and examiners — to improve the decision-making process during psychiatric proceedings. The reform package also mandated more “detailed procedures for issuing, reviewing, and terminating mandatory outpatient treatment orders,” as well as authorizing law enforcement officers to take a person with “apparent mental illness” to a mental health facility instead of jail. The General Assembly additionally allocated $42 million in state funds to support and expand CSB service capacity for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Bonnie also led a study published in 2009 titled “Mental Health System: Transformation After the Virginia Tech Tragedy.” The study — which sought to gauge the effects of heightened political attention to mental health reform following the Virginia Tech shooting — found the reforms in 2008 had "already had some positive effects," and that the Commission “developed a vision of comprehensive reform that would transform Virginia’s mental health services.”

A final report on the Commission was never issued, though Bonnie did release a progress report in 2010 which found the focus in the General Assembly had largely switched to refining existing policies rather than enacting new ones.

Following Deeds, recent reforms In its 2014 session, the General Assembly passed a bill aimed at reforming Virginia’s mental health laws.

SB 260 passed the Senate and House of Delegates in March and was signed

by Gov. Terry McAuliffe in April. The

bill was introduced by Deeds, who in November was stabbed by his son, who suffered from mental illness.

The day before the stabbing, Deeds’ son Gus underwent an emergency mental health evaluation, but was released from Bath Community Hospital because a psychiatric bed was not available in the facility. Three hospitals, which are located within two hours of Bath County, later said they had available psychiatric beds but were never contacted.

The final version of the bill increases the time a person may be held following an emergency custody order from four hour — with a possible two-hour extension — to 12 hours, down from the 24 hours Deeds and the Senate initially proposed. It also dictates that a state facility cannot refuse or fail to admit a patient “who meets the criteria for temporary detention” unless an alternative plan can be enacted.

Furthermore, the bill mandates the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services institute an online psychiatric bed registry to “provide real-time information about the number of beds available" in psychiatric facilities.

The General Assembly also passed a joint resolution this session which will create a subcommittee, which will examine mental health services across the commonwealth.

"Unfortunately, tragedy creates opportunity," Bonnie said. "I expect additional improvements over the next few years from the governor's task force and from a legislative study led by Senator Deeds.”

Board of Visitors approves undergraduate tuition hike Cost increases to fund faculty salary increases, Cornerstone Plan, mandatory contributions to Virginia Retirement System Matthew Comey News Editor

The Board of Visitors approved undergraduate tuition raises Wednesday for the 2014-15 academic year. In-state students entering the University in August will face an increase in tuition and fees of 4.3 percent, while out-of-state students will face an increase of 5.9 percent.

“The University of Virginia remains a tremendous value for students from all walks of life,” Board Rector George Martin said in a University press release. “The tuition plan approved today helps sustain and enhance success by supporting investments in priorities such as our

superb faculty and an even more distinctive residential culture.”

In dollar costs, in-state tuition will increase by $540, to $12,998, and out-of-state tuition by $2,340, to $42,184. After considering room and board, dining and other academic costs such as books, the change represents a 3.6 percent increase for in-state students and a 5 percent increase for out-of-state students.

According to the press release, the increases will be used to cover increased required payments into the Virginia Retirement System, fund faculty salary increases and help pay for the University’s recently passed Cornerstone Plan, a strategic plan with the goal of “sustaining and en-

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget, discussed the then-proposed tuition increases with student leaders last week. Her office is located in Madison Hall (above).

hancing excellence.”

“We must support a faculty that will position the University for sustained excellence as we approach our bicentennial and prepare for U.Va.’s third century,” University President Teresa Sullivan said in the press release. “This will mean retaining and

recruiting young talent as well as experienced scholars in a broad array of disciplines.”

At a meeting last Friday between student leaders and University administration, Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget, said the increase will most burden students

who are not receiving financial aid.

She also said the University is looking for more ways to make its financial aid program, AccessUVa, affordable.

“We are looking for more private sources to fund AccessUVa,” Sheehy said at that meeting.

Owen Robinson Associate Editor

Last month, antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and five major college conferences on behalf of two football and two basketball players at Clemson, the University of Texas at El Paso, Rutgers and the University of California Berkeley — students Martin Jenkins, Kevin Perry, J.J. Moore and William Tyndall, respectively. With the exception of Jenkins, a junior, the four have completed their NCAA eligibility and ended their college athletic careers.

The class action lawsuit accuses the NCAA and the “Power Conferences” of pricefixing by limiting compensation for student athletes.

The four athletes are also seeking individual damages. Should it be determined price-fixing is in fact occurring, the case would open the possibility of paying student athletes across the country, including at the University.

The complaint against NCAA and conferences The complaint filed asserts the ACC, the Big 12, the Big 10, Pac-12 and the SEC “have lost their way far down the road of commercialism, signing multibillion dollar contracts wholly disconnected from the interests of ‘student-athletes,’ who are barred from receiving the benefits of competitive markets for their services even though their services generate these massive revenues.”

It accuses the NCAA and these five conferences of entering “into what amounts to cartel agreements, with the avowed purpose and effect of placing a ceiling on the compensation that may be paid to these athletes for their services.”

This case is at the heart of the debate over whether to pay college athletes and what purpose they serve at their respective universities. The public remains strongly divided on the issue.

One camp argues paying student athletes is only fair and would fix an illegal system. The other side posits that additional compensation would unravel the college sports system.

Timothy Nevius, one of the lawyers working with Kessler on the case and a former associate director of enforcement at the

Case action lawsuit by student-athletes could allow payment, Littlepage says athletes are students first, not employees NCAA, said he believes the current system is broken. For him, the goal of this lawsuit is to strike down an unjust element of college sports and then rebuild.

“In the class-action lawsuit, we’re seeking an injunction," Nevus said. "The injunction is simply the ruling by a judge that determines that the restrictions were illegal. Then we would have to determine what new system should be in place, particularly with respect to compensation.”

Nevius said this newly constructed system would ideally reflect an open and competitive market.

“The way we see it now, we would strike down the current rule and have no limit in place and the market would determine the value of the students,” Nevius said. “The free market would be deciding your value.”

Problems with greater compensation This position is not without complications, however. Greater compensation would greatly change the face of college athletics, but could also impact how the participating institutions themselves function.

Economics Prof. Kenneth Elzinga, an antitrust expert, said he sees potential issues with this case and with generally allowing greater student athlete compensation.

Though he is not involved with the case, Elzinga said it may be difficult to functionally apply antitrust law and policy

“

focus

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Compensation at heart of NCAA lawsuit

The way we see it now, we would strike down the current rule and have no limit in place and the market would determine the value of the students,” said Timothy Nevius, a lawyer associuated with the lawsuit.

to this particular circumstance.

As it stands, college athletes are not employees and are generally viewed as students first and athletes second.

“This is a labor market in which schools are saying to someone, ‘We’re going to offer you an education as well as an opportunity to [compete],” Elzinga said. “So it’s a little bit

like, if I may use a parallel, an internship. Many economists would say, ‘What’s really happening in this labor market is the intern doesn’t really have a lot to offer, and they’re willing to do that, in effect paying tuition. But by paying a labor service they’re offering a labor service below the productivity they have in order to build up human capital.’”

Therefore, he said, it makes sense that student athletes are not receiving a wage in the same way a professional athlete does.

Elzinga said there are other reasons he believes the current system is preferable to one of unchecked compensation, including how “paying” athletes would impact broader athletic programs.

“If you have athletes being paid for their labor services, you will get great heterogeneity — first of all, some athletes will be worth a lot, some will not — even on the same team, presumably,” Elzinga said. “How does [one] build a team with that?”

According to Elzinga, raising allowed compensation would impact more than just team dynamic. If it becomes permissible to pay student athletes, there will be pressure to spend high amounts on athletes in high-grossing, popular sports like football and basketball, which could negatively impact less prominent sports, he said.

“The implications may be even greater for the non-revenue sports [than for-revenue sports],” Elzinga said. “Their existence may become very tenuous if we had an open market for football and basketball players; there won’t be much money left for the non-revenue generating sports.”

He also said the academic prestige and capabilities of certain institutions could be at risk with this sort of change. Universities whose identities are strongly connected with their athletic reputation, for example, might be compelled to cut spending on academics in order to spend on athletics.

Non-compensational changes proposed for NCAA Paying student athletes is not the only suggested athletic reform, however. Many opposed to greater compensation still feel it is important to reform the current college athletics system, especially given how difficult it is for some student athletes to succeed academically.

According to University of North Carolina professor Steven King, who has suggested one such alternative, being a student

athlete is like working two full time jobs.

“It’s a difficult proposition to have them be both full-time students and full-time athletes,” King said. “There’s a study that the NCAA did, and the average number of hours student athletes spent training [per week] was 39 hours. How can we expect someone to be successful with two full time jobs? We’re not setting them up for success.”

King’s plan, co-authored by UNC football’s offensive assistant coach Ryan McKee, is to change the NCAA-required number of credits student athletes take per semester — allowing them to take fewer credits while they are

“

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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Personally, I do not support paying athletes for participation,” University Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said. “College athletics should be for those that are truly interested in pursuing a college education and their sport.”

competing and defer required credits over an additional two years.

“There would still be the expectation that they’re going to get a degree,” King said. “We’re just making it easier for them to do so and make it easier for them to focus on the major classes that they have to take.”

Though scholarships for these student athletes would be stretched across two additional years, King said their eligibility to compete would not. The only major change made would how students are tied-up academically during their four-year eligibility period.

University opinion University Athletics Director Craig Littlepage also spoke about potential changes to athletic policy without enabling unlimited compensation. He expressed support for expanding school resources in cases where it would make easier the commitments of student athletes, and spoke to some of the ways universities are looking to make changes.

“Many schools support expanding permissible uses of current funding options through the NCAA's Special Assistance

Fund and the Student Athlete Opportunity Fund,” Littlepage said in an email. “The concept of stipends for SAs has been considered nationally but it was rescinded after the initial NCAA proposal was implemented.

Discussions continue on a national scale about stipends being provided to studentathletes. I would support allowing stipends based on some type of federally defined needbased system that is administered through each institution's financial aid office. That way, student-athletes that need the resources could qualify.”

For Littlepage, though, making the college experience easier for athletes does not mean paying them. He is, in fact, against such a possibility.

“Personally, I do not support paying athletes for participation,” he said. “SAs that want pay-forplay have the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB and MSL, etc. as options.

College athletics should be for those that are truly interested in pursuing a college education and their sport. Our college participants are students first and are not employees.”

The University declined to comment on the litigation.

Expected timeline It’s uncertain how quickly the lawsuit will proceed or reforms to NCAA policy would occur.

A similar antitrust case filed in 2009 involving former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon is only just beginning its trial phase.

Though Nevius said the O'Bannon case might serve as a rough time reference, he anticipated the case would not take as long.

“We’ve already filed suit, but there will be a number of motions and pretrial hearings to take place before we get to the trial phase, if in fact we do get there," Nevius said. “It will be many months and possibly years depending on how things go, but we are going to move as quickly as possible.”

In the meantime, it is possible that the NCAA and the five defendant conferences will see some changes. King, for one, hopes to have his proposal finalized and submitted in time for the next NCAA meeting, in which case his proposed change could soon be in effect.

“Right now, we’re just talking about the idea and getting people to discuss it,” King said. “Our plan is to have a proposal ready by the next executive meeting.

They only vote every January for a new year so we have some time to get it in front of them.”

S

sports Ryan Taylor

Senior Associate Editor

The eighth-ranked Virginia men’s lacrosse team entered the season looking for retribution, having finished just 7-8 a year ago and failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004.

The 2014 edition of the Cavaliers faced its share of adversity throughout the regular season, highlighted by facing seven opponents currently ranked in the top-10 in the country.

While this grueling schedule has left Virginia a tad beat up, the squad has already surpassed its win total from last year — currently sitting at 9-5. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, four of their five losses have come at the hands of ACC foes, leaving them on the outside of the conference tournament.

Despite missing the chance to bring home a seventh conference tournament title, Virginia remains on track to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament and looks poised to make a deep run.

At first glance, the integral piece of the Virginia team may seem to be its offense — among the nation’s best at 12.93 goals per game — however, this is not actually the most important component for its success.

The Cavalier Daily

6

Matt Barrett braves first-year onslaught Against difficult schedule, freshman goaltender leads men’s lacrosse team to bounce-back season after sub-.500 2013 Rather, a great deal of the Cavaliers’ favorable postseason position can be attributed to freshman goaltender Matt Barrett.

The Glenmoore, Pennsylvania native came to Virginia as the most highly-touted goalie recruit in the nation. However, Barrett faced stiff competition when he arrived in Charlottesville, with the Cavaliers returning three goalies from the

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Freshman goaltender Matt Barrett has been solid in the net despite facing seven top-10 teams.

2013 campaign. The former Under Armour All-American was able to quickly adapt to college play, though, and made his presence felt early on.

“With the pace of the game and how fast guys get the ball out of their sticks, it was definitely a little rough to adjust from high school at first,” Barrett said. “I think I got used to it after a couple days … just staying after and shooting with the older guys, so it wasn’t too bad of an adjustment.”

Barrett’s quick adjustment allowed him to settle in and hone his already high-level skill set. When opening night came Feb. 6, it was the freshman who stood in the crease, ready to face the dangerous Loyola attack. Though the game took extra time, the Cavaliers won 13-12 behind Barrett’s eight saves in what has become the Greyhounds’ only loss of the season.

“It was a pretty crazy first start for me,” Barrett said. “I’ve never seen a game like that before but it was awesome. It was good to get a game like that under my belt. It really helped the whole team to know that we’re capable of finishing games like that and coming back from a big run by Loyola.”

The win was the first of Virginia’s 6-0 start. Three of those games were decided by a single goal, meaning that every flash of Barrett’s stick was critical, and he consistently came through. The highlight

of the opening stretch, however, was the Cavaliers’ first road trip, when the team travelled to Drexel — near where Barrett grew up.

“I always thought he got off to a good start and he was playing well,” coach Dom Starsia said. “Then we go to Drexel in our third game, and he plays great. I was concerned about him going home, but he played great.”

Barrett’s performance in his homecoming was nothing short of brilliant. He recorded 16 saves to help keep his team’s record unblemished and earn himself the honor of ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

Later in the season when Virginia entered conference play, however, wins became harder to come by. The Cavaliers played four consecutive games against top-10 opponents, falling twice. Barrett’s play remained solid, though, averaging 10 saves per game during the stretch.

“I remember back in 2008 when Adam Ghitelman was our freshman starter and we were 9-1 and we had to make a change in the goal because he was starting to come apart at the seams,” Starsia said. “You look for that in a freshman goalie, even though we might be winning, the pressure week-in and week-out with this kind of competition, he’s never been through that before. But not with Matt — he is the most unflappable kid I have ever been around.”

After an easy rout of VMI, in

which Barrett gave up no goals in just under 20 minutes of work, the Cavaliers entered the true gauntlet of their season — facing Maryland, North Carolina and Duke in consecutive weeks, dropping all three.

This losing streak was perhaps the defining moment of Barrett’s season. He was pulled from the Duke game after making just three saves and giving up 12 goals. However, proving his level-headedness, the freshman returned to the crease the following week against Bellarmine, recording 13 dazzling saves to earn his team a victory on senior day.

“I knew that, when they gave me the starting job, I wasn’t going to save every ball,” Barrett said. “I don’t get too high or too low after saves or goals.”

Heading into the postseason, Barrett ranks No. 47 nationally and in the top-10 among freshmen, with 9.29 saves per game. He has amassed 130 saves with a .473 save percentage through 14 games and is steadily improving every week.

With numbers like these, Virginia likely feels confident that its return to glory is not all that far away.

“He’s had a very solid freshman year,” Starsia said. “We’ve continued to ride him and I think he’s capable of playing well on a big stage, and we’re going to need that going forward.”

Top-seed Virginia prepares for start of ACCs No. 4 men’s tennis earns first round bye with undefeated conference record, faces winner of Miami, Florida State game Krishna Korupolu Associate Editor

The No. 4 Virginia men’s tennis team begins its postseason in Cary, North Carolina this weekend at the ACC Tournament. The Cavaliers have won the tournament title nine out of the last 10 years — with 2006 as the lone exception when the team fell to then-No. 3 Duke in the Finals, 4-3.

Virginia (20-2, 11-0 ACC) is riding an 11-match winning streak, downing three top-25 and nine ACC teams on the way. The Cavaliers’ two losses this season came at the hands of No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 UCLA, both by 4-3 margins after coming down to dramatic tie break points in third sets. Against the Buckeyes, No. 115 freshman Thai-Son Kwiatkowski fell to junior Kevin Metka in a match that had all three sets go to tie breaks, while No. 14 senior Alex Domijan dropped the decisive point

against the Bruins, marking the last match he’s lost.

“I think we turned those [losses] into positives,” coach Brian Boland said. “It all comes down to how you manage those close matches and losses as to what you get out of it. I believe this team has done a tremendous job of dealing with adversity and managing close matches in terms what we learned and gained from it."

For the Cavaliers, the switch from dual matches to tournament styleplay for the postseason does not require much of an adjustment.

“We approach the tournament maybe a little bit differently,” Boland said. “There is not a whole lot of difference in terms of our approach and how we go about preparing for our weekends."

As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Virginia has a bye through the first round and will play the winner of No. 30 Florida State and No. 53 Miami. The Cavaliers took down the Seminoles (17-10, 5-6 ACC) and

the Hurricanes (14-10, 4-7 ACC) by scores of 6-1 and 7-0, respectively.

Every team in the field will be looking to knock off a Virginia program what has dominated the conference in the past decade.

“Playing the same guys again, it takes a little bit more mental strength,” Domijan said. “The other guys will know us [and] they will be more comfortable facing a topranked team. I think when you are defending champions, you have a target on your back."

The ACC tournament boasts seven teams ranked in the top-30 nationally. North Carolina and Duke enter at No. 9 and No. 11, respectively, with Notre Dame only a few spots behind at No. 13.

But none these teams were able to score more than one point against the Cavaliers. Virginia’s 6-1 win against the Fighting Irish was responsible for the formation of the team’s most consistent doubles pair, Domijan and sophomore Har-

rison Richmond, who are undefeated together this year.

"I think we play well together, we always have,” Domijan said. “And this year they put us together as a last [minute] thing against Notre Dame and we sort of continued that. I think we complement each other. I think he's a little better at net. He has really good hands. He brings a lot of tools to the table that I don't."

Richmond’s play in doubles has been critical as Virginia looks to solidify its lineup heading into the postseason. At the start of the season, he was selected to be an assistant captain — the first sophomore in team history to receive the honor. Boland believes Richmond’s contribution to the team goes far beyond the impact he has had as anchor on the doubles side.

“I think Harrison's doubles skills and overall leadership over the course of the past few weeks have been tremendous assets for our program,” Boland said. “He's really improved

Ryan O’Connor| The Cavalier Daily

Senior Alex Domijan, the No. 14 singles player, hasn’t lost a match since UCLA Mar. 6.

this last semester and he's overcome a great deal. He's playing the best tennis since he's arrived at Virginia. I expect Harrison to be a leader for us not only the remainder of this year, but the future of our program is very much determined on the leadership he provides now and in the future."

Virginia’s first match in the ACC tournament will take place at 9 a.m.

Friday.

SPORTS

Thursday, April 24, 2014

7

Cavs readies for ACC Tournament Women’s lacrosse team looking to avenge 16-11 March loss against No. 7 Blue Devils Robert Elder Associate Editor

On March 22 — just more than a month ago — the No. 14 Virginia women’s lacrosse team took a long, somber bus ride from Durham, North Carolina back to Charlottesville. This was not the way the Cavaliers had expected their season to go.

The preseason excitement was gone, with Virginia falling to 4-6 overall and 0-3 in the ACC after a 16-11 loss against No. 7 Duke.

In serious danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in her 19 years at the helm, coach Julie Myers knew something would have to change. But while she expected her team to rally, she hardly could have thought the turnaround would be so strong.

After the Duke defeat, the Cavaliers finished the season by winning five of their last six games, with three victories against stiff conference foes.

Now entering the ACC tournament, Virginia (9-7, 3-4 ACC) — the No. 5 seed — will get its rematch against Duke (9-6, 3-4 ACC) — the No. 4 seed — in a first round clash.

“I think we’re excited to face Duke again,” Myers said. “That was a game that as soon as it ended, we wanted to play them again.”

The Cavaliers’ last meeting with the Blue Devils was tightly contested.

The teams traded goals throughout the game, and Virginia took an 1110 lead with 10:02 to play. The last 10 minutes, though, left the Cavaliers shell-shocked as Duke netted six unanswered to come away victorious.

Virginia was outshot by just five goals and won just three fewer draw controls than the Blue Devils, but was ultimately doomed by poor midfield play. The Cavaliers converted only 12 of their 20 clears, leading to several easy transition goals for Duke.

“We knew we had that game,” senior attacker Liza Blue said. “They’re a great team, but they’re no better than us.”

In a last-ditch effort to turn the season around, Myers changed up her personnel. Offensively, sophomore attacker Kelly Boyd stepped into the starting lineup, and has since helped to revive a potent Cavalier attack. Through the past six games, Virginia has averaged 15 goals per game — two more than in the previous 10 contests. Boyd has contributed 13 of her 17 goals this season in that six game stretch. “[Boyd is] a great cutter and a great stick in the middle,” Myers said.

“I think she’s really added some power. Because we have that inside presence, it’s taken some of the pressure

off our one-on-one players outside as well.”

On the defensive side, junior midfielder Morgan Stephens has transitioned to her new role as a close defender, rarely leaving the field. Her presence has put more pressure on opposing offenses, benefitting senior goalkeeper Liz Colgan. Colgan has made at least 10 saves in four consecutive games and is currently sixth in the nation in averaging 10 saves per game.

The personnel changes not only provided a different look for their competitors, but also brought a new energy to the team. Virginia has played with a passion and poise that it lacked earlier in the season, allowing it to earn upsets against No. 6 Boston College and No. 13 Notre Dame.

“We’re a lot more confident and more sure of our game,” Blue said. “I think before we were playing not to lose, but now we have confidence to win.”

Such confidence will be necessary as the Cavaliers face the same powerful Duke squad that defeated them in March. The Blue Devils are just 2-3 since they faced Virginia, but they finished their season on an uptick last week as they upset No. 4 North Carolina in overtime, 7-6.

Against the Tar Heels, Duke found itself in a 6-4 hole with 23:23

Courtesy Virginia Athletics

Sophomore attacker Kelly Boyd moved into the starting lineup last month, bringing life back into the then-fading Virginia offense. She has contributed 13 goals of her own in the last six games.

remaining, but shut down the UNC offense and clawed its way back in.

Junior attacker Kerrin Maurer scored with 26 seconds remaining in the extra period to cap the effort.

Slowing Maurer — who leads the Blue Devils with 72 points on 47 goals and 25 assists — will be necessary for a Cavalier victory, but the team knows that just locking down her will not be enough. In the last meeting, Maurer was one of four Duke players to tally a hat-trick.

“They’ve got some really powerful attackers, middies and defenders,” Myers said. “We’ll have to play a great game, but we’re excited to have that next chance at them.”

Perhaps the biggest key for Virginia will be for junior attacker Courtney Swan and the rest of the draw team to consistently give the Cavaliers offensive possessions. The Duke defense surrenders only 10 goals per game,

and held Swan — Virginia’s leading scorer with 69 points — to just two assists in their meeting earlier in the season.

Swan is 12th in the country at draw controls, averaging just more than five per game. If Virginia can use this to its advantage, the Cavaliers could easily take control behind offensive trio Swan, Blue and junior attacker Casey Bocklet.

A win would continue the Cavaliers’ run and set them up for postseason success — and if the last six games are any indication, they will give the Blue Devils all they can handle.

“We’re on the verge of being a very great team,” Blue said. “This Duke win would mean a lot to us.”

The opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

No. 1 Cavaliers splatter Spiders, 13-0

Team launches four home runs to support freshman Bettinger’s one-hit performance

Ryan O’Connor | The Cavalier Daily

Sophomore right fielder Joe McCarthy was one of four Cavaliers to hit out of the park Wednesday night.

Matthew Morris Senior Associate Editor

The 1980s was not exactly the decade of the home run. Sluggers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Babe Ruth were past their MLB playing days, and Barry Bonds was just beginning his. With Wednesday night bringing 80s Night to Davenport Field, however, the Virginia baseball team celebrated by launching long ball after long ball.

The No. 1 Cavaliers smacked four round-trippers, and freshman righthander Alec Bettinger spun six lightsout frames as sophomore right fielder Joe McCarthy racked up five RBIs. Virginia ultimately posted a 13-0 win in its 141st all-time meeting with the

Richmond Spiders.

“I thought we came out and played a really good ballgame,” coach Brian O’Connor said. “It was great to see — obviously, the offense — see some guys hit the ball out of the ballpark. And I thought Alec Bettinger again did a really tremendous job throwing strikes.”

The Cavaliers (35-7, 16-5 ACC) sported retro jerseys, with “U.Va.” in white block letters printed across the chest, and the sound system blasted 80s tunes —“Eye of the Tiger” and “Sledgehammer” among them.

“It’s different for sure,” junior left fielder Derek Fisher said of the blastfrom-the-past theme. “We’re here so often and fortunate enough to play a lot of midweek games here, and to be able to wear something different

and listen to some different music is something that’s pretty cool.”

Richmond (15-22-1, 6-9 A-10) pegged freshman right-hander Robbie Baker to start, and for two no-hit innings, he defied his season statline of 13 walks against 10 strikeouts and a 7.88 ERA. In the third inning, Virginia turned the budding pitchers’ duel to dust and memory, blasting three home runs and sending six men across the plate.

Sophomore catcher Robbie Coman creamed Baker’s full-count offering into the left-field bleachers leading off the frame for his first career long ball. The Cavaliers proceeded to load the bases on singles from junior third baseman Kenny Towns and freshman shortstop Daniel Pinero and the first of junior first baseman Mike Papi’s three walks.

The next at-bat, McCarthy skied Baker’s 3-2 pitch toward the rightfield stands. Spider senior right fielder Nick Poulos roamed back slowly, looking ready to make the catch several feet in front of the warning track, but the ball stayed airborne long enough to clear the wall for a grand slam.

“Off the bat, I’m looking up — I’m like, ‘All right, good, sac fly, we

get a run, let’s do this,’” McCarthy said. “Just one of those things where I guess I got a good piece of it, got it high enough and it just left the yard.”

Fisher matched his teammates two batters later, laying into a 2-1 toss from senior right-hander Andrew Blum for his second home run in as many days. The Cavaliers’ offensive outburst ended only when Towns lined out to left in his second at-bat of the frame.

“It’s good to see Fisher back in the lineup [and] back to his normal self,” McCarthy said. “It’s good to just see the bats come alive, and hopefully it just brings a lot of energy to the rest of the team.”

Bettinger was already throwing darts, spotting his fastball and bender where the Spider batters could not touch it, and he kept his performance level high with the big lead in his care.

The midweek man almost tripled his career high in strikeouts in his six scoreless innings of work, fanning 11 and yielding just one hit.

“I was just trying to attack the zone,” Bettinger said. “I just happened to miss their bats sometimes. They were guessing a little bit, I think.”

Virginia played past 11 p.m.

Tuesday, battling Virginia Common-

wealth for 10 innings before escaping with the win on junior center fielder Brandon Downes’ go-ahead solo shot. The Cavaliers did not get back to Charlottesville until after 1 a.m., and O’Connor said Wednesday marked the first time this year he had not shaved on game-day.

“Last night was obviously a very, very emotional ballgame,” O’Connor said. “It was a short night’s rest for us all.”

Virginia, though, showed no signs of tiring as the game moved into the late innings. The Cavaliers plated four runs in the eighth inning, when freshman pinch hitter Tyler Allen tallied the first hit of his collegiate career.

Virginia now travels to Florida State for a three-game weekend series with the No. 5 Seminoles and Heisman-winning redshirt freshman closer Jameis Winston in what promises to be a highly competitive match.

“Florida State is a top team in the country, and they’re the type of teams that you’re going to see in the playoffs and if you make it to a Super or even Omaha,” McCarthy said. “This is a good test that we’ve got in front of us right now. ... We’re going to compete and we’re going to hopefully get it done.”

Some of American literature’s most memorable characters suffer from mental illness Jacqueline Justice Senior Writer

Some of the most memorable characters in classic American literature suffer from severe mental illness — Benjy Compson, Edna Pontellier, Holden Caulfield and Lennie Small. In a way, their illnesses give them a certain charm and realism which more stereotypical stock characters tend to lack. However, it raises questions about what the use of mental illness as a plot point says about American society and readers’ treatment of mental illness.

The portrayal of mental illness in the arts plays a substantial role in how society views it, as literature often reflects the values of its time. In the above four examples, each takes on a different mental illness and represents it in a distinct light.

William Faulkner uses Benjy in “The Sound and the Fury” to narrate the first of the novel’s four sections. By offering us a glimpse into Benjy’s mind, readers can determine he is mentally handi-

capped and has little conception of real time as it occurs. His thoughts wander to events spread 30 years apart, and he shows little ability to distinguish between the past and present or to articulate these strange thoughts.

But Benjy’s character presents a useful model of someone who can focus beyond the here and now. Maybe Faulkner is trying to show how the novel’s labelling of him as an “idiot” strips him of his agency and of his insight. His ability to recall and relive moments through time stands in stark contrast to our tendency to only focus on the present. Faulkner shows us Benjy’s mental illness enables him to think beyond conventional time and also to have a more acute sense of the happenings around him, making him perceptive in his silence.

Edna Pontellier’s battle with mental illness in Kate Chopin’s novel “The Awakening” is less obvious, but she shows signs of severe depression and bipolar disorder that can’t be ignored. Her impulsivity, bouts of sadness, lack of interest in activities, helpless-

ness and apathy are all signs of at least one of these conditions. Her constant state of doubt and confusion make her easy to relate to and speaks to the internal and littleexpressed feelings most humans have. Though we generally view her as a tremendously conflicted character who chooses death over life, she has qualities which relate to all of us. Chopin’s refusal to shy away from prevalent feelings of alienation may be the reason for the novel’s success.

Steinbeck’s beloved character from the pages of “Of Mice and Men,” Lennie Small, possesses limited knowledge and is described as simply “mentally challenged”. Lennie expresses a strong dependence on others — revealing the human desire for companionship. His elaborate ambitions and need for camaraderie differ little from most humans’ desires. Companionship and aspirations are two key aspects to the existence of humanity, and Lennie exemplifies these ideals to the maximum degree. Steinbeck seems to be using Lennie to represent characteristics of humanity we are often resistant

to acknowledge, but are relevant across borders of mental states.

Holden Caulfield’s demeanor in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” shows signs of post- traumatic stress disorder. Two horrific events from his past continue to haunt him, making him exceedingly judgmental of others and apathetic toward many aspects of his life. Though he shows no clear symptoms of a specific diagnosis, it is clear he has some mental instability, particularly shown by his hospitalization and a visit by a psychoanalyst. However, Salinger’s character ponders aspects of life that others would never consider, putting out thoughts that don’t ever cross many’s minds. His ability to make readers relate to him, despite his over-analyzing and harsh judgments, makes it clear that these traits are present, but repressed, in many of us.

These novels all use the concept of mental illness differently to create multiple effects — and the trend in 20th-century American literature to employ main characters with mental illnesses is undeniably present. The question this

Courtesy hlntv.com

movement poses is: are we further stigmatizing this minority, the mentally ill, by using their conditions to derive exciting plots?

This is a credible concern to address. But what seems more likely is that the use of these characters and plot points serve to shed some broader light on the human experience. They allow readers to gain new perspectives, develop more nuanced ways of thinking, and to learn something about themselves.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, April 24, 2014

9

A look beyond ‘The Wall’ Film adaptation of Pink Floyd’s seminal concept album a clear mental helath portrait Scarlett Saunders Senior Writer

With the advent of spring, it seems appropriate to delve into the ethereal and complex world of Pink Floyd, the classic 1970s anti-establishment rock-androllers who once ruled psychedelic culture. Their movie, “The Wall,” is more than just entertainment for the drug-minded, however — it also offers deep insight into issues of mental health.

In the film, the main character — Pink — suffers significant hardship throughout his life. His father dies in World War II while Pink is still very young, and he is brought up by an overprotective mother. As overbearing as his mother is, Pink still faces neglect, unable to even secure companionship with a wounded pet rat, which soon dies. Even Pink’s teacher bullies him and prohibits expressions of creativity and individuality.

As an adult, he fares little better. Pink’s wife cheats on him and he soon finds his life as a rock star

to be superficial. Ultimately, each episode of isolation and repression represents a “brick,” creating a wall which separates Pink from the rest of the world. Unable to connect to anyone and uninterested in everything, he sinks into a deep depression. Pink becomes unfocused, at times submitting himself to illusions of grandeur.

In darker scenes, he pictures himself as a World War II dictator raging against minorities and leading events similar to Kristallnacht.

Sadly, the plot was largely based on the real lives of Pink Floyd band members. Roger Waters, the lead singer and frontman, also lost his father in World War II. “It’s about my generation, war-babies,” Waters said in a 1979 interview with DJ Tommy Vance.

But the problems of depression and isolation remain profoundly relevant in society today.

Many teens and adults still struggle with depression and to build meaningful relationships in their lives. The genius in "The Wall" comes from the specific focus on

social factors as the root cause of mental illness. Pink's overprotective mother, the film shows, directly causes a lot of Pink's problems later in life.

“Funnily enough, lots of people recognize [a mother’s tendency to overprotect] and, in fact, a woman … called me up and said … that listening to that track made her feel very guilty" Waters said. "I was glad it had."

In addition to highlighting various forms of mental illness, “The Wall” also highlights society’s failure to properly recognize and help those affected. When Pink enters into an unresponsive trance, his doctor merely injects him with more chemicals so he can perform at his concert.

“All [society is] interested in is how many people there are and tickets have been sold and the show must go on, at any cost,” Waters said. “I, personally, have done gigs when I've been very depressed, but I've also done gigs when I've been extremely ill.”

Overall, “The Wall” is at once dark, violent, sexually explicit

and artistic. The equally intense music sets the mood of the long, dialogue-less movie, ultimately forcing the audience to feel Pink’s anxiety, fear, aggression and isolation. Waters effectively shows how he saw the world through his eyes.

“If you look and see things and if they ring true, then those

are the kind of things … that you try and write down, because those are the things that … will touch other people,” he said. “Some people have a need to write down their own feelings in the hope that other people will recognize them, and derive some worth from them.”

Courtesy Wikipedia Commons

“The Wall,” with its explicit themes and content, serves as both a beloved translation of one of classic rock’s most beloved records and a beacon for mental health awareness.

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Cavalier Daily

There’s really nothing romantic about it

Cinematic treatment of mental health issues rarely very, strong tendency to offset by romance Ali Jawetz Senior Writer

Because one person’s experience with a disorder may vary greatly from another’s, mental health issues are difficult to portray in movies. The notion of “accuracy” would require concrete categorization of illnesses which often have blurred lines and overlapping symptoms. Perhaps in part for this reason, few feature films even attempt to broach the subject. Those that do often use mental illness as a device to further the plot — particularly romantically.

This is not always a bad thing. In the 2012 film “Silver Linings Playbook,” Pat (Bradley Cooper) has bipolar disorder and falls in love with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has a history of depression.

Their love story is used as a symbol of hope that a relationship can persist despite disturbing and painful extenuating circumstances.

The movie also attempts to break the stigma attached to mental health by depicting characters who talk openly about their medication, have positive experiences with therapy and maintain support from their families. Given that both lead actors were nominated for Academy Awards, the film clearly offers at least an engaging, honest look at the complexities of characters with different disorders without trying to label or rank them.

But at the heart of "Playbook," it is still a love story. Pat, who spent the beginning

of the movie re-learning to set goals for himself and overcome triggers, becomes Tiffany’s romantic hero after she runs away drunk and crying from their dance competition. While their relationship is not necessarily seen as a “solution,” it is definitely a welcome relief from a period of struggle.

Interestingly, this romantic climax is not uncommon among movies which feature mental disorders. For example, 2007’s “Numb” follows Hudson Milbank (Matthew Perry), a screenwriter who is diagnosed with depersonalization disorder, a personality disorder characterized by the “persistent or recurring experience of being detached, as if one was an outside observer of one’s mental processes or body; the sense that the external world is in a dream,” according to the film.

Milbank falls in love with Sarah (Lynn Collins), an executive who is “attracted to damaged men.” Though the film acts as a personal narrative, walking viewers through Milbank’s various experiences with drugs and therapy, it focuses on this relationship with Sarah to reveal and explain Milbank’s struggle with his identity.

The use of a relationship as a device is again not entirely negative, as Milbank’s growth is demonstrated in his realization love is worth the difficult recovery process.

However, it should be noted this relationship does detract from the subplot involving Milbank’s unsupportive mother, rude brother and naïve but loving father.

But when it comes to unfortunate representations of romantic entanglement with

mental illness, 1993’s “Mr. Jones” is the worst offender. The film stars Richard Gere as a manic-depressive man who falls in love with his therapist. Though the movie attempts to represent both mania and depression, these mental states are utilized as devices to transition the plot and get Gere into a mental hospital, where he meets Dr. Elizabeth Bowen, the woman who can finally understand him. The film does, however, touch on how Jones struggles with his identity because of the stigma attached to mental health. When Jones’ doctors insist bipolar disorder does not define him, he shouts, “I don’t have a disease, it’s who I am!”

The portrayal also emphasizes progress is not linear, a truism discovered by many who deal with mental illness. However, this idea is shortchanged in the movie’s culmination, when Jones stops his medication, experiences a manic episode and still kisses his doctor on a rooftop. The viewer is left to wonder — or, more likely, doubt — exactly where Jones stands in relation to his previously defining struggle.

While many films deal with mental health issues in other ways, the romantic pattern is frequent enough do to draw notice. Ideally, the future of mental health films will offer a glimpse into the lives of individuals whose illnesses are incorporated better in their lives.

There does not have to be an answer to mental illnesses, but there can be hope — and a struggling character does not need a love interest to embody that.

Courtesy Amazon

‘A Flea in Her Ear’ also a hoot

The University drama department’s latest production proves uproariously funny Nina Lukow Senior Writer

A murderous Spaniard, French men who cannot correctly pronounce their consonants, plenty of bushy moustaches, hairy men and a whole lot of running around and shouting in general confusion. All are featured in the uproariously funny comedy of errors and mistaken identities “A Flea in Her Ear,” presented by the drama department this Wednesday through Sunday at the Ruth Caplin Theatre.

The play, written by French playwright Georges Feydeau, is the best drama department performance I have seen in my two years at the University. Giggles and titters in the audience ruptured into fits of laughter as the play spiraled out of control, turning plot action into mayhem and pandemonium. By the end of the second act, the actors darted about the stage, shouting over each other and bumping into one another. As characters seemed

to have no idea about what was going on, the audience — knowing only slightly better — hooted, hollered and laughed their hearts out.

“Good God, what a circus!” a character exclaims at one point, summing up the play in a single sentence.

The plot of “Flea,” with all its funny business and farce, can easily be boiled down to one man’s impotence and his wife’s flair for imagination, believing her husband to be unfaithful to her for his lack of, um, “interest.” The dialogue spews forth in rapid-fire sequence, bouncing from one character to another.

In a play which relies on such quick line delivery, comedic timing in speaking and gesturing is key. Luckily, Assoc. Prof. Colleen Kelly, the director of the production, found an assortment of actors who did not fail.

College graduate students Amy Barrick and Chris Murray play off each other hilariously as husband and wife — I often felt as if I were watching a Spanish soap opera when the two appeared on

stage — and little touches, such as third-year College student Alexander Bozicevich’s handicapped speech and fourth-year College student Ida Knox’s bouncy walk add greatly to the lively atmosphere of the show.

Perhaps the play’s greatest feat is that the performance clocks in at about 2 hours and 50 minutes with three separate acts and two intermissions — and I didn’t feel tired for a single second of it.

Even when the third act slows down and the mistaken identity plot wears a bit thin, the show remains engaging. The costumes — apparently modeled after steampunk finery — were just as vibrant and playful as the script.

Though the set, in its sparse decoration, leaves a little to be desired, I admired its challenging technicalities — especially the revolving room, which eagerly invites plot confusion.

All in all, I had a terribly funny evening and left with my sides in stitches. I highly recommend the play to everyone who seeks a good laugh. Trust me, you’ll get more than you bargained for.

Courtesy Michael Bailey

L life

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Mental health on our minds

Contracted Independent Organization Active Minds educates University community about mental health issues

fected by mental health issues, prompting her to get involved with the Active Minds CIO and work to spread awareness among students on Grounds who often pay little attention to mental health issues.

“For me, [mental health is] very personal,” Roy said. “The awareness around mental health and

wellness [at the University] is not very high.”

The issue also hits close to home for Active Minds Vice President Sophie Kaemmerle, a thirdyear College student.

“I’ve had many personal connections to those who have had struggles with mental health,” Kaemmerle said. “I think everyone goes through something in their life that requires a little bit of help and support.”

Through Active Minds, these two women aim to inform students on Grounds about mental health problems while also increasing awareness on a national level. “[Students] either might not be aware that something is not normal or they may be afraid to speak up,” Roy said. “It’s a huge problem at the University. There are far higher rates of depression and anxiety than we know.”

The CIO plans events ranging from movie screenings to professor panels to study breaks — all with the purpose of increasing awareness and educating the com-

munity.

“With the panel of professors we most recently had, we were very happy with the turnout and positive responses,” Roy said. “[The professors] enjoy talking about mental health and wellness — it’s a big problem that the Office of [the] Dean of Students has to deal with.”

One of the CIO’s biggest events is a “Day Without Stigma,” held annually, which works to promote open discussion of mental health issues.

“It’s OK to talk about [mental health issues],” Kaemmerle said.

“It’s not something to be ashamed of or hidden away.”

Active Minds also hosts smallscale events, from handing out balloons with smiley faces to SweetHaus cupcakes to help brighten people’s days.

“I want to continue making sure that people are aware of these issues and are also aware of what wellness means,” Roy said. “Or just simply, ‘being happy.’”

In a new effort to reach out to students on Grounds, Active

Minds plans to co-sponsor an upcoming Yoga on the Lawn event.

“Yoga on the Lawn is about stress relief, letting go and breathing,” Kaemmerle said. “It focuses less on mental issues and more on mental health.”

Members of Active Minds stress the difference between wellness — which is promoted by activities like yoga — and mental health, which represents a psychological issue.

“Wellness is about being mindful of yourself,” Roy said. “Things like meditation, yoga — it’s basically about just doing something that keeps you happy and that’s positive.”

Kaemmerle said she hopes to see the University open up to increased discussion about mental health issues and disorders.

“I think you’re supposed to draw a lesson or some conclusion from [mental health issues],” Kaemmerle said. “There’s no shame in it. We’re here to let people get help.

You want to be a functional human being. You want to be happy. While the stigma is there, it shouldn’t be.”

ing and Psychological Services through her resident advisor, she turned to the Student Health service to help her better make the transition from high school to college.

CAPS offers free consultation to serve the mental health needs of students. A majority of students enroll in the program through a phone appointment, during which a procedural screening process is conducted by a clinician to identify symp-

toms and determine what the most effective next step will be — whether through CAPS or another provider.

If the clinician decides CAPS is the right service, students then meet with a professional, who learns more about why a student has sought counseling and discusses specific courses of action to take from that point forward.

Scott has taken her positive experience from CAPS and channeled it through involve-

ment with Active Minds, an organization aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and fostering an open dialogue about mental health issues on Grounds.

“It is heart-breaking that these issues go unaddressed and people are embarrassed,” Scott said. “My own experience at CAPS opened my eyes to the issues other students face here being in a new environment. This led me to seek out a new community at Active Minds.”

Counseling through CAPS can take several forms, including individual appointments and group sessions — the latter of which involves putting students among others working through similar issues. Groups include Eating Disorder Recovery, LGBT and Fridays Before Five — a weekly drop-in session specifically for international students.

Director of the CAPS Program, Dr. Tim Davis, said group counseling environment

provides students an opportunity to discuss issues not only with a trained clinician, but also with fellow peers.

“Ages between 15 to 25 are a transition where students move away from the influence of their parents and to their peers," Davis said. "Group counseling takes advantage of that because students are supporting each other.

A student will say the same thing as a counselor and the other students often value it more than when it comes from the counselor."

Another group counseling option includes Mindfulness, which uses a Buddhist and spiritual approach often considered clinically effective for depression and anxiety. CAPS also runs general process groups, for which there is no common underlying diagnostic factor.

Davis, who joined CAPS this past August, hopes to improve on the clinical strength of the program in addition to widening the demographic spectrum of students who utilize the program.

“We want to focus more on wellness and success,” Davis said. “Even if a student is not in clinical distress, we want to help them get the University experience they want and to be the best version of themselves.”

Courtesy Active Minds

Active Minds events range from movie screenings to professor panels to study breaks as the groups aims to increase awareness of mental health issues on Grounds and foster an open conversation.

Jessica Crystal Feature Writer

For Active Minds Secretary Tara Roy, a second-year College student, mental health is more than a national issue. Several of Roy’s closest relationships have been af-

Danaite Soquar Feature Writer

,When third-year College student Susie Scott came to the University, she was anxious.

“I was thinking about taking time off [at] the beginning of the second semester of my first year because I was unsure if the University was the place for me,” Scott said.

After hearing about Counsel-

11

A service of support

CAPS offers individual, group counseling to help students through mental health problems

CAPS offers free consultation to serve the mental health needs of students.

Kelsey Grant| The Cavalier Daily

The Cavalier Daily

O

LEAD EDITORIAL

Of body and mind

opinion Comment of the day “Of the groups that I participate in, this has not been an issue. Do not penalize the entire system based on only a few groups. Our power in our government is our freedom to elect our own leaders; we will not have student self ‘governance’ if this freedom is taken away by an administrator.”

“Cw” responding to Dani Bernstein’s April 22 column, “Limit student self-governance.”

12

Mental illnesses should be treated the same as physical illnesses In January of this year, Yale student Rachel Williams published a piece in the Yale Daily News about how she severely harmed herself, went to a psychiatric hospital and was then told to leave the university. In March, The Daily Pennsylvanian published a story about Carissa Lundquist, a student who checked herself into a hospital after her complaint of sexual assault was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Carissa’s enrollment was then delayed when she came back for her final semester; the university told her she must be psychiatrically evaluated, or leave.

Both Yale and the University of Pennsylvania offer free psychological counseling services, like the University. But these aforementioned cases were mishandled not because of a lack of available services, but rather because the uni-

versities treated mental health conditions as liabilities.

Mental illnesses still are not treated the same as physical illnesses. Granted they are different, in that different health care professionals handle each.

As human beings, there is no reason to treat people with mental health disorders differently than we treat people with physical disorders. Universities, when thinking about the services they provide, need to be in accordance with this mindset.

As part of our student fees, University students are able to make appointments at the Elson Student Health Center and be examined by a doctor with no additional charge, and there is no limit on the number of times a student can make appointments. Counseling and Psychological Services is a subset of the Department of Student Health. CAPS uses

a “brief therapy” approach to help students, setting a limit of 10 visits for a course of psychotherapy. According to the CAPS webpage, this limit is set so that they can see as many students as possible. Though exceptions are made if students do not have the financial resources to go to a therapist outside Student Health, the webpage states “exceptions must be limited in order for us to be responsive to the larger university community.”

If the need of university community is so much “larger” than the students CAPS currently sees, why do they not have more resources to accommodate everyone without setting a limit on the number of sessions? A student would not be told he could only see a doctor at Student Health only 10 times before he must be referred to a private practitioner.

In our previous editorial on

trigger warnings, we argued students with post-trauma disorders should be accommodated, just as students with physical disabilities would be accommodated in class. Many people with mental impairments feel as though the disabilities movement has left them out because sometimes their disabilities have no visible manifestation, and are therefore overlooked, or are less sympathetic.

The call to “reverse stereotypes” or “change our mindsets” is trite at this point, but there isn’t a better way to say it. Such movements begin with individuals who are willing to be trendsetters — who support instead of criticize, and accept instead of alienate. Let’s all be trendsetters, because even one case like the ones mentioned at the beginning of this editorial is too many.

We’re all in this together

Addressing mental health concerns is a collective responsibility Guest Viewpoint

Mental health issues are not about “them,” like so many people seem to believe, or pretend. Emotional problems touch all of our lives. They are particularly close to home on college campuses.

Their high prevalence is one reason why psychological problems are a common, if too often unacknowledged, part of college life. So many young people struggle with anxiety or depression that these problems are often referred to as “common colds” among mental disorders. Eating disorders, substance misuse or abuse and serious family concerns also are widespread among university students.

A smaller but not insignificant number of college students fall victim to bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder or schizophrenia, very serious mental illnesses that typically have an onset in young adult life.

Of course, college life is also full of ordinary stress about living on your own, grades, relationships, and the future. In today’s highpressure world, ordinary stress can become extraordinary, creating emotional upheaval and academic struggles.

Then there is the often-painful search to find your self, to establish your unique identity, goals, and values. A generation ago, the quest for identity was best captured by the question, “Who am I?” Today, it is perhaps better encompassed by, “What are you doing after gradua-

be stumbling over some emotional hurdle you managed to surmount.

Even if your life is not touched directly, mental disorders affect all of our lives indirectly. We cringe through distant but still too-close encounters with incomprehensible violence due to untreated mental illness, or through an uncomfortable, everyday interaction with a homeless mentally ill person, someone with nowhere to go.

How do we, as individuals and a society, continually manage to overlook a For individuals eager to solve psycho- problem so common and so close to all of us? What is the logical problems, my advice would be to answer to our mental health listen carefully first. concerns?

There is no one answer.

How could there be one antion?” No wonder college counsel- swer to such wide-ranging issues? ing services, like the University’s And, unfortunately, even dedicated own CAPS, are so busy and in need experts do not have very good anof additional resources. swers to some of our most pressing Mental health issues also affect mental health issues. college students who are comfortA good starting point for trying able with who they are, who cope to solve any problem is to acknowlwell with stress and who manage edge it. We can better appreciate the new social and intellectual chal- mental health issues if we talk about lenges of campus life. You may have them. Again, talking about psychoa roommate with an eating disor- logical problems is not a task for der or a drinking problem. Your “them.” Individually, we all can be parents may be going through a more honest about our struggles, difficult divorce, or a sibling may within ourselves and in confiding

“

ROBERT EMERY

in people we trust. Collectively, we can call attention to the need to better address issues ranging from coping with stress, to developing more effective treatments for anxiety and depression, to prioritizing sensitive yet assertive treatment options for the seriously mentally ill.

For individuals eager to solve psychological problems, my advice would be to listen carefully first. It’s odd. Even though we often do not acknowledge mental health struggles, everyone seems to have an opinion about how to solve them: better parenting, better medication, more hospital beds, deinstitutionalization, more exercise, increased mindfulness, reduced stigma, taking responsibility for things we can control, acknowledging our inability to control the things we cannot.

We need all of these things, and more, but we first need to truly understand the problem and the person in front of us. Listen.

We also need to humbly admit to the limits of our knowledge.

Those who suffer from mental illness, and their loved ones, can be desperate for answers. And the unscrupulous are always willing to provide “answers” to the desperate. Too many explanations of the cause of mental disorders — and too many bogus cures — litter the

historical and contemporary mental health landscape. “I don’t know” is hard to say and harder to accept.

But it does identify a problem. Lack of knowledge is a problem that universities like ours can begin to solve with dedicated programs of research.

Finally and most importantly, we need to respond with kindness to the real person who is struggling with mental health concerns, including kindness to ourselves. As caring friends, concerned professionals, or with societal resources, we may not be able to completely solve the problems of someone struggling with psychological conflicts. We may not be able to completely solve our own problems. But we can ease pain — our pain, their pain — by responding to psychological struggles with an embrace of shared human experience, rather than with embarrassment or stigma. We can and should do this, because mental health struggles truly are about all of us.

Robert Emery is a professor in the psychology department and the Director of the Center for Children, Families, and the Law.

OPINION

Thursday, April 24, 2014

13

Comprehensive understanding Mental illness is a multifaceted problem about which students should try to educate themselves ANNA LEONARD Guest Viewpoint

The 2013 Healthy Minds survey found that 33% of UVA students felt that they needed some kind of counseling, though only 17% actually sought help. Nationally, 37% of students felt they needed professional help while 18% received it. I think these statistics can provide some insight into how UVA students interpret their own mental health needs. Most every UVA student has heard the saying, “work hard, play hard.” Students at this elite university often feel obligated to go out on weekends, or at the very least have a very active social life, be super involved with multiple organizations (think: leadership positions), and on top of all that, have amazing grades.

Or, at least this is the stereotype for how students feel. This stereotype is what we, as Peer Health Educators (PHEs) in Student Health’s Office of Health Promotion, discuss during the training course, and later during continuing education sessions at meetings. The thing is, I think this stereotype is useful when discussing mental health issues like stress, or why students often are sleep deprived (getting less than 7-9 hours).

However, for those out there (like me!) suffering from more serious conditions, like clinical anxiety and depression, the usual “work-hard play-hard” syndrome doesn’t really explain why half of students struggling from mental health issues don’t seek help.

First, let me briefly explain the difference between stress and anxiety/depression. Stress often has a traceable cause: a test coming up, a paper, a big

game…etc. Anxiety and depression are diagnosable medical conditions indicated by emotions of (often extreme) chronic stress or sadness, even in the absence of a typical stressor (like an exam). Of course, there are consistent triggers, mine for example, are school related, but often panic attacks can be triggered by something that to an outsider seems like a silly thing to be upset about. Panic attacks or depressive states can’t just be “gotten over,” often the person suffering has to wait it out.

In my training class, one particular bit of research by Prochaska and DiClemente stuck out to me: If I stand in front of one hundred people teaching about making a healthy change, only twenty of those people will be considering change. The other eighty people will either not know they have a problem or they know they have a problem but don’t feel obligated to change their behavior (or, alternatively, they’ve already made the healthy change).

Obviously this is an approximation, but the point is still poignant: most people don’t like to change, or even just admit they have an issue that needs talking about. I am proposing that this social phenomenon might be a good addition to the explanation for why students don’t always go for help.

When I think about the typical UVA student, I think of someone who is passionate, motivated, and dislikes things getting in the way of their dreams and desires. In my mind, the

consequences of not dealing with a psychological condition (I prefer not to use “disorder”) seems to significant enough that most students would want to take action. Yet students don’t.

I once had a conversation with someone about going to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). She told me she didn’t believe in therapy.

I remember this bothered me because I had been to therapy because I needed objective help getting through a tough time.

I didn’t want to go initially

not worth talking to someone who doesn’t even know me.”

Also, making the decision to go to therapy, in a way, validates the problem. It’s not like you can go to therapy and say, “Oh I don’t really have a problem; I’ve just been feeling funny lately.”

Or you can, but then why are you there?

The answer to the question as to why some students who feel like they need counseling but don’t seek professional help is more complicated than it might appear. It’s not simply that stu-

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES Ainsworth Clinic (Gilmer Hall)

(434) 982-4737

CAPS (Student Health)

(434) 243-5150

CAPS After Hours and Weekend Crisis Assistance

(434) 972-7004

Project RISE

(434) 924-7923

Center for Clinical Psychology Services (Bavaro Hall)

(434) 924-7034

U.Va. Women’s Center

(434) 982-2361

- dedicated specifically towards peer education outreach to African-American students

HealthQuest (via the CAPS website)

though, either; my mother encouraged me. And here is where I think a lot of students get stuck.

Going to therapy is a really big decision, and I think many students have difficulty justifying that their problems are big enough to warrant talking to a specialist. They might think, “I can get through this myself, it’s

dents are embarrassed, because so many of my friends have been to CAPS and aren’t afraid to say it. It isn’t just the work hard play hard environment, because although I don’t have statistics to back this up, it’s entirely possible students going to CAPS have no interest in playing hard and don’t feel badly about that. And though many students may be

hesitant to admit their anxiety or depression might be diagnosable, this can’t account for all of the UVA students who felt like they needed professional help but didn’t seek it. The greater picture for why students delay going for help can be summed up as follows: mental health is tricky. It’s hard to decide for oneself if the anxiety felt during the semester is due to the stress of being at an elite university, or if the cause goes deeper. So, beyond working up the courage to go, first the student has to realize that they need help; not only that, but it is okay to ask for help!

Part of what PHEs do is spread awareness and understanding to the student body—we are trying to start a dialogue, one that can help students feel empowered to make their own health decisions.

Mental health at UVA isn’t a topic frequently discussed, but I think it should be. We are all Wahoos; we all have different reasons as to why we might or might not want to seek help.

As we all grow together, hopefully we can open a dialogue of acceptance and support for those among us who need a little extra help.

The PHEs host a Mental Wellness Screening day once a semester: thatmight be a good place to start.

Best wishes and happy thoughts!

Anna Leonard is a third-year in the College and a Peer Health Educator.

14

OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

A consequence of culture Many psychiatric disorders can be understood as a dependent on particular environments and stresses dromes? How useful is to think about mental health (in America and, more specifically, at the Unicolumns before and after an event versity) in terms of culture-bound give readers a greater syndromes? It prochance to participate. vides an interesting Last week, I wrote departure from how about an upcoming we traditionally think panel that would disabout mental disorder. cuss mental health at The idea of culturethe University, and bound syndromes why its interdisciplinmight sound a little ary approach to the bizarre or abstract to topic would prove so someone unfamiliar advantageous. In this with anthropology column, I will focus or mental health. So GEORGE KNAYSI on one particular before I discuss the Opinion Columnist idea of the panel — implications cultureculturally-influenced bound syndromes at mental illness — and the University, I will discuss its importance in thinking define the concept and elucidate about student mental health at the its relationship to biomedicine.

University.

As Professor Douglass notes in One panelist, Carrie Doug- her introductory course “Medilass, a professor of anthropology, cal Anthropology,” there are three gave an informative overview of basic psychiatric categories: psymedical anthropology. One con- chotic disorders (for example, cept she discussed was “culture- schizophrenia), mood disorders bound syndromes,” the illnesses (such as depression) and anxiety manifested and recognized only disorders (which include a variety in specific societies or cultures. of phobias and hysterias).

Early on in her talk, she made a These basic types of mental illparticularly striking statement: “I ness, she observes, hold true for think perhaps all forms of mental every society, yet the specific way unhealth are culture-bound syn- they manifest themselves depends dromes.” on the unique cultural environIn this column, I will inves- ment. There are different stressors tigate Douglass’ claim. Just how in a major American urban city much of mental disorder can be versus rural China, for example. explained as culture-bound syn- Culture-bound illnesses describe

this — they emerge under specific another. As moderator of the pancultural contexts and often in spe- el, I witnessed many professionals cific demographics. Anorexia, for offer their advice about maintainexample, is probably well-known ing mental health. Tim Davis, Diin upper-middle class America rector of the University’s Counand upper-middle class Germany seling and Psychological Services (because they are very similar cul- (CAPS), essentially suggested stutural environments), but is likely dents identify the major sources unheard of within Inuit popula- of stress at the University and tions on the Arctic tundra. then alter their relationship with So certain aspects of a cul- the culture in some way. This, he ture, including its social norms and practices, can cause individuals within that culture to feel certain kinds of So certain aspects of a culture, including its stress, and this social norms and practices, can cause individuals stress can bring about particuwithin that culture to feel certain kinds of stress, lar unhealthy and this stress can bring about particular unhealthy thoughts, bethoughts, behaviors or physiological responses. haviors or physiolog ica l responses. Schizophrenia — a emphasized, is best attempted thought disorder with a strong without medication. Dean Sandra genetic component which is pres- Seidel, professor of biology, and ent in all populations and ex- Dr. Pamela Ross, a former emerpresses itself via nearly identical gency medicine physician, made symptoms — might be the least similar comments. Seidel focused culturally-determined of mental on breathing exercises and changdisorders. But if culture-bound ing one’s philosophical outlook. syndromes do not account for Ross emphasized the importance every mental illness, then they at of medical care that considers the least apply to most. unique needs and circumstances The theme of culturally-de- of its community. pendent mental illness surfaced Such comments suggest a speacross the panel in one form or cific framework within which

“

s Christopher Broom, pubA lic editor for this newspaper, noted in his article last month,

we can think about our mental health at the University. Identify the sources of stress in your life: Is the stress coming from friends and family? Or perhaps implicit expectations and influences within University culture? Or are you just putting a negative spin on otherwise-neutral aspects of your life?

To be sure, medication can be necessary in more extreme circumstances. But the average student who manages his anxiety or depression in our high-pressure college environment should first address the sociocultural factors of mental health. This might include changing his behavioral responses to academic and social pressures, altering his friend groups or modifying his general outlook towards the University.

Viewing mental illness and health from Professor Douglass’s anthropological perspective, we provide a framework for so much of what we already know intuitively. Keeping culture-bound syndromes in mind, we are able to systematically move our attention from the mental and physical symptoms of illness to their complex causes.

George can be reached at g.knaysi@cavalierdaily.com. This column originally ran March 25.

ADAPTing to college life The most important part of ADAPT’s mission is debunking inaccurate social norms Guest Viewpoint

I am someone who firmly believes college is a time for transformation. There is simply nothing like it. Students emerge from universities a brighter, more keen and more mature version of themselves. Hopefully.

Along the way, there are several obstacles that could threaten one’s success: homesickness, mental health issues or lost love.

Personally, I think one the biggest threats to success in college is a misunderstanding of alcohol and drug safety.

Every first-year student comes in with different levels of knowledge on alcohol — whether it stem from drinking or not drinking in high school, family members or the media. A personal favorite of mine is the “I Love College” music video, one that presents a college party unlike any I’ve ever been to. But if par-

ties like that really exist, do tell!

Furthermore, incoming students arrive with tolerance, trigger levels and body compositions that are drastically different from one another.

For these reasons as well as a familial connection to alcohol-

word there is abuse. Somewhere along the line some students saw ADAPT as an abstinence group, one that was grabbing solo cups out of people’s hands and replacing them with lemonade. That mission, albeit amusing, is simply unproductive in a university setting.

Even on dry campuses nationwide, the reality is college students drink. Our goal is to create an understanding of drinking We present names to show most of the and debunk the fourth-year class does not partake in the Fourth- myths we comYear Fifth, and over 800 students a year arrive monly hear. The most worthy part at Foxfield sober and plan to stay sober. of ADAPT’s mission, in my eyes, ism, I decided to join the Alco- is one of social norms. We have hol and Drug Abuse Prevention the ability to present our peers Team, or ADAPT. ADAPT’s mis- with data and show them how sion is to address the issues of al- the majority of the people around cohol and other drug abuse in the them are behaving. We presUniversity community. The key ent names to show most of the

“

HAWA AHMED

fourth-year class does not partake in the Fourth-Year Fifth, and over 800 students a year arrive at Foxfield sober and plan to stay sober. Students cannot be held accountable for knowing these norms, so we present it to them in a way that is interactive and compelling.

Naturally, the human mind goes to what seems extreme, or out of the ordinary. Most students will not talk about the majority of people at a party, who are consuming 0 – 2 drinks and having a great time. Instead, it is more exciting to recall the one or two people who were way over the top and belligerent. The anomalies, and “one of these things are not like the other” catches our eye. I see this time and time again when I ask University students how many drinks they think the typical student has on a weekend night, and they reply with six or seven. Yet, when I ask the same student “how many drinks do you have on a typical weekend

night?” the answer is usually two or three.

Alcohol education is something I will continue fighting for because I think it has great merit in our university system.

At a time when we are coming to terms with adulthood, realizing our talents and honing them in, and meeting people we will forever call friends. Drinking can serve as a great socializing device that creates lasting memories, or an evil that leaves us with regret and medical and lawful misfortune. Each time someone remembers to eat breakfast the morning of Foxfield or alternates alcohol with water the night of Halloween, I sleep a little better at night.

After all, it certainly can be alcoholism if you have yet to leave college.

Hawa Ahmed is a third-year in the College and the co-Chair of ADAPT

G

Thursday, April 24, 2014

THE ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING <THE> A-MAN

BY EMILIO ESTEBAN

graphics MOSTLY HARMLESS BY PETER SIMONSEN

SOLE SURVIVOR BY MICHAEL GILBERTSON

MORE AWKWARD THAN SOME

BY CHANCE LEE

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Crossword ACROSS 1 “Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox,” e.g.

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20 New York City’s ___ Place 22 Two in Toledo 23 Fit for a king 24 Oil containers [“Get down!”]

26 Slight 27 The opposing side 29 Super bargain 30 6 Series cars 33 –

35 Hiss cause 38 Make public 39 First word of “Huckleberry Finn” 40 One passing a gate 41 Pole connector 43 – 45 Actress Stapleton 46 Mall cop weapon 48 Vegetable rich in calcium and vitamin K 50 Amherst and Orono, for two [“Get up!”]

52 Where Maria and the Captain have their first kiss in “The Sound of Music” 56 Speak to the people?

57 Economy-size container 60 Lop off 61 1977 W.W. II film [“Get lost!]

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64 Nickname for Anaheim’s Angel Stadium 65 Buster Brown’s dog 66 In front of, old-style 67 Name series condenser 68 Suffix with mob 69 Stuck together 70 Perspective provider

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25 – 26 “___ over” 28 Cleveland was one in Buffalo 29 Leave scoreless 30 When repeated, a nursery rhyme call 31 Mingle 32 Presented prominently

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PUZZLE BY VICTOR BAROCAS

34 First word of “Richard III” 36 Alias 37 Blood 42 More like sailors’ talk, stereotypically 43 – 44 Have a dip 45 Prominent feminist blog

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55 Stage in a Ph.D. program 57 Tasteless stuff 58 Subjects of some 911 calls 59 Uncovered 62 Clodhopper 63 Like cherryflavored things

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