THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
VOLUME 119 ISSUE 55 NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | FOR THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Our last special edition of the year focuses on stress, mental health and wellness.
INSIDE
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Counseling Center attendance increased five percent from 2015
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NDSU Marine Corps veteran benefits from service dogs
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Art student Kiley Smith expresses experience with anxiety through art
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News
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
7 DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS
In A Nutshell Jack Dura
SOCIAL
Head News Editor
(ability to relate well to others in and outside of family)
Thursday Forum To Address Heroin Crisis
West Fargo will host an open forum this week to address the recent heroin crisis in FargoMoorhead. The event titled “Eyes Wide Open” will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at West Fargo High School, located at 801 Ninth Street East in West Fargo. Local law enforcement will lead the forum, along with area medical and legal representatives. The forum will address opioid use and addiction and its effect on the community.
Library Offers StressFree Activities
Among activities like therapy dog visits and candy fairies, the NDSU Library is offering a stress-free zone for activities of its 24/7 accessibility between now and May 13. The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute is offering brainteaser puzzles in the library, while Healthy Herd Champions and the Wellness Center are providing do-it-yourself stress balls. NDSU’s Lions Club is also pitching into the stress-free zone with DIY braid projects. Final exams begin 8 a.m. Monday and end at 2:50 p.m. Friday, May 13. Blue Key Honor Society students volunteer to keep the library open 24/7.
Interactive Exhibit Promotes Sharing Feelings
The Memorial Union Gallery installed an exhibit two weeks ago asking students to share how they’re feeling. Displayed west of the Great Plains Ballroom on the Memorial Union’s Upper Level, “Today I Am” features roughly 500 sticky notes ranging in color. The exhibit asks passersby to “read the description of the color to find one that best matches how you feel.” From there, posters write a description of their current state and post it among the other, multicolored notes. “Keep an eye out for how colors affect your mood during the day,” the exhibit placard reads. See Jack Hastings’ photo essay in Arts & Entertainment for more on this exhibit.
(diet, exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.)
EMOTIONAL
INTELLECTUAL (unbridled curiosity, ongoing learning)
(healthy responses to change, stress, limitations, etc.)
ENVIRONMENTAL
(ability to live in clean, safe surroundings)
Hammock Initiative Sways Away Stress
The Hammock Initiative is hosting a two-day event set to end 11:59 p.m. Thursday to “sway those pre-final fears and stresses away.” Hammocks for Dead Week began 9 a.m. Tuesday with hammocks installed in the Main Library’s main hallway, the student organization reported, “for students to experiance (sic) the bliss of relaxation.” Dead Week ends Friday before final exams begin Monday.
PHYSICAL
OCCUPATIONAL
SPIRITUAL
(one's ethics, morals and values)
(making use of talents and skills for achievement purposes)
A Wheel of Wellness Mental, physical wellness interrelate in Seven Dimensions of Wellness
Jack Dura
Head News Editor
North Dakota State’s Wellness Center is not just about physical health. The health and fitness hotspot on campus promotes the Seven Dimensions of Wellness, a health promotion that wellness education coordinator Emily Hegg said helps students learning about “their own health and wellbeing.” The seven dimensions include physical wellness but also other aspects of intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational and environmental wellbeing, Hegg said, all of which can interrelate with each other. “They’re not segmented
... They really play off each other,” she said. “You have to take a holistic approach to it which is what we try to do.” The Seven Dimensions of Wellness are not a balancing act, Hegg added, which “is really impossible”; however, each aspect of wellness can fluctuate in one’s life and fulfillment is really the key to it all. “As you go through life, different experiences, different opportunities ... your different aspects of wellness will ebb and flow,” Hegg said. “So they do fluctuate as you grow and change as an individual.” Some aspects of wellness Hegg said could use some clarification, such as intellectual wellbeing,
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“They’re not segmented ... They really play off each other.” - Emily Hegg, wellness education coordinator which more concerns curiosity and engagement than smartness. Spiritual wellness, meanwhile, is often leveled as religious in nature, Hegg said, but that’s just one component of spirituality. “It’s more about your values, your ethics, your core,” she said. “Now is the time that you can really grow and develop your own spiritual wellness. ... Now is the time. You’re on your own, you’re gaining your independence, you can really start to understand
‘what is really valuable to me? What am I passionate about?” Hegg added the Wellness Center works with the counseling center on campus to assist students in their mental well-being, which can extend from personal issues to concentration. The Seven Dimensions of Wellness has existed since the early 1980s in health promotion, Hegg said. NDSU has promoted the concept since at least the time of Wellness Center’s completion in 2001, she
added. Emotional, spiritual and physical health are three aspects that can greatly affect one’s mental health, as tasks, commitments and other demands in life can be “a little overwhelming,” Hegg said, adding that research shows physical wellbeing can directly affect mental health as a workout can boost chemicals in the brain, making one feel better. Hegg added a quote she recounted about the effect of working out. “’I really hated that workout. I felt terrible afterward,’ said no one ever, or something like that,” she said, “because really when you get done working out ... you feel better than you did at the beginning.”
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THE SPECTRUM | NEWS | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
Attendance to the counseling center is free of cost and has no session limits for students.
CASEY MCCARTY | THE SPECTRUM
Mental Health Awareness Grows in May Campus counseling center sees decrease due to finals, summer Amanda Johnson Staff Writer
The month of May brings flowers and also mental health awareness. CASEY MCCARTY | THE SPECTRUM Mental health issues refer to a variety of health conditions and disorders that affect thinking, behavior, and mood. Through the end of the semester NDSU’s counseling center will continue holding individual, group and crisis services. availability with student North Dakota State availability can be a reports online that challenge,” Bach-Gorman “attitudes towards mental said. health issues appear to The center aims to be changing. Negative match students with attitudes and stigma counselors at times when associated with mental they will not be missing health have reduced and classes or work, Bachthere has been growing Gorman added. acceptance towards mental To assist in cutting down health issues and support waiting periods, the center for people with them.” has made a deal with the Throughout the month community counseling of May “the counseling trading center. With this center does offer a number deal, students on the of outreach opportunities, waiting list will be referred usually by partnering to the CCTC. with residence life and “The bottom line is other student-focused we’re a little busier than we organizations” said Amber were last year, but we’re Bach-Gorman, assistant working at ways to handle director of counseling it,” Burns said. services and clinical and “We’re seeing the crisis services counselor. people who really need to The opportunities will be seen, people that have to wait a little bit can wait a little bit,” Burns added. The counseling center and the CCTC shares notes and do not charge students HELP WANTED: with the exception of a few tests, Burns said. The LOOKING FOR A centers also do not have JOB OUTDOORS session limits for students.
Counseling Center Attendance Increased Yearly attendance up five percent from 2015 years”, and the maximum number of people on the waiting list to get a counselor this year after going through an intake appointment was 14. The 14 person waiting list only lasted for a three week period, he said. For a student to be matched with a counselor takes minimally “up to a week, but it could take up to three to four weeks” depending on what the individual is dealing with and times they are available. Amber Bach-Gorman, assistant director of the counseling center said that for a student who is scheduling an intake during a busy point, it may take two to three weeks to get in “which in students’ lives feels like forever”. Bach-Gorman added that for someone within the community to obtain counseling within two to three weeks would be “virtually unheard of”. “Part of the challenge is, students live very busy lives. And so, trying to match up counselor
Casey McCarty Co-News Editor
The number of students seeking help at North Dakota States’s counseling center is up about five percent from the same time period in 2015. Bill Burns, director of the counseling center, said that attendance to the center is slow in the summer and “slowly builds up until about the third week in October... where we get kinda maxed out and we kinda stay maxed out for the rest of the year.” Burns said this year is his ninth with the center, and that by using a baseline from the year before he came to NDSU, the center’s attendance is up about 500 percent. He said the increase is in part that the university expanded but the bulk of increased attendance comes from more students being willing to ask for and receive help. Burns added that the center “never had a waiting list until the last couple of
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counseling services are for anxiety and depression, she added. During May the most used services by students are for career counseling, along with graduate students as they prepare to transition to the working world. The counseling center sees a slight change in hours starting during dead week as they prepare to transition into summer hours, but all the traditional counseling services will still be available. NDSU said online that “there’s no sure way to prevent mental illness” and “people are encouraged to take responsibility for the prevention of mental health issues during times of personal challenge and stress. Many mental health problems can be avoided by making positive lifestyle decisions in how we act and think before they can manifest.”
include workshops on stress management, activities involving registered therapy animals and educational programming focusing on mental health concerns and education. The counseling center sees a slight decrease in services used by students in May as students start preparing for finals and summer. “Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition,” NDSU reported online. “In 2013, President Obama proclaimed May as National Mental Health Awareness Month and brought the issue of mental health to the forefront of our nation’s thoughts.” “Students usually utilize our individual counseling for personal, emotional concerns,” Bach-Gorman said. The top two reasons students utilize the
CLASSIFIEDS
254 Memorial Union North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105 Erica Nitschke Editor in Chief editor@ndsuspectrum.com Jack Dura Head News Editor head.news@ndsuspectrum.com Casey McCarty Co News Editor co.news@ndsuspectrum.com Rio Bergh Features Editor features@ndsuspectrum.com Jack Hastings A&E Editor ae@ndsuspectrum.com Erik Jonasson Opinion Editor opinion@ndsuspectrum.com Pace Maier Sports Editor sports@ndsuspectrum.com
“Students usually utilize our individual counseling for personal, emotional concerns.” - Amber Bach-Gorman, assistant director of counseling services
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Features
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
NDSU Marine Corps Veteran Benefits from Service Dogs Service dogs provide a way of maintaining a normal, functional lifestyle
Rio Bergh
Features Editor
Perhaps you have seen a dog or two walking around campus wearing a harness that states “please ask to pet me.” If so, you have probably seen Luke or Betty, the service dogs that accompany Geoffrey Zehnacker around campus. Zehnacker served in the Marine Corps for over 14 years before being medically retired in 2010. Zehnacker ran a patrol that looked for mines and IEDs in western Iraq and was exposed to multiple close explosion encounters. “We had one very serious encounter that caught us off guard and blew up my Humvee,” Zehnacker said, “and I ended up taking some shrapnel.” It was later discovered that Zehnacker had a frontal lobe micro lesion. “How it happened couldn’t be definitively discovered, but the neuropsychologist concluded that I was probably in a concussed state for about three months. I thought it was exhaustion at the time, but it turned out I was stacking concussion on top of concussion,” Zehnacker notes. Due to his injury, Zehnacker suffers from absence seizures. “If my brain isn’t engaged, I’ll lose all sense of space and time,
“They’ll nudge me, pushme, pull me; they’ll do something to get my attention so I can’t drift away.” – Geoffrey Zehnacker I’ll just be out,” Zehnacker said. The dogs help prevent this by interacting and engaging with Zehnacker when they sense something is “off.” “At the first sense of any panic or anxiety episode, the dogs can pick up on the chemical reaction, and they can let me know before I even begin to feel it,” Zehnacker comments. “They’ll nudge me, push me, pull me; they’ll do something to get my attention so I can’t drift away.” Despite the benefits of service dogs, the Veterans Affairs Department currently only provides service dogs for veterans with physical disabilities (although the department currently has a study underway assessing the effectiveness of service dogs for veterans dealing with psychological issues). “I have no doubt that at the end of the study, they will realize the benefits of service dogs for veterans with problems other than physical disabilities and begin supporting it,” Zehnacker said.
In the meantime, there are other options for veterans like Zehnacker. Zehnacker worked with trainers to train Luke (who he has had since a puppy) as a service dog, and began utilizing Luke as a service dog in 2009. Now that Luke is nearing retirement age, Zehnacker has been working with Betty from the Patriot Assistance Dogs program in Detroit Lakes, which provides service dogs to veterans at no charge. Luke will continue to work as Zehnacker’s service dog, but now only works on Thursdays and stays home while Betty takes on the majority of the work. Zehnacker is currently a grad student in the Human Development program and is pursuing his PhD. “With the dogs, I can be in class and deal with a panic or anxiety episode in thirty seconds,” Zehnacker said. “Where other people might have to take a drug or step out to calm down, I don’t have to. You can’t do that in college, in life. You can’t step out, keep stepping out, or you’ll be put out.”
RIO BERGH | THE SPECTRUM
Geoffrey Zehnacker with Betty, one of his service dogs.
RIO BERGH | THE SPECTRUM
Luke has worked as Zehnacker’s service dog since 2009.
Becoming Mindful Meditation isn’t just for yogis in the mountains Madison Schill
Contributing Writer
As finals week approaches, many students may be finding themselves feeling bogged down by stress. It becomes increasingly easier for us to forget to pay attention to today and, instead, drive ourselves crazy worrying about what will happen tomorrow, next week or even next year. It isn’t surprising that
all of this worry and stress can have serious negative effects on our overall mental and physical wellbeing. One practice that can help to counteract these unpleasant effects is being mindful. To be mindful is to be aware of what is going on around you. The idea is to focus solely on the present moment instead of worrying about what’s happened in the past or about what will happen in the future. What I’ve come to learn
from my poetry class, the Counseling Center and some reading on Pinterest is that there are mindfulness practices that can easily be incorporated into your daily life. As with any new experience, these exercises can feel awkward or pointless at first, but don’t let those feelings deter you. After enough practice, these exercises can help you to have a healthier mindset and alleviate your stress and worry — just in time for finals week.
Mindful Breathing
This meditation-like exercise involves focusing only on your breathing, therefore shoving the extrinsic stressors from your mind. To breathe mindfully, find a position which you feel comfortable in, but don’t lounge. Now sit and breathe. How easy is that? Take slow, deep breaths in and out, focusing on each inhalation and exhalation. Think about your lungs
expanding and contracting and the blood circulating in your system. Whatever you do, do not let your mind wander to somewhere else; practice keeping it in the present moment. Take about ten minutes or so every day to do this exercise.
Mindful Observation
Instead of focusing on your breathing now, focus on the world that is immediately around you. On your walk to class,
notice how the grass is finally started to turn green again, or what sounds the birds are making. The goal is to acknowledge the world around you. All too often, we find ourselves rushing from clas to class with our eyes down earbuds in; we are solely preoccupied with what we have coming up next. Instead, take time to live in and, more importantly, appreciate the present moment.
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THE SPECTRUM | FEATURES | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
SOGGY JOGGING
For Sanity’s Sake
If you’re reading this, it’s too late
Benjamin Norman Spectrum Staff
As we venture into May, the student body begins its semiannual collective meltdown. I love it. Dead Week brings with it many moods, most of which can be explained through classic collegiate clichés, e.g.: contemplating snorting a caffeine pill, staining keyboards with your thickly caked Doritos-fingers and hooking up for one-night stands with term papers that we should’ve invested months’ worth of time into. Sorry, eight-page essay, I have commitment issues. To pop culturally personify, we’re on the Titanic and are uncertain if Rose will let us on her floating door. It’s sink or swim time at North Dakota State, so, naturally, I choose to jog. A self-professed sane person may say I’m running from my problems. Those who claim to have their lives together might fight this notion as counterintuitive. Prithee, I disagree. I’m not jogging away from anything; like a good student, I load up my problems — and go. Cool air clears my mental motherboard. Thesis sentences and lesson plan outlines bounce around my brain as I run around north Fargo. I think about homework until I think about how much my legs hurt from jogging around Fargo at 11
n
d
p.m. on a Tuesday. I go a little farther, and my classroom worries fade further. A rush of calm finds me by the time I open my laptop up again, both of us recharged. Jogging, like my many other beloved activities, is insane enough to keep me sane. Academically, I have no reason to sign up for MUSC 111 again this fall. The class, known as “marching band” to Muggles, is the most rigorously earned single credit at NDSU. The class meets three times during the workweek for about two hours. Add those six hours to the all-day fiesta (starting at 6 a.m. for the saxophone section) of a Bison game day at the Fargodome. All for one credit. (I filled my free electives freshman year.) I do it because marching band is stupid fun. Students need more of that in their lives. This here newspaper writing business is more of the same. I’m writing this article at 2 a.m. Tuesday in the bowels of the library instead of writing a sixpager due at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. I’ll get paid $10 — maybe — for this written masterpiece. My neglected class will affect my GPA forever. I don’t care. I write, play my saxophone and jog because I love it and because I can. Some spontaneous insanity is good for the soul. I shudder at the thought of a Dead Week less hectic.
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Jogging & Your Brain: A Love Story Jogging isn’t just for getting rid of extra calories Rio Bergh
Features Editor
We all know about the physical benefits of running (which come at the minor cost of time and PAIN, SO MUCH PAIN!), and we’ve all heard about the psychological benefits, the improved mood and general “good feeling” that comes with having a run behind you. However, the benefits don’t end there — running and exercise can actually change the structure and function of your brain for the better. As it turns out, the secret to staying sharp
into old age may be a brisk walk or jog to go along with that daily scrabble game. Research has shown that consistent aerobic exercise (the kind that makes you breathe hard, not the stretching) actually leads to greater levels of activation in parts of the cortex associated with attention. Additionally, exercise has been linked to improved nerve growth in the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with memory. Lab rats that exercised performed better on memory tasks than those that did not,
and college students who exercised did better on recall and comprehension for a vocabulary task (note the student/lab rat parallel). So if you feel like you need a little extra in terms of “focus,” maybe it’s time to hit the gym instead of taking that second nap. While it might not pertain to most collegeage students, studies have shown that exercise can be beneficial in preventing age-related mental declines. Older adults generally see shrinkage in the hippocampus, areas of the prefrontal cortices and parts of the corpus callosum, which connects
the halves of the brain. However, exercise has been shown to not only prevent these declines, but to encourage increased grey matter volume in areas where decline is typically seen. In general, exercise increases levels of growth factors in the brain, which encourages the formation of new connections and the growth of neurons. So remember the next time you are out for a run: it’s not just to make up for that package of (oh-sodelicious) peanut butter Oreos that you ate, it’s for your brain too.
Healthy Herd | Stress, Emotions and Health Mena sana in corpe sano — a sound mind in a sound body
Regina Schimek Contributing Writer
Everyone in our little world at North Dakota State is on the verge of insanity right now. If you’re not, then you must be doing something wrong … Or you have the mental mindset that we all strive for. Life in the 21st century moves really fast. If you can’t with stand the pressure, it’ll steamroll you and keep moving on like nothing occurred. It’s no question that life has its downs. It can be stressful, sad, hard and overwhelming all at the
same time. We can look back on a time where we can place these feelings of hardship. Certain emotions can affect each person differently. When you’re nervous you may feel nauseous and some one else may feel lightheaded. Emotions can make you feel sick, tired, giddy, tingly or heated. A person’s mental state can have everything to do with how they feel and influence how they act. This is due to an actual physiological reaction. Thoughts, feelings and emotions from the brain send signals to different
parts of the body and release different hormones, which in turn elicit the physical reactions that you experience. Mental health is an overlooked aspect of overall health. There is an undeniable stigma when it comes to psychological health. People often feel that it’s a sign of weakness or feel uncomfortable when someone is dealing with “personal issues.” However, there is no reason to feel you have to stifle these problems. One should learn where to draw the line, but not be afraid to reach out for support or find a release.
Find good habits of relief instead of bad habits that will only exacerbate the situation. Release can be in the form of exercise, social support, religion, meditation, or there’s even no harm in the occasional comfort food. It’s just so important to remind yourself that though other releases like alcohol, binging and smoking may seem like an easier alternative at the time, they always end up making the situation worse. Even though stress can make it rough for a while, life has its ups that make all the downs worth the struggle.
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6 THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
Arts & Entertainment
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
Latex and Sandpaper: A Discussion on Anxiety NDSU art student discusses her own experience
Paige Johnson Staff Writer
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America finds nearly 75 percent of adults will have an episode of anxiety before they leave college. College is a time of stress — students face new environments, new people and new classes, all of which can lead to an anxiety disorder. Kiley Smith, a senior studying art and psychology at NDSU, sought to bring attention to this common mental health disorder through her artwork. I sat down with Kiley to discuss her experience with anxiety, and why she chose it to be the center of her senior art project. The following interview has been abridged and edited for clarity. Paige Johnson: What was your inspiration for the art pieces that you made? Kiley Smith: It originally started from my own experiences, and the experiences of some of my family members, and how we suffered with anxiety. We weren’t necessarily able to talk about it. I wanted to create work that was able to describe anxiety without using words. I created images and installations so people are able to see and experience what anxiety feels like. PJ: Do you think it’s easier to put your thoughts into your artwork rather than talk about it? KS: Yeah, I’m not really good with words. To be able to create my own sculpture based off someone else’s anxiety and being able to photograph it was a better way for me to explain anxiety, especially since art is something I’m passionate about. PJ: Can you describe the installations and pictures? KS: Each photograph is based off an interview I did with someone who suffers with anxiety. I asked them questions about what textures and colors remind them of their personal anxiety, and how anxiety impacts their lives. A lot of the common colors were greens, oranges and yellows. I incorporated these colors into the work. PJ: Why did you choose “Latex and Sandpaper” as the title of your pieces? KS: That was my description of my own anxiety. I filled out the survey myself. One of the portraits is actually me as well. I used latex balloons and sandpaper in it. I put my own description as the title for the pieces. PJ: What is the message you
“I want people with anxiety to find new ways to talk about their own anxiety. Mental illness isn’t something we, as a society, like to talk about.” – Kiley Smith, senior art and psychology student
Artist Kiley Smith creates photographic sculptures to represent anxiety. hope to send to people who may have anxiety? KS: I want people with anxiety to find new ways to talk about their own anxiety. Mental illness isn’t something we, as a society, like to talk about. It’s difficult and there’s a stigma about having a mental illness. I wanted to encourage people to find a way to talk about it in a way that they feel comfortable with. I hope they’re able to seek help or at least have a person they can go to when they’re feeling anxious. PJ: Was there a similar message for people without anxiety? KS: I want people to look at the work and see how the person in the portrait is affected by the sculpture that is embodying their anxiety. With the installation, I wanted people to go into it, feel isolated and listen to the audio, which is a little distressing, to start an understanding of what anxiety is. PJ: What was the overall response to your artwork? KS: I didn’t expect people to come up to me. After people went into the booths, they came up to me, and they said, you know, “The alarm clock was the most powerful to me.” One guy, he said it reminded him of becoming a new father. He was always afraid he’d fall asleep and
when his child needed him. He wouldn’t be there. I liked that people were able to identify with one or two of the sounds. I also liked watching a man go through with this daughter and explain what mental illness was. It’s something she obviously doesn’t know much about, but it was able to spark that conversation. PJ: Has this experience been therapeutic for you? KS: Yes. The hardest part was having my parents and grandma see the work. I don’t really talk about my own mental illness with them. Having them see what I’ve always been trying to explain was therapeutic because there’s more understanding on why I care about it so much. PJ: Where do you see these pieces going, as far as your future artwork? KS: I wanted to create work that had to do with my two interests: art and psychology. I’m a psychology major as well as an art major. I wanted to take that psychology knowledge I have and put it into my artwork. I intend to go to grad school for art therapy. I wanted this to be a bridge between my two interests. While you can no longer view Kiley’s work at the Memorial Union Gallery, you can view her artwork on her website, kileysmith.com.
JACK HASTINGS | THE SPECTRUM
JACK HASTINGS | THE SPECTRUM
Smiths’ “Breathing Control” features herself and her own environment of anxiety.
Music Makes You Merry Three ways music can improve your health
Andrew Fugleberg Staff Writer
Everyone has had bad days where they are stressed, angry or desolate. Thankfully, one possible solution to the blues is quite simple to access. All it requires is a pair of headphones. Music has a powerful
effect on our mind and bodies, significantly enhancing our health.
Relieves stress
Sometimes there’s nothing more relaxing than laying down, sipping a hot coffee and listening to your favorite playlist on repeat. Music has been found to help someone fall asleep. Listening to tunes is also heavily linked with
lowering cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body.
Improves mood, decreases depression
Several researchers have discovered that listening to music has a positive effect on the body’s serotonin and oxytocin hormone levels. Serotonin is heavily associated with mood, sleep and memory power.
An increase in its amount is great for your brain. Oxytocin is known as the “love hormone,” which is associated in social situations and bonding. Time set aside to listen to your favorite tunes could make you happier and more social.
Music physically helps us Music has been shown to reduce the painful
effects of chronic ailments. The notes and melodies distract us while releasing endorphins, the feel-good chemicals that combat pain. Listening to music has also been proven to lower blood pressure, lessen the effects of headaches and increase the amount of immunesystem boosting chemicals. No matter what you are feeling and no matter
what kind of music you find appealing, something so simple as recreational music listening can easily change your life for the better. Definitely experiment with different artists and new styles of music to see what affects your mood in a positive manner. From rap to reggae, music can make our brains and bodies feel better.
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THE SPECTRUM | A&E | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
How Are You Feeling Today Union Gallery sponsors interactive color exhibition
Jack Hastings A&E Editor
The Memorial Union Gallery is giving students and faculty the opportunity to express their emotions on the walls of the Union. The gallery launched the interactive project entitled “How are You Feeling.” Anyone can post their current emotion on a wall, painting a physical picture of the disposition of the university. The project simply asks the audience of three things: 1. Read the description of each post-it note color and selects the one that best relates to you. 2. Place that note on the wall. 3. Be aware of how colors affect your mood throughout the day. Participants in the project can choose from six colors: Red - anger or stress Orange - excitement or determination Yellow - hunger or frustration Green - happiness or balance Blue - calm or stress free Violet - wise and mysterious The “How are You Feeling” project brings to awareness something most would take for granted. Colors compose our environment and have a significant effect on our overall mood. North Dakota State’s Union Gallery asks the public to be aware of this phenomenon. Anyone can contribute their interpretations of color and emotions and invite people to leave their mark on the emotional spectrum.
The end product of the “How are You Feeling” project represents a visible emotional spectrum.
JACK HASTINGS | THE SPECTRUM
ERICA NITSCHKE | THE SPECTRUM ERICA NITSCHKE | THE SPECTRUM
Each color of post-it note represents a different emotion.
The gallery’s interactive project allows the audience to post their emotions in a visible format.
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Opinion
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum RYAN MELAUGH | PHOTO COURTESY
An Open Letter to the Person Who Feels Like They’re Drowning
Cierra Steffensen Contributing Writer
Drowning in depression is not your fault, you deserve to be happy.
Depression Sucks, College Doesn’t Have To Though admitting you need help is scary, you deserve to be happy
“You deserve to give your free time to things you’re passionate about. You deserve to feel more than dread about the work in front of you. You deserve to be happy.” Jon Lipp
Contributing Writer
To date, my depression has cost me years of peace of mind, more hours of sleep than I can count and the opportunity to watch two friends get married. And I’m one of the lucky ones. College is a time when people are asked to do the nigh impossible. We are tasked with juggling work, school and relationships through a time of selfdiscovery and change. And for some of us, there are days it just doesn’t seem worth it. “Real life” goes from exciting to awful, and we convince ourselves that we are all alone. It’s amazing how quickly a Netflix marathon can come to seem like a better idea than actually getting out of bed and facing the world. But it doesn’t have to be
like this. Although we have some serious problems with talking about mental health in this country, depression is an illness like any other. Nobody expects someone with cancer to just get better on their own, and mental health works the same way. Yet too many people try and wrestle with their sick minds on their own. I’ve been there, and it just isn’t worth it. You are not a failure for enlisting help in the battle against your demons. If you are experiencing depression, if you think there’s even a chance, please talk to someone. You deserve to be happy. You deserve the freedom to look ahead at your life with a sense of hope and excitement. You deserve the exhilaration that comes from learning more about your chosen major. You
deserve to give your free time to things you’re passionate about. You deserve to feel more than dread about the work in front of you. You deserve to be happy. If anything I’ve rambled about here has struck a chord with you, please see a professional. I’ve had wonderful experiences at both the NDSU Counseling Center (701-231-7671) and Village Family Services in south Fargo (701-4514900). I know picking up the phone for this call is the most terrifying thing in the world. I know admitting to yourself that you need the help hurts. But I also know that there is more to life than desperately waiting to be happy again. And there is nothing I want more for you than to be happy.
The Importance of Self-Care
Dear Reader, First of all, I need you to understand that you are not alone. Yes, you probably have been told that before, and yes, you have probably ignored the person telling you because they aren’t experiencing what you are. It’s hard to talk about something so personal, I understand that. So second of all, I want to let you in on a little secret: It’s going to be OK, I promise. Throughout our lives mental illness has always been looked at in a different light than that of physical illness. And although you may not have been diagnosed with depression, you could still have it, and depression is just as serious as any physical illness.
You shouldn’t need a doctor’s diagnosis to tell you that how you are feeling, is actually how you are feeling. No, depression may not be as urgent as a bullet wound to the chest, but sometimes, it damn well can feel the same. No, maybe you don’t have broken legs or muscles that aren’t working correctly, but sometimes, it’s just as hard to get out of bed, even with fully functioning limbs. No, you don’t have lungs full of liquid, but sometimes, it sure as hell feels that way. Depression is serious. It should be treated as such. You shouldn’t have to feel ashamed of something you can’t help feeling. It is a chemical imbalance that causes indefinite sadness out of the blue, loss of interest in things you once loved and sometimes will even cause you to feel nothing at all. A strange emptiness that echoes throughout your day. I need you to know, that it is OK to feel these things, but it is also much better to receive help you may need.
Doctors, therapists or even family and friends can help you through this hard time. Don’t feel ashamed to ask for it. I know it’s hard. You’ve probably been shot down more than once. You’ve probably been told that you are just a little extra sad and you’ll get over it soon enough, or been told to stop acting like such a child. For that I tell you, they don’t deserve your time. Find someone who will listen and try to help you. Being stuck in that bottomless pit that you feel like you are in is not the end for you. You can get help just don’t give up on yourself. Somebody once said depression “is like drowning. Except you can see everyone around you breathing.” So now I’m telling you, find your way to breathe. Find your healthy way out. May it be talking to someone or seeing a professional or simply keeping a journal, find your way to breathe. I know you can. After all, I found mine. Ever so sincerely, -C
Free Public Lecture 7:00pm Thursday 5 May STEM 122 Featuring Loren Yellow Bird Sahnish (Arikara) NPS Ranger - NDSU Alum Cultural Advisor for the Golden Globe Winning, OscarNominated Film, The Revenant Arikara 101 for Leonardo DiCaprio My Work on The Revenant
Or why you should choose to stop fighting with a hand behind your back
Jon Lipp
Contributing Writer
I have written previously about my personal battle with mental illness and the importance of asking for help. I want to preface this article by again urging any of you suffering from depression, anxiety or any other hindrance to your mental health to take advantage of counseling services. NDSU offers these services for free. But as advisable as it is to enlist help in the fight against your demons, it is equally important to do
what you can to strengthen yourself. This is where selfcare becomes fundamental. During my latest round of counseling, I was struck by a question during my first meeting. My therapist asked me to describe my sleep schedule and I immediately launched into my standard story about six-ish hours on a good weeknight and as much as humanly possible on the weekends. I was fully ready to move onto the next topic, but she stopped me there. As she correctly pointed out, this was a huge source of my troubles. My unhealthy lack of adequate sleep left me far more vulnerable and far less capable. It was no surprise that I felt overwhelmed and unable to face the challenges of daily life. I was, in a very real sense, limiting my capacity to handle all issues.
In addition to taking my sleep seriously, I also received some interesting homework. This homework included working out to relieve stress and setting aside time to rest and relax. By placing these tasks on the same level of importance as my schoolwork, I actually started to implement the practices. This was a revolutionary approach for me, and one I cannot recommend highly enough. All too often we fall into the trap of thinking our own health is somehow less important than perfect grades or incredible productivity. In reality, it is simply not worth it to sacrifice our mental or emotional health for a few tenths of a point on our GPA. I can promise you that you will be far happier with a well-cared-for self.
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THE SPECTRUM | NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
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THE SPECTRUM | OPINION | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
11
Engineering Doesn’t Define Me Define yourself by friends, kind acts, being genuine
Erik Jonasson II Opinion Editor
There is a beautiful world outside your door. It requires your attention. It requires your dedication; it requires you to desire it, more than anything you have ever desired before. My major is no exception (mechanical engineering). For engineering you are up earlier than you thought was ever possible,
you stay up later than your mom would want, and work throughout the entire day. Your goal every day is to outrun yourself from yesterday, while helping you and your friends the best you can. I love my major. I love the idea of working on tomorrow’s problems; I love the idea of inventing new things. This is my passion; this is why I wake up every morning. Through my first two years I have learned one thing more important than anything I could have learned in class. Your worth is not based on your GPA. Yes, engineering requires good grades. Yes doing well in school is very important, but that isn’t all
“A demanding major doesn’t only require good grades, but it also demands self-health. It requires you to ask important questions to yourself.” you are on this Earth to do. Never think that way. Never assume you are worthless because you can’t do what others are capable of. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else, do the best you can possibly do. You are racing no one, other than yourself. It is almost impossible to be the best in the world at something. Everyday you wake up though there is one thing you can be the best at. You can be the best version of yourself.
Control what you can control. This is a time of selfdiscovery; this is a time of “self-engineering”. We are making new adults, each and every tone of us. This is a hard task, and never let someone else tell you otherwise. Don’t assume just because you are doing poorly, just because you are unfocused, you are a failure. Understand the consequences, but know there are worse things that can happen. For instance,
becoming an Engineer and learning you don’t want to be an Engineer. Damn. That would be awful. Understand that a switch of majors, that a new passion, that a new direction in life, is possible. More importantly, it is okay. It is normal, and if it is the right move for you, than it is the right move. It is so hard in college to be unsure of yourself. A demanding major doesn’t only require good grades, but it also demands selfhealth. It requires you to ask important questions to yourself. “What do I want in life? Is this what I want from my life?” “Am I okay? Is it normal
to feel this way?” Don’t be afraid of a change, there isn’t always a perfect path, but more times than not there is a better path. Engineering, I love you. I love the demands, I love the stress, I love the deadlines, I love the expectations you have of me. Let this be clear though, I am not an Engineering student first and foremost. Likewise, your major does not define you either. You are (insert name here) and you are lovely and unique. Work hard, and persevere, and become the best version of yourself you can become. Know that maybe you haven’t found your niche yet, but you might if you continue looking.
‘Brave New World’ Not Necessarily Desirable Mental health issues are a normal part of the human experience we all must deal with
Matt Frohlich
Contributing Writer
Aldous Huxley’s 1931 novel “Brave New World” causes readers to ask whether it is desirable to be happy all the time. It makes me contemplate what role mental health services should serve for society. The futuristic civilization described in BNW has completed
eliminated pain and suffering and replaced it with happiness. Initially, it may seem that this civilization is a utopia, but closer inspection reveals that this happiness has come at the expense of eliminating any sense of purpose from people’s lives. Despite this, BNW describes a world that has met many of the goals we as a society are trying to achieve. Crime, poverty, homelessness, disease, income inequality and mental health problems have been completely eliminated. All of the relationships in BNW are superficial as meaningful relationships have the potential to cause
unhappiness should they end. Even nuclear families have been abolished. The citizens of BNW are grown in labs where they are conditioned from birth to enjoy their lot in life. The conditioning is so effective that all forms of adversity have been eliminated from people’s lives. This even includes the process of dying. Old citizens are taken to carefully controlled centers where they are given drugs to eliminate any anxiety about their impending deaths. Since they have no meaningful relationships, they do not have to worry about leaving friends and family behind, nor is there anybody to mourn their
“Life comes with frustrations, and for many people this is at its worst during college. For those of you that are in this situation, it may be encouraging to consider that some good may eventually come out of this.” deaths. There is something about BNW that makes me sad, despite the fact that the citizens are happier than I will ever be. I feel like they have lost their humanity in exchange for a life devoid of suffering, and I question whether this exchange was worth it.
It is true that some mental health issues are so severe that they require treatment. On the other hand, maybe some mental health issues are not problems at all, but rather the side effects of leading a meaningful life. Life comes with frustrations, and for many
people this is at its worst during college. For those of you that are in this situation, it may be encouraging to consider that some good may eventually come out of this. I am not trying to discourage people from getting help. Instead I want people with mental health issues to consider that it may be OK to have these issues, even if they are causing problems in your life. Perhaps the saying is true: it is the journey that matters in life, not the destination. Mental health issues may be an unenjoyable, yet essential, part of this journey.
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Sports
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
The Spectrum
FILE PHOTO | THE SPECTRUM
The Road of Recovery
Coming back from a concussion
Taylor Schloemer Staff Writer
There is no doubt — concussions are the most well-known injuries that happens in sports. They always seem to be in the news, as the debate of a link of long term brain damage rages on. For North Dakota State athletes, they are in good hands when a concussion does in fact occur. When a player is suspected of having a concussion, they are checked out by one of the athletic trainers. The
symptoms can’t always be seen, as assistant athletic trainer for football Bobby Knodel pointed out. “Once they talk to you, you can notice some more things, like their eyes and what they are saying,” Knodel said. Once the concussion is diagnosed, the player is taken out of the game for preventative measures and the road to recovery begins. Before the start of the season, each player takes baseline ImPACT and balance tests. ImPACT stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive
Testing. The test measures student athletes’ memory, processing speed and reaction time. Balance tests are just that – where the athlete’s balanced is measured. As the recovery process continues, the player is kept out of physical activities. The greatest healing power for the brain is simply recovery. Rest is recommended, and physically demanding activities should be avoided, from sports to even riding high speed roller coasters says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For student athletes, rest
A Balancing Act: Avoiding Stressors as a Student Athlete Football player talks about adjusting to college life
Karson Sorby Staff Writer
While many students struggle finding time to balance their studies and their personal lives, the student athletes on campus have an additional aspect to balance. College is known to be an extremely busy and stressful time for everyone. With the pressure of paying for an expensive college tuition, the maintenance of grades, and hours of studying, students often find themselves becoming overwhelmed. Now, imagine adding an additional set of stressors each and every day. Though most student athletes hold their academics as their top priority, it can be difficult to find time for school work and studying when they have schedules full of workouts and meetings— some of which are before most students even think about waking up. Between team meetings, pressure to perform in their sport, and endless days of grueling schedules, student athletes have a lot going on in their daily lives. Due to the daunting schedules placed before
student athletes, North Dakota State puts many regulations in place to ensure that they are achieving goals on and off the field as well as keeping them sane. By meeting weekly with advisors, student athletes are able to have a schedule of their entire week, allowing them to plan the things they need to get done each day. Additionally, student athletes are required to go into ACE and receive help on homework or clock study hours. Bison freshman football player Bryan Carlton said this is one of the most helpful things in adjusting to a busy life as a Division I athlete. “Academically, I have my week laid out by my academic advisor that I meet with on Mondays. That takes care of the school aspect,” he said. “My advisor lays out a plan for me, and at that point, it’s just a matter of sitting down and getting it done.” Since most student athletes have grown up with busy schedules, moving on to college is just moving on to a new level of balancing their day to day lives—just on a bigger level with stricter consequences if things
aren’t scheduled correctly. “Being a student athlete puts a deadline on everything you do,” Carlton said. “I have to take things hour by hour and just focus on the task at hand so I don’t feel stressed.” Though there are plenty of additional stressors as a student athlete, it seems as if most of the athletes are able to adjust as they spend time here on campus. “The first couple of months with a schedule like this were stressful,” explained Carlton. “But once I got in a routine, it became second nature. At this point, I don’t even think about it.” Obviously adjusting to their new lifestyle is a challenge, but it helps when student athletes see themselves succeeding both in the classroom and in their sport. “Having such a busy schedule can cause extra stress, but it also creates mental toughness,” Carlton said. This provides a solid explanation for why NDSU’s student athletes are the best of the best — both academically and in each of their sports.
may also shift over to the classroom as well. Knodel said that “The biggest thing is that they stay away from physical activity, and sometimes they will have to stay away from mental activities too.” Schoolwork falls under this category, as do activities such as playing video games and using a computer, as stated in a list compiled by the Mayo Clinic. While rest is the best healer, competitive athletes still look to get back to play as quick as they can. Knodel said that of the football players who get
concussions, of which he said there is an average of six to eight a year, “Most of the guys want to get back as soon as they can.” Knodel said that he has to remind most of the student athletes that it is in their best interest to let the recovery take its time. Only once the symptoms have cleared and test scores are back or above baseline are players allowed to get back into activities. The physical loads are increased as the student athletes conditions are improved. As for the time table for recovery, Knodel said that
there is not a specific time frame for concussions on a whole. Back when concussions were graded, he said “a player with a grade three concussion (most severe) could recover faster than someone with a grade one (least severe).” While there is no way to completely avoid getting a concussion, the recovery process is relatively simple, if not long for an athlete who is ready to compete. The best thing to do is get rest and wait, and once all has been healed, get back to work.
Dealing With Loss It’s how you deal with a loss that determines greatness COLUMN
Pace Maier Sports Editor
It was possibly the last game of my high school basketball career. We had been having a phenomenal season and were ready to take the state tournament by storm. The game was played inside Williams Arena, and our first round opponent was Plainview-ElginMillville. We didn’t play our best in the first half, but we were still in the game. Even at halftime I didn’t think it was going to be my last basketball game ever. The whole squad knew that we could come back and win the first round game of the 2012 state tournament. But as the second half clock continued to move closer to zeros across the scoreboard, it hit me: This would be the end. The buzzer went off, half of the gym was
cheering and half of the team was in disbelief. One of the most successful seasons St. Peter men’s basketball team ever had finished with a short stint at the state tournament. Losing the game hurt but what was tougher was dealing with the outcome of the game the next days. After packing up my worn out basketball shoes and folding up sweaty uniform, I walked onto the bus with my hood up and head down. I had broken the No. 1 rule my father had taught me: no matter how bad it gets, keep your head up. But I couldn’t. I woke up the next morning, and that’s where losers become winners. All great moments come to an end. It’s how you wake up that very next day that defines you. If you wake up and slug around, no one will feel sorry for you, and you’re going to fall behind everyone else. That’s why you must wake up, look in the mirror and
get back into the real world. Yeah, I lost the game, but I wasn’t going to let this affect the rest of my life. I turned a disappointing game into a learning experience. You have to be mentally tough. Non-student-athletes have it hard, and studentathletes have it hard, but student-athletes have to put up with hard loses more. Luckily for North Dakota State athletes, losing in the postseason doesn’t happen very often, especially for the NDSU football team. But at some point in the future another FCS team is going to break NDSU’s championship streak. And the city of Fargo is going to go incognito. That’s what is expected to happen in the sports world but its how a team or student athlete deals with a heartbreaking lose that makes them great or not. Losing sucks, but if you can master handling a loss, you will become great.
NDSUSPECTRUM.COM
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
Coloring Pages
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The Spectrum
Coloring | Good for the Mind, Body and Soul
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RESOURCES
THE SPECTRUM | NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016
MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN ND: North Dakota State Counseling Center: 212 Ceres Hall. (701) 231-7671. ndsu.edu/counseling “(P)rovides a confidential setting in which students may explore concerns of a personal, academic or career-related nature; makes referrals; and serves as consultants,” NDSU Counseling Center website reads. The service is included in student fees. Prairie St. John’s: 510 Fourth St. S. (877) 333-9565. prairie-stjohns.com Since 1997, Prairie St. John’s has served the Fargo-Moorhead community. The fully licensed and accredited facility serves all patients suffering from mental health issues, chemical dependency addition or co-occurring disorders. Sanford Behavioral Health: 100 Fourth St. S. (701) 234-2000. sanfordhealth.org Offering behavioral health, counseling, psychiatry and psychology, Sanford Health provides varieties of “therapeutic strategies to reduce symptoms, improve life skills and help people regain control of their lives,” its website reads. North Dakota Suicide Prevention Program: 600 East Blvd. Ave., Dept. 301, Bismarck. (800) 273-8255. ndhealth.gov/suicideprevention Suicide is the eighth-leading cause of death in North Dakota. The hotline listed above is available at any time for those thinking of committing suicide. Neuropsychiatric Research Institute:700 First Ave. S. (701) 293-1335. nrifargo.com NRI is home to the Eating Disorders Institute, which “offers state-of-the-art therapies to treat anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity,” its website reads. Dacotah Foundation: 112 N. University Dr. Suite 230. (701) 364-0743 The non-profit organization’s mission statement reads, “To provide a system of care that enhances the quality of life for children and adults with mental illness and/or chemical dependency.”
FURTHER RESOURCES: freedomfromfear.org: A national non-profit mental illness advocacy organization for anxiety and depression iocdf.org: The International OCD Foundation helps individuals overcome their disorder mhand.org: The Mental Health America of North Dakota website ulifeline.org: An online resource for college-related mental health questions
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