Self-Diagnosis on Social Media Detrimental to Perceptions of Mental Health

LETTER TO THE EDITORS

College Must Issue Apology to Gibsons

As a 1966 graduate of Oberlin College, I am saddened to hear of the lawsuit between Oberlin and Gibson’s Bakery, described by some as a David and Goliath conflict.

The suit has now concluded, and Oberlin has agreed to pay restitution for the defamation Gibson’s suffered, as well as court costs. However, no explicit apology on the part of Oberlin has been released.

I do not think that shoplifting and assault, on which the original case was based, are a valued part of Oberlin’s mission. Neither is defamation. In this era of madness, we need to be very careful not to erroneously accuse anyone of racism — especially not a company which has enjoyed more than a century of cooperation with Oberlin.

I encourage President Ambar to issue an apology to the Gibson family on behalf of the school. I personally apologize to them for their unnecessary pain and suffering, as this behavior is not representative of what I learned during my time at Oberlin.

Sincerely, Victoria Randall Barbosa, OC ’66

Self-Diagnosis on Social Media Detrimental to Perceptions of Mental Health

Neva Tayler Columnist

As you scroll aimlessly through social media, a video pops up saying, “5 signs you have ADHD.” Quickly losing focus, losing track of time, mood swings, trouble listening, being extremely talkative, losing things easily, or being disorganized — every sign seems to point to you and what you have been struggling with. You might feel a sense of finally being understood and seen. Your struggle has this new name, and you feel like you’ve finally found the fix — the solution to what you’ve felt for so long. Your feelings finally belong somewhere.

Videos like these have flooded social media platforms. I bet you’ve seen a couple. Topics of discussion range anywhere from anxiety, personality, and mood disorders to disabilities like autism and ADHD. The videos typically consist of an explanation of the “signs” that someone might have a particular condition, but often these socalled “signs” consist of behaviors that anyone could experience. People take this information, relate to it, and start to believe they have the condition they’re hearing about. A troubling trend of people self-diagnosing seems to have taken off these past few years.

The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on many people’s mental health. This shared experience opened up more discussions around mental health, especially on social media, and efforts to destigmatize mental health struggles have increased. According to a World Health Organization brief, there was a 25 percent increase in the global prevalence of anxiety and depression within the first year of the pandemic. As people were left alone, they began to notice things about themselves that were not obvious before. People were forced to look at their own behaviors, patterns, thoughts, and interactions with others in a way they had not before. As one of the only methods of communication available at the time, social media became a tool for people to feel seen and recognized. Mental health became a central focus, and since then, online mental health communities have been built to open up conversations for struggling people and offer a space for them to share their experiences.

The movement to destigmatize mental health was created to help those who have struggled alone with their mental illness feel seen. After centuries of mental illness being viewed as something that is “wrong” with someone, people are finally feeling accepted despite their struggles. It’s possible, however, that we have reached the point at which this phenomenon is causing more harm than good. There has been what almost seems to be a romanticization of mental illness — people have started to just throw delicate terms and diagnoses around as if they are character traits you can easily assign to yourself. The thing is that we aren’t dealing with simple character traits. We are dealing with intense human struggles that have been left in the dark for far too long.

There has been a drastic shift in how mental illnesses are being presented on social media. We’ve gone past sharing personal experiences to help build a human connection in which someone can feel less alone. Now, people have taken it upon themselves to act as professionals and offer easy answers to people’s complex questions about mental health and disability, with some even trying to provide diagnoses. A majority of the videos about mental illness you see on social media aren’t created by professional psychologists. There are some psychologists offering information about different mental illnesses online, but what they are offering is education on the subject, not a diagnosis. There is a very big difference between feeling anxious or depressed and being clinically diagnosed with anxiety or depression. As any psy-

Revisions to Oberlin Bylaws Are Necessary for Clarity on College Operations, Future Success

Lillie Edwards, OC ’75

Oberlin’s uniqueness resounds through our history. Since its founding in 1833, Oberlin has become synonymous with academic excellence, world-class musical instruction, and liberal arts as a path to social justice.

The balance of these elements makes Oberlin unique. Oberlin’s community — trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and emeriti — embrace, treasure, and respect this balance. The Board of Trustees has a duty to protect it as we navigate the landscape of higher education.

This landscape is now more complex than ever. We face economic, administrative, regulatory, statutory, and even political constraints that were unfamiliar decades ago. In recent years, a lack of clarity in our bylaws regarding institutional governance and the delegation of authority has hampered our ability to respond nimbly to extraordinary challenges (like a pandemic) and plan responsibly for the future.

The decision to clarify Oberlin’s bylaws is not simply a judgment call. Our exiting bylaws are not aligned with the stated criteria of our accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, which specifies that institutions should be clear about responsibility and decision-making, especially with regard to the Board’s delegation of authority to faculty and staff. Our risk management assessment team has identified ambiguity in the bylaws as a liability in need of addressing.

With this reality squarely before us, earlier this year, the Board’s Nominations & Governance Committee invited the General Faculty Council to help us amend six sections of Oberlin’s bylaws. N&G and GFC met weekly for seven weeks.

All of us participated in good faith and in Oberlin’s best interests. The trustees brought their sensibilities as Obies. The faculty brought insights from experience and their dedication to Oberlin. There were disagreements, but also respect and collegiality. I thank everyone — faculty and trustees — for their diligence and hard work.

Trustees will consider the amendments that resulted from this process at the October board meeting. The original intent was to vote on the updates at the June meeting, but GFC suggested that a vote in October would allow for more deliberation.

These changes will: • Affirm the Board’s authority and establish a foundation for the delegation of authority • Clarify the role of the president and specify the president’s authority and responsibility for the effective administration of the College • Clarify the faculty’s role in the academic affairs of the College • Clarify the process for the appointment of deans • Update the Board’s committee structure, combining Student Affairs and Academic Affairs

Committees into a single committee, and create a new Tenure and Promotion Committee • Provide flexibility for the College if it were to establish the position of provost, subject to the

Board’s approval

The amendments are meant to clarify responsibilities without eliminating channels for valuable faculty input. Oberlin’s ongoing success depends on faculty advice to the administration and the board on matters of long-term strategic importance. The free flow of feedback from faculty participation in the Academic and Administrative Program Review, which resulted in the One Oberlin plan, was invaluable.

The amendments confirm the Board’s delegation of authority to the faculty and its representative bodies over such important areas as the curriculum; educational policy; quality and method of instruction; degree requirements and educational standards; faculty status, including the evaluation of the faculty for appointment; tenure; and promotion, research, and those aspects of student life that relate to students’ academic experience. The bylaws remain replete with the term “shared governance” and related references. Faculty representation on Board committees remains unchanged. The General Faculty Council remains listed in the bylaws as an “advisory body to the president on the budget and on such other matters as the president may raise.” During a Zoom meeting on Wednesday with members of the general faculty, trustees collected feedback from a number of people who wished to comment on the amendments. We will share this feedback with the full board when we meet. I can appreciate that to some at Oberlin, changes to the bylaws can be jarring. The changes going before the Board serve to clarify roles and responsibilities so that Oberlin can continue to evolve as a unique institution known for its outstanding academics, world-class musical instruction, and commitment to social justice.

The bylaws amendments protect this vision. They offer clarity that complements our institutional strengths. The collaboration, energy, and excitement that imbues campus will remain. Oberlin’s specialness will blossom well into the future.

Lillie Edwards is professor emerita of History and African American Studies at Drew University and a member of Oberlin’s Class of 1975. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Oberlin Board of Trustees.

Dashing Through the Road, How Not to Get Slayed, Try Not to Get Hurt, It Will Ruin Your Day

Emily Vaughan Opinions Editor

Editor’s note: The Review and its staff do not condone jaywalking in any form.

Jaywalking: we all know about it. Most of us do it. Some of us love it. Defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a pedestrian who crosses a street without regard to traffic regulations,” “jaywalker” is a term that could be used to describe many an Oberlin student. This pastime among Obies is likely popular for a number of reasons: it lets you get from place to place on campus faster (West Lorain Street between the Science Center and Wilder Hall, I’m looking at you); you get to be a little mischief-causing rascal; and most importantly, it’s just plain fun. There’s such a thrill in walking into the street and crossing just before a car rushes past.

Let’s say, for example, that you are trying to get from your 10 a.m. Biology class in the Science Center over to DeCafé to pick up an early lunch, then back to the Science Center atrium to study with your... good friend. After a study session, you’re both pretty tired, so you walk back to your room in South Hall to... take a nap. Once you’ve finished with that, though, you need to go back to the Science Center (you’re double majoring in Neuroscience and Chemistry and might as well set up camp in the Love Lounge considering how much time you spend there). This is a routine that you follow fairly frequently, and you’ve gotten a bit frustrated with the fact that you need to walk all the way to the corner where the crosswalk is located in order to cross the street. If only there were a faster way to get from place to place! Sometimes you wistfully stare at those who dare to cross the street right outside the entrance to the Science Center, and you wish that you were bold enough to try it yourself.

There are two main types of jaywalkers that I have observed during my time at Oberlin. The first is the New York jaywalker. These students walk brazenly into the street, barely even glancing for oncoming traffic before fearlessly stepping out. They believe the cars will simply stop and wait for them; that’s what it’s like in Park Slope, Brooklyn, after all, and New York City is the only place in the world. Second, there is the California jaywalker. Used to car-centric city designs, where the only safe places to cross roads are clearly marked crosswalks with flashing lights and chirping sounds, they hover hesitantly at the edge of the street for several moments, nervously looking both ways before scuttling across the street like small crabs on their childhood beaches.

Neither of these strategies are especially safe or efficient, although the New York Obies’ strategy does seem like a very effective way to get nearly hit by an oncoming vehicle. But what if I told you that, hypothetically, it doesn’t need to be this way? What if I told you that, hypothetically, you can, in fact, cross the street between the Science Center and Wilder quickly and safely if you know how to do it right?

How would one go about this, you may ask? Well, hypothetically, if you were to jaywalk, I would recommend going about it with a good bit of caution and a little bit of confidence. You are at liberty to do it — but do it safely! In this hypothetical situation, I would recommend looking both ways before stepping out into the street where there is not a crosswalk. This is also good practice for crossing at a crosswalk, as you never know what kind of drivers will be on the road on a given day. But what exactly are you looking for? Hypothetically, if you were to attempt to jaywalk, it would be advisable for the nearest cars to be at least one block away from you on either side. Also, if you were to attempt to commit such a heinous crime, it could perhaps be a good idea to walk quickly across the street. Hypothetically, you shouldn’t need to run if the distance and speed of the cars has been accurately gauged, but I also wouldn’t recommend dilly-dallying. If I knew anything about this and could offer any more advice, I would also add that it does take a bit of practice, and one should always err on the side of caution. This method is nearly foolproof — in my 20 years of life, it has only failed me once.

I do, however, need to emphasize that this article is in no way seeking to encourage jaywalking. Jaywalking is, in fact, quite dangerous, and I merely wish to highlight the way in which it could, hypothetically, be done more safely. There are serious consequences to doing it badly — trust me, I know. Getting hit by a car is no joke. When choosing to cross the street in a lessthan-legal manner, it is important to remember one of the cardinal rules of health and safety at Oberlin: you need to be able to stay alive long enough to get to the world-renowned, top-notch Mercy Health - Allen Hospital Emergency Department. You wouldn’t want to risk going to University Hospitals or, God forbid, Cleveland Clinic. Just think about how awful that would be.

Holly Yelton, Illustrator

Cliques Inhibit First-Years From Fostering Connections

Sahil Novetzke

Columnist

It’s been just a few days shy of a month since I began my first semester of college, and it’s clear as day that cliques are already emerging among my peers. A clique is a group of people, bonded by certain commonalities, that establishes itself as exclusive and typically closes itself off to others. It’s like high school all over again: the jocks in one corner, the bookworms in another. While it’s comforting to know that people have found each other and feel comfortable with their new friends, I have some concerns.

I, too, have found myself closed off. I’ve found a small group of people that makes me happy, and the thought of further branching out is an exhausting notion. I’ve settled into a routine now: same classes, same food, same places, same friends. I don’t really want anything to change.

The issue is, friends made in the first month of your first year of college are rarely permanent. A few weeks ago, on a night walk with a couple of my dormmates, we ran into a third-year who reminded us that we “won’t be friends with one another in a couple weeks.” While I hardly think that’s a fair assessment — my current friends are wonderful and I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with them — what if she’s right in the long run? See Extracurriculars, page 12

Online Conversations on Mental Health Lack Nuance

Continued from page 10

chologist would tell you, this distinction is very important, but in the world of social media, these lines have been blurred. It is possible that the de-stigmatization of mental illness has been hijacked by social media, and in turn, we’ve been lured into making those struggling with a clinical diagnosis feel unseen again — just in a different way.

You don’t need to have a clinical diagnosis or a severe mental health disorder to know that when you are in that amount of pain, you long to have the world tell you that you are seen. In the past, that need was crushed because you were met with the burden of a world saying, “Keep your mental illness hidden.” While it is true that in today’s society that voice has somewhat dissipated, what we need to understand is that we haven’t gone from “keep it hidden” to “I see you.” Instead, the source of feeling invisible has switched from feeling silenced to feeling minimized, as though one is in a crowd where everyone is chanting “welcome to the club.”

This is not to say that you aren’t in pain if you have felt anxious or depressed. We as humans experience those feelings, and they are very difficult to deal with. This is not about minimizing pain; it is about how social media tempts and invites us to express that pain in a way that equates it with a different type of pain, thereby minimizing the pain of those who consistently struggle with mental health disorders.

To all the college students reading this, we have an important role. As young adults who have grown up with social media, we sit in the eye of this great storm. We are discovering so much of ourselves amid great amounts of academic and social pressures. In one way or another, we are all dealing with our own important struggles, but we are tempted to misplace these struggles in order to feel seen. Social media has taught us to all strive for the spotlight, but this is not the world we want. As the ones most impacted by this phenomenon, we get to be on the frontline. We have the chance to reset our approach to one another’s struggles and help all of us feel seen without blurring the lines between self-diagnosis and clinical diagnosis to feel valid. We can create a world in which, instead of competing to be seen, we can be the ones assuring each other, “you are seen.”

Conservatory

Students Should Take Advantage of Extracurricular Opportunities

Continued from page 11

What if, by some universal law of college friendships, we are no longer friends by next year? It doesn’t seem entirely out of the realm of possibility — one month is hardly enough time to truly get to know people — but unless something major occurs, I can’t see myself not being friends with them.

To properly understand the human inclination to form cliques, we can turn to psychological study. We feel safer with a smaller, more intimate group of people rather than with clusters of acquaintances. Subconsciously, we tend to associate ourselves with people who are similar to us. According to the Los Angeles Times, humans are more likely to learn from one another, be that socially or academically, if they are similar.

There are other reasons that humans tend to form tight-knit groups. For instance, cliques can emerge as a reaction to larger social norms and patterns. People with shared identities often feel safer with one another, having common lived experiences. So it makes sense that people would clique up.

But while cliquing up might make you feel safe, secure, and relaxed for a while, it will ultimately result in you closing yourself off to a whole host of experiences. Take advantage of the experiences — or don’t, it’s up to you. But by shutting the door, staying in with friends every night, refusing to join clubs, identity spaces, sports, and music groups, you’re refusing to take advantage of the wonderful social opportunities that Oberlin has to offer.

Oberlin has tons of incredible clubs, from musical theater and dance to improv, writing, and jazz. Oberlin is also host to an array of more niche clubs, like OBurlesque and Chess Club. We have both club and intramural sports, like soccer, football, rugby, and even bowling. The Experimental College experience provides students with the opportunity to take classes taught by other students for credit and learn about almost any topic they want, including Taylor Swift, moths, and sexual health.

The process for joining clubs, sports, coops, and ExCos is pretty easy. While participating in these extracurriculars may require some initial effort like filling out application forms, the entry points are easy to locate. When I came to Oberlin, I promised myself I would take full advantage of these opportunities. I’ve joined a variety of clubs and music groups, but not in hopes that I would stick with every single one of them for all four years — I may not stick with all of them for even a full semester. I did this because I want opportunities; I want to strengthen the skills I already believe I have. I became a columnist for the Review because I love to write, and I joined an acappella group because I love to sing. I’m doing what I love, and I’m happy! I encourage my classmates to seek new experiences, look for new kinds of people, and challenge themselves socially. The college social experience is unique, and nothing in our future will ever replicate this. The ease with which you can join new groups and branch out socially is nothing like it will be later in life. My suggestion? Take advantage of it.

Conservatory Revives Oberlin Gospel Choir

Gracie McFalls Senior Staff Writer

In 1866, just six months after the end of the Civil War, Fisk University was founded in Nashville to provide education to formerly enslaved Black Americans. However, by 1871 the school was in financial debt. This prompted George L. White, a Fisk student, to start a nine-person choir and take it on tour to raise money. They called themselves the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

The group toured small towns in the American northeast and performed for primarily white audiences. The road was not easy. The group endured racism and illness, and despite their talent, they did not profit financially. Soon, though, the choir began to receive acclaim for their musical skill and repertoire of spirituals that were not commonly heard outside of Black communities. These performances helped spirituals gain legitimacy as an American musical form.

It was only after performing at Oberlin in a convention which hosted several ministers that the group began receiving more attention than ever before. Their reputation, propelled by word-of-mouth reviews, prompted the group to tour the eastern US, where they sang for notable individuals, including Ulysses S. Grant. The group went on to receive world-renowned acclaim and has won various awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the highest national honor for arts.

Over a hundred years later in 1971, Oberlin students Charles Woods and Everett Williams created the Oberlin Black Ensemble as a Winter Term project. The group was started as a creative outlet for singers, many of whom had grown up singing in Black churches. This Winter Term project quickly became a hit and ended up touring around different churches and community centers in the region. The Oberlin Black Ensemble soon gained a reputation as Oberlin’s version of the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

The Oberlin Black Ensemble was then dormant for some time until this past year, when it was revived in the form of the Oberlin Gospel Choir. La Tanya Hall, professor of Jazz Voice in the Conservatory, spearheaded the project, assisted by Wendell Logan and Bobby Ferrazza, two jazz professors in the Conservatory.

The ensemble met weekly on Tuesday mornings in the spring semester and has been a roaring success for students, faculty, and community members alike. Sagana Ondande, a double-degree fifth-year student studying Classical Voice in the Conservatory and Computer Science in the College, reflected on his experience with the choir.

“It was my favorite class last year, hands down,” he said. “I was really shy about my singing when I was younger, and the only place I would sing at was church. Joining the Gospel Choir reminded me [of] why I sing, and being in that environment just hit me like, ‘this is where I can sing my fullest.’”

The choir also offers an escape for students seeking to broaden their repertoire beyond the confines of a Eurocentric classical curriculum.

“When you’re in classical voice, it’s almost like you have blinders on,” classical vocalist Daniela Machado, OC ’22, said. “But in my last year, I really wanted to expand my repertoire, so I joined. I hope that more singers consider doing it, especially on the classical side. I think Gospel Choir was a way for me to step back from how high pressure the Classical Voice program can be, because sometimes it’s not about joy. But the Gospel Choir really is a wonderful environment with wonderful people and beautiful music.”

The choir not only learns the music but also the history behind it, an aspect of the Gospel Choir that neither students nor faculty take for granted.

“Professor Hall was very adamant about us knowing the history of the songs we were learning,” Machado continued.

In the spirit of honoring the gospel traditions and history of the two ensembles that came before it, the Oberlin Gospel Choir performed a commemorative concert last May to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The performance featured not only gospel music but dance as well. Professor of Dance Holly Handman-Lopez choreographed the show’s dances and felt a responsibility to choreograph in a way that was respectful to the text and history of the chosen pieces.

“I researched a lot more than I would for a normal contemporary dance,” she said. “I really looked at the lyrics and tried to understand the story and then tell that story physically, as opposed to making a pretty dance that’s symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing but has nothing to do with the subject matter of the song.”

The collaboration between dancers and singers is something that both Handman-Lopez and Machado hope will continue to flourish at Oberlin.