The Ithaca College Student Governance Council met Feb. 5 to hear from Brian Peterson, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and Caryanne Keenan, director of New Student and Transition Programs (NSTP). The council also held confirmation for the committee that oversees student elections, the Class of 2026 Senator and the First-Generation Senator. 

At their April 4 meeting, members discussed non-tenure track faculty, student mental health, the academic misconduct process and academic freedom. 

Through working with faculty, staff and students, Michelle Goode, campus co-chair of the JED Campus Initiative, has implemented new resources and training for mental health awareness.

The event allowed the three elite athletes to share their experiences and advice regarding the pressures of high-level sports with a new generation of student-athletes.

Joe Puccio, co-founder of Coursicle, experienced a mental breakdown but used it as an opportunity to destigmatize mental health.

The “Naming the Unnameable Exhibit: Youth Stories of Resilience and Survival” art installation is showcasing personal stories of trauma and overcoming obstacles in different forms.

For athletes, mental health is typically taboo. A coach will likely tell players, “Get your head in the game!”

According to The Mayo Clinic Health System, 44% of college students struggle with symptoms of depression and anxiety, and within that 44%, 75% are reluctant to seek help.

Ithaca College is halfway through the JED campus initiative, the four-year mental health program the college joined in January 2020. The college released a progress report in September.

Identifying mental health issues is the first step to solving them. Continual resources are the strongest way to support those with mental health issues.

Some things need to remain unchanged, like canceling classes during snow days. Snow days give students a break, and we students certainly need a break. 

Leniency shouldn’t have dissipated with the return to in-person classes. If anything, this is the time for extensions and sympathy.