Campus Mental Health Stigmas Still a Problem
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VOLUME XLI, ISSUE 3 OCTOBER 8, 2013 Tricky situation turns heads Matthew Jordan BLIND FAITH: Champion pool player Gerry Watson performs a stunning trick shot with the help of student Eric Lauzon during an appear- DQFHDW(37D\ORU·V VP of College Affairs hired by SA directors Samantha Daniels salary of just under $2,500 per month, from Oc- The Chronicle WREHUWR$SULODQGDOVRLQFOXGHGEHQH¿WVVXFKD laptop, parking pass, cell phone allowance, and After a three-month vacancy, the Student As- the inclusion in the student insurance plan for sociation has hired a permanent full-time vice- the term of her employment. president of college affairs. Interviews were held for the four candidates Ashley Bennett, a second-year law clerk stu- the last weekend of September, and they were GHQWZDVDSSRLQWHGWR¿OOWKHSRVLWLRQWKURXJKD informed of the results Tuesday. hiring process by the board of directors. %DKD ZDV QRW DEOH WR JR LQWR VSHFL¿FV EXW Bennett was not available for an interview but stated, “Ashley demonstrated a commitment to will be contacted for future publication. the position and a great understanding of issues It’s normally an elected position, but Josh facing college students.” %LFNOHUHVLJQHGRQ-XO\RI¿FLDOO\FLWLQJKHDOWK 6$SUHVLGHQW3HWHU&KLQZHXEDUHÀHFWHGWKRVH related issues as the cause. sentiments in an identical statement. They Stephanie Wallace, a Durham College board both said, “We’re excited to have her join the SA of directors member at the time Bickle resigned, team.” was appointed by the board to act as interim VP Outgoing interim VP Wallace also applied for XQWLOWKHSRVLWLRQFRXOGEH¿OOHG the permanent position and resigned as one of She took a leave of absence from the board of the Durham College board of directors. GLUHFWRUVWRIXO¿OOWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVRIWKH93SR- She went into the interview process with the sition. KRSHVWKDWWKH6$ZRXOGEHZLOOLQJWREHÀH[LEOH She could not specify how she was chosen to with her school schedule. take over as interim VP. “That’s internal HR stuff She intends to remain a full-time student and Al Fournier so I can’t comment on it,” she said. would not be willing to reduce her course load to Baker Baha, vice-chair and spokesperson for ¿WDURXQGWKHIXOOWLPH93SRVLWLRQ STRONG FINISH: Conroy takes aim at a Division II the board of directors, struck a hiring committee “First and foremost, I came to school to learn,” bronze medal for Durham. to look for a suitable candidate, and the job was she said. “As much as I love being involved and posted on the SA website on Sept. 6. I’d love to be able to do both, academics are a See Lords on page 25 7KH SRVWLQJ VSHFL¿HV %HQQHWW ZLOO UHFHLYH D priority to me.” 2 The Chronicle October 8, 2013 Campus Mental health stigmas still a problem Heather Bickle, who works This is the second in a three- as an outreach counsellor for part series examining the men- Durham College and UOIT, tal health of post-secondary echoed that sentiment. students. “It’s not like cancer or dia- betes where we can just take Ryan Verrydt blood from you and quickly un- The Chronicle GHUVWDQGZKDWZHFDQGRWR¿[ the problem. I think that’s why Paul Wraight has lived stigma keeps going, because through three generations of people want you to prove that clinical depression. His moth- you have depression. Prove to er suffered from it, he suffers me that you’re ill. Prove to me from it, and his two daughters that you have this chemical im- suffer from it. balance,” she said. “My mom and dad’s gen- Part of the process in elimi- eration was cheer up, buck up, nating stigma is changing the work harder, and then it went way society views mental ill- to my generation where there nesses as a whole. was little pockets of sympathet- “We need to create an envi- ic ears,” said Wraight, who lost ronment where it doesn’t mat- his daughter Brianne in 2010 ter if you have diabetes or bi- to suicide caused by depres- polar disorder, that they’re the sion. “Nowadays, it’s a lot bet- same. They’re an illness that ter in it’s totally open about the you need to be supported and whole thing.” we need to be caring and kind In the last issue, The Chron- Samantha Daniels to people,” said Stanyon. LFOH H[DPLQHG WKH SUREOHPV Posters across campus ad- and awareness post-secondary ALL ALONE: A student depicting the isolating effects of the stigmatization of those who vertise places for students to students face when it comes to have mental health issues. call if they’re having issues and mental health. Despite these is- need help. Organizations like sues being much better known Kids Help Phone and events today, there is still a stigma enced the changes that have yon. their own illness without feel- such as the Walk for Suicide around it. happened on campus in that Organizations and people ing people will look at them are helping to remove some of 7KH IRUPDO GH¿QLWLRQ RI time. like Stanyon have also taken is- strangely.” the barriers surrounding men- stigma is “a mark of disgrace ³:KHQ,¿UVWDUULYHGSHRSOH sue with the media’s portrayal Some people point to dual tal health. associated with a particular cir- almost didn’t want to talk to of people that suffer from a 2O\PSLDQ DQG VL[WLPH 2O\P- “It’s those kinds of things cumstance, quality, or person.” me because it was like, that’s mental illness. People with pic medalist Clara Hughes as a that are making and breaking Mental illness isn’t just a the mental health lady and ev- mental illnesses are often por- JRRGH[DPSOHRIVRPHRQHZKR more barriers. That are caus- frame of mind though, accord- ery time she speaks to you she’s trayed as violent or psychotic. has struggled and dealt with a ing some of these people that LQJWRH[SHUWVWKHPHQWDOKHDOWK going to talk about mental ill- A paper looking at the me- mental illness and shown what say you’re weak because your ¿HOG3HRSOHZKRVXIIHUIURPLW ness. So people kind of deaked dia’s portrayal of people with it can do to people. Hughes is mental health is really bad (to have a medical condition that away. I now have colleagues, mental illness, published by the the face of Bell Canada’s “Let’s change their minds). I think cannot just be taken as a lack of students, individuals come to Canadian Mental Health Asso- Talk” campaign as someone ZKDWZH¶UHH[SHULHQFLQJLVWKDW willpower. talk to me and say, give me your ciation, lists movies and televi- who suffered from serious it’s not near as bad, it’s far bet- “But it’s that myth, that per- perspective,” she said. sion shows that portray mental bouts of depression. ter now,” said Wraight. ception of people, that contin- Despite being open about illnesses correctly as well as “That’s not the type of per- Mental health has been ac- ued to fuel the idea that if you the issues surrounding men- those that portray them incor- son you think of when you knowledged and its impact on really want to will away the tal health, the Mental Health rectly. think of depression,” said Stan- society is known, yet many peo- mental illness you can, or if Commission of Canada says 60 “The face of mental illness yon. “For the public, they think ple still look down upon those you just had a stronger char- per cent of people with a men- isn’t that person in a dirty rain- of somebody who’s maybe who suffer from these illnesses. acter you wouldn’t succumb to tal health problem or illness coat mumbling to themselves,” weak-willed, who’s kind of a bit Every mental illness comes mental illness, that’s just sim- won’t seek treatment for fear of said Stanyon. “The face of men- of a complainer, who’s always a with its own challenges be- ply not true,” said Wendy Stan- being labeled. tal illness is you and I. Capable negative thinker.” cause every person is different. yon, an associate professor at “People feel it’s a scary people, but who struggle at Mental illness does not get ,Q WKH QH[W LVVXH ZH ZLOO H[- UOIT who specializes in mental thing, and so I think it’s been times with challenges that we the same attention that physi- amine some of the issues with health. not acknowledged well. Not in face. And I think the more we cal ailments get because of the diagnosing mental illnesses as Stanyon has been with UOIT the same way we acknowledge recognize that, then people can stigma that is associated with well as the various treatment IRU WHQ \HDUV DQG KDV H[SHUL- physical challenges,” said Stan- come forward and talk about it, according to Stanyon. options available. Expense claims to UOIT Intersection closure alert Brad Andrews ([SHQVHVLQFXUUHGE\WKH6$ lin Road can use alternative A roundabout is a circular The Chronicle would be submitted to the Matthew Jordan routes, such as Winchester intersection that requires mo- schools for payment in ac- The Chronicle Road or Taunton Road. torists entering to make there UOIT has begun to receive cord with a plan none of the Stevenson Road North can way to the outside lane before H[SHQVHFODLPVIURPWKH6WX- parties has made public. Ac- The intersection of Thorn- also provide access to Conlin H[LWLQJDWWKHGHVLUHGVWUHHWDQG dent Association following cording to Tony Doyle, chief ton and Conlin Road will be Road. direction. the school’s decision to stop of staff for Durham College closed by the city of Oshawa in The city advises motorists to The construction of the transferring money to the or- president Don Lovisa, the mid-October for ongoing con- familiarize themselves with the URXQGDERXW LV H[SHFWHG WR EH ganization.