As the semester nears its end, the general health of the Whitman campus is nearing its low-point for the year. Factors such as stress, season, weather and sleep patterns, are all reaching their peak affect upon students.
The Whitman Well, a new initiative from the counseling center, encourages Whitman students, staff and faculty to “take in the good” for 100 days.
Assistant Director of the Counseling Center, Tracee Anderson, in collaboration with an organization called 100HappyDays, has created a website where members of the Whitman community can sign up to post one photo a day of something that makes them feel good.
This month, the Counseling Center decided to go through with hiring a new counselor in accordance with an ASWC resolution passed last semester. The addition of another counselor is a response to the increasing demand and sometimes limited availability of counseling services on campus.
In the 2011–2012 school year, over 27 percent of students used the Counseling Center resources compared to the national average where nine to 12 percent of students at small colleges sought counseling services.
Outrage at specific incidents of racism has evolved into demands for decisive action on campus, putting pressure on Whitman's administration to instigate change.
On November 3, 2013, the three hours of the third ASWC Senate meeting were packed with the passage of two amendments and the approval of a finance request as well as much impassioned discussion.
ASWC...
Though the current “Information Age†has made communication easier and faster, our society still remains silent on some important issues, including mental illness. As a society, we focus so much on physical health, staying fit and eating a healthy diet. Yet we forget how to take care of the mind.
The adjustment back to Whitman after studying abroad can be difficult for students on multiple levels, because of both the academic and social transition.
Whitman’s Counseling Center is improving its services in preparation for the academic year under the guidance of its new director Thacher Carter. New services will include expanded drop-in hours and an electronic organizational system.
High and varied expectations of Whitman students - from academics, to the social sphere, to pressures to be fit - can bring undue stress into Whitties' lives. Resisting the pressure to over-extend can be difficult, but ultimately leads to a much more fulfilled life.
