crossing the line
Last night I presented a talk about the body affecting the mind and vice-versa to about 40 residence hall students on our college campus. I mostly talked about sleep and exercise and how they affect our brain power, describing some of the work of Dr. John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist from the University of Washington School of Medicine, who wrote Brain Rules. And I threw in a couple of off- beat studies from Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink. All this with an occasional toss of a beach ball out into the audience because Dr. Medina says any audience will stop listening after 10 minutes. The bouncing ball worked, I think. There was intense listening, especially when I affirmed their stressful college days. Mentioned the word journey more than once, rather spontaneously, it seemed fitting since so many of us, no matter how old we are, seem to be struggling with direction.
Then, the director of our counseling and advisement center led an activity called Crossing the Line. A line of tape was put across the room and we all stood on one side while she read statements. If they applied to us, we stepped across the line and stood facing the other side, then stepped back across afterwards. The statements got more intense as she read. First, it was about glasses and where you lived and what languages you spoke. Then, did we have friends who were gay, are we comfortable with our own sexual orientation, are we spiritual, are we accepted by others in the residence hall, have we ever been sexually abused, do we feel lonely and isolated, have we ever thought about suicide. This was an incredibly moving experience watching as the masses walked across the line, perhaps claiming for the first time who they are or what they feel. Some would hesitate a little, then go across when others crossed. We talked a bit afterwards and there were some tears, mostly relief at not feeling so alone.
We know that the clinic and the counseling center will be busier than usual over the next few weeks as the semester comes to a close. If you know someone in college you might like to know that the rates of depression went up 58% from 2000-2005, and when college kids across the US were asked if they ever got so depressed they couldn’t function, 31% said yes. (ACHA survey, Fall 2008) This is a tough time, not as fun as the images that come to our heads thinking about freedom and beer kegs. It is a time of foundations being shaken, identities being discovered and connections lost or found. And very little sleep. By the way, did you know that a 26 minute nap could increase your productivity by 34% ?(a NASA study) So if you know a college kid, tell them to take a walk, or a nap and to find someone to talk to about things that matter. Tell them that counseling is available to them on campus. Be sure and tell them about these statistics. Tell them they are not alone.
9:47:51 PM 
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