Dear Oakland Students,

I hope that you all enjoyed these past few months of summer vacation. This year Vice President Brittany Kleinschmidt, our entire team and I plan on working hard to bring change on campus that you want to see. During the year, I plan on writing regular reports to keep you all up to date on what the Congress is working on. In this first report I would like to address our new incoming freshman.

To our newest students, I would like to say welcome. You are now starting your career in education, and I want to hopefully impart some wisdom onto you. We at Student Congress are here to serve you and make this journey you are embarking on as pleasant as possible. In the spirit of accomplishing that goal, I want to talk about mental health.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, most mental health problems in adults occur before the age of 24. This means an increasing amount of college students are experiencing problems. According to NBC News there has been a record spike in mental health problems at universities across the country. Many universities have invested in their counseling centers and programs so that they can handle the increased volume of students requiring their services. A survey carried out by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute found that 12 percent of freshmen reported frequent episodes of depression. This is very much an epidemic amongst our generation. An epidemic that has affected close to home for me as well.

When I entered OU my freshman year, I had little to no pressing mental health concerns. Not long after my arrival, I began to experience anxiety like I had never seen before. It would often interfere with my course work and my jobs outside of the university. These anxiety issues became severe enough to where I would often turn to self-destructive avenues to release my stress. And these problems were not limited to just myself, as many of my closest friends have suffered from depression or anxiety for years.

These problems would not alleviate themselves until after I sought out treatment at Graham Health Center. We are fortunate enough as Oakland students to receive six free counseling sessions at Graham Health Center. I utilized counseling services at Graham Health Center for two years, and I can attest that the services I received were life changing.

I am telling you my story in hopes that you will be inspired to take your own mental health seriously. Seeking out treatment may be intimidating, however it is the only long-term solution to the problem. Myself and many of my friends have utilized counseling services in the past. I encourage you, throughout your first year in college, to please check in on your own mental health often. Do not be afraid to step back if things get overwhelming and take actions to benefit yourself. Do not overwhelm yourself, and do not be afraid to seek help.

If you are interested in getting involved with Student Congress, we currently have many positions open on our legislature and on our many committees! Our Research and Review Chair Halle Haneckow is our first point of contact to get involved. Her email is [email protected]. If you would like to reach out to the congress about any pressing concerns you have about campus life, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

Best wishes to you all as you start this coming year,

Ryan M. Fox