Yalies navigate election anxiety
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Posted By: Hija Chang on October 24, 2024 In less than two weeks, the United States will have a newly elected president. On campus, students are grappling with this reality and anticipating the election’s outcome. Student groups and organizations — such as the Yale College Democrats, also known as Yale Dems, and the Asian American Cultural Center — are providing spaces in which students can process their emotions surrounding the election cycle, including feelings of anxiety and dread. “Many expressed concerns about how political issues impact their mental health, particularly at an institution like Yale, where differing perspectives can create tension,” Ashyah Galbokke Hewage ’27 said in an email. Galbokke Hewage is an undergraduate student staff coordinator for the Wellness & Mental Health team at the Asian American Cultural Center. Earlier this month, the organization hosted “Navigating Emotions During Election Season.” The event idea arose from student conversations about the “heightened emotions that often accompany election seasons,” Galbokke Hewage said. She added that the event aimed to provide students with a “supportive and reflective” environment in which to discuss their experiences leading up to the election. According to Galbokke Hewage, the event had not been held during previous election cycles. She noted, however, that its success has prompted organizers to consider hosting additional structured discussions in order to offer continued support to students. Paul Hoffman, chief of mental health and counseling at Yale Health, wrote that Mental Health & Counseling, or MHC, has clinicians available to discuss a variety of issues including how their mental health is affected by current events. Students can schedule an appointment by calling 203-432-0290 or by walking into Yale Health. MHC also has clinicians who can see students on a walk-in basis for urgent matters. Additionally, students can schedule an appointment with a YC3 therapist. Micah Draper ’28 said he understands the anxiety students might be experiencing. He noted that the upcoming election has come up in class discussions, observing that a sense of anticipation was prevalent among “both teachers and students.” As a college student, Draper feels that while it is easy to become “caught up” in day-to-day activities, for many the event is always “in the back of our minds.” “What I found really helpful was just knowing that I’ve voted … I’ve done my part,” he said. “Our government was set up to ensure that one person doesn’t have too much power. So I remind myself that no matter the outcome of the election, democracy should prove that.” Andrew Alam-Nist ’26 expressed a sense of faith in letting “the course of democracy” unfold. However, he noted that volunteering and getting involved could help mitigate feelings of “powerlessness,” while acknowledging that there is no single solution for coping with feelings of anxiety and stress. Sonja Aibel ’28 similarly told the News that she coped with the stress of the election by becoming engaged in campaigning. She has participated in phone and text banking, and said that through these experiences, she is not simply “ruminating on what might happen,” but working towards the outcome she hopes for. “It makes a lot of sense that a lot of people feel really stressed or anxious or even depressed about the upcoming election, just because it isn’t only about politics, it’s also about our identities, and it has real impacts for our families and friends,” Aibel said. “Everyone here at Yale, but even beyond that, has a personal connection to this election, whether they’ve recognized it or not.” Alexandra Martinez-Garcia ’26, the director of membership and inclusion for Yale Dems, noted that as Yale Dems is a political action group, these conversations are typically centered around the political aspects of a topic. However, Martinez-Garcia emphasized that the organization had been conscious to make outright efforts to encourage its members to express their emotions and concerns. Manuneethy Anpalagan ’26, president of the Yale College Republicans, wrote in an email to the News that the majority of his club members had not appeared anxious. He noted that while the club has not hosted any meetings dedicated specifically to election anxiety, it is a space for “anyone and everyone to come in and discuss how they feel.” “I would encourage anyone going through a hard time to reach out to those resources as well as to their friends and peers,” Anpalagan said. The Good Life Center at Yale was founded in 2018. https://yaledailynews.com/ Credit to photo Ellie Park, Multimedia Managing Editor If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
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