Last Days

With only a few weeks left before this academic year comes to a close, I can feel the vibe on campus begin to shift. 

This is part of the circular ebb and flow of life within an academic institution. Kept on task by an invisible institutional metronome, every September tumbles toward June at a reassuring clip. Each term has its own distinctive feel. And each year, the process begins anew.

But this year, a collective exhaustion seems to have seeped into our bones. Sure, "prom-posals" still bring cheers from nearby onlookers. Seniors proudly don their new college swag. Final art projects are now on display. But the toll of the pandemic remains beneath our weary end-of-year smiles. 2020-21 has been a haul.

Among the many lessons learned during this unusual year, the critical role of tending to one's mental health may be among the most important....

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close