Last year, 957 students visited Notre Dame’s University Counseling Center (UCC). Seventy-five reported previous suicide attempts, and 117 said they were engaging in self-mutilating behaviors.
Though ND’s statistics are slightly lower than the national average, it’s still shocking to think that so many of our classmates are silently suffering behind smiling faces and closed dorm room doors. In our cover story this issue, Assistant News Editor Molly Kring takes a look at how our campus culture influences — for better or worse — students struggling with depression and anxiety.
See pages 18–23 for a variety of perspectives from UCC staff, faculty, administration, rectors and afflicted students that shed light on serious mental health problems that are often stigmatized and kept silent.
Unless you’ve been quarantined to your loft with mono for the past month, chances are you’ve heard grumblings about increased underage drinking busts and public intoxication citations. From scathing newspaper editorials to enraged bloggers and heated dining hall conversations, it’s been hard to miss all of the anti-law enforcement sentiment floating around campus. But is it deserved?
After a chat with the Public Information Officer for the South Bend Police Department, Scholastic weighs in on the debate on page 10. (HINT: It’s not what you think.)
If you want to stay out of trouble, check out pages 8 and 9. Managing Editor Molly Slavin talks to ResLife and a local attorney about what to do in sticky situations both on and off campus.
Nude models bare their ... souls to Assistant Culture Editor Courtney Ball on page 13. Staff member Claire Kenney hangs out at the stadium drunk tank on page 24. And for a purely visual treat, check out some photos from recent signature dorm events on pages 16 and 17. Speaking of photos, you may have noticed in our last issue that the photos we labeled as ND vs. Michigan were really from the San Diego State game. Turns out we aren’t perfect. Who knew?
Good luck on midterms. We’ll see you after fall break. In the meantime, don’t forget to visit scholastic.nd.edu for our staff bloggers, old Gipper archives and more!
Jessica Farmwald