Sunday, May 3

Mental Health

Headphones become common tool for focus and escape on campus
5Mar trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health

Headphones become common tool for focus and escape on campus

Skylar Kirby Staff Writer Brooklyn Radar’s finishing touch in her get-ready-for- class routine is putting her headphones on. To get her mind right for chapel, she pushed play on When Wind Meets Fire, by Elevation Worship.   They stay on her head throughout the day, letting her escape from the busy college life through music.  “I’m putting my headphones on before I even walk out the door, and that goes for any time I walk out the door,” said Radar, a freshman ministry major and student athlete.  On campus, headphones have become almost as common as backpacks. Students cross the quad, maneuver through academic buildings and wait outside classrooms with headphones over their ears, seemingly tuned out from everything around them. According to the National...
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The Comfort of Knowing the Ending: Why Students Rewatch to Relax
1Mar trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health

The Comfort of Knowing the Ending: Why Students Rewatch to Relax

By Skylar Kirby Staff Writer Homework is done, and it is time to settle in for the night. “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” plays in the background before Brenna Randall closes her eyes after a busy day of classes, practices, and homework.  “The hunger games series just doesn’t get old. I’ve watched it since I was little. Plus, I already know what is going to happen so it’s an easy watch,” said Randall, a freshman nursing major and regional volleyball and track and field athlete.  After a long day of classes, chapel, practices, time with friends, and late-night studying, many Trevecca students unwind the same way. They press play on a show or movie they’ve already seen. From sitcoms to dramas, these “comfort shows” offer more than entertainment. They provide a sense of ca...
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Surrounded but Not Known: Students Confront Campus Disconnection
5Dec trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Features, Mental Health

Surrounded but Not Known: Students Confront Campus Disconnection

Lydia Chapman Senior Reporter Every morning on her way to class, Abby Ehrsam, a junior social work major, waves to people she recognizes, classmates from past semesters, faces from the dining hall, and the coffee line. They smile, exchange a quick “Hey, how are you?” and keep walking. By the end of the day, she’s talked to plenty of people, yet something still feels missing. “You just say hi to be nice,” she said. “You want someone to talk to, but you don’t want more than that.” Ehrsam calls them her “almost friends.” It’s not loneliness; instead, it’s the feeling of being connected but not close, known but not really known. For many college students, that phrase hits uncomfortably close to home. At first glance, college campuses seem like the perfect environment for c...
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Sleep deprivation common this time of year for college students
8Apr trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health

Sleep deprivation common this time of year for college students

By Keturah Tobias Staff Writer Wes Twining taking notes on his notebook.Parker Henningsen/TrevEchoes By the time Hayden Jordan is ready to go to bed after spending hours doing homework, it is already 2 a.m., and it’s time to take three melatonin gummies– four if they don’t hit hard enough. Every day college students across the country suffer from sleep deprivation. According to Shelley D. Hershner and Ronald D. Chervin, both who work in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan, about 50% of students reported daytime sleepiness, and about 70% had insufficient sleep. The impact of insufficient sleep can result in lower grade point averages, increased risk of academic failure, compromised learning, and impaired mood. Jordan, a senior and teacher’s assista...
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Trevecca’s SWEET team encourages students to take care of themselves in the midst of burnout and stress
5Apr trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health

Trevecca’s SWEET team encourages students to take care of themselves in the midst of burnout and stress

By Alana McLaughlin Staff Writer With spring break in the rearview mirror, the next several weeks of the semester can lead to stress and burnout. Trevecca’s SWEET met to discuss signs of stress and burnout, different stressors, ways to complete the stress cycle and practical ways to manage tough days. According to The American Institute of Stress, 45% of American college students report experiencing “more than average stress.” Stress, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. High stress levels in young adults can lead to anxiety, physical illness, withdrawal, aggression and substance abuse. The SWEET Team hosts Taco Tuesdays regularly throughout the school year to address different social, mental, ...
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College athletes balance mental health with load of being a student and an athlete
25Apr trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health, Sports

College athletes balance mental health with load of being a student and an athlete

By Trevor West Contributor Photo by Alayna Simons, Editor-in-Chief When Tatum Shaw, a Trevecca women's basketball player, tore tendons in her knee that kept her out of play for two years, she said one of the biggest struggles in her recovery was maintaining her mental health. “Not being able to play my sport took a huge toll on my mental health, as this was my first major injury,” she said. “It’s hard watching your team from the sidelines and trying to stay positive in an atmosphere you used to be so involved in.” Shaw said supportive friends, invested coaches and seeking help at the Trevecca counseling center all helped her rehab and both her mind and body. “I think the biggest challenge I have faced is feeling confident in my training and athleticism. Jumping back into ...
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Students navigate effects of senioritis as school year ends
11Apr trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health

Students navigate effects of senioritis as school year ends

By Lydia Chapman Contributor Brandon Mancio, a graphic design major, is navigating what he thought was a post-spring break slump, but has decided it’s likely the phenomenon known as “senioritis. “I think having senioritis in college is stressful because you are trying to figure out what you will do after college. You are about to go out into the real world, so I think there is more guilt and more pressure because you have to figure out how to be an adult,” said Mancio. According to Trevecca counselor Crayton Croan, senioritis manifests itself differently in every person, but it is a type of burnout due to prolonged stress. College seniors are trying to figure out what they want to do with their life and must navigate applying for jobs, looking for apartments, and finishing up t...
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Two rats join the community as emotional support animals
17Nov trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Campus News, Mental Health

Two rats join the community as emotional support animals

By Lindsey White Assistant Editor of Arts and Entertainment    Eleven months after seeing a TikTok that challenged her view of rats, Jessica Pointer, a junior early childhood education major, brought two rats she nicknamed “the germs” to her campus apartment as emotional support animals.       “Animals in general provide emotional support,” said Pointer. “Rats are the goofiest animals that I have ever had. They keep me laughing, and they keep me on my toes. I feel like every day they’re getting smarter and learning new things.” Photo by Miriam Rixon  Pointer is one of three students on Trevecca’s campus with an accommodation that allows them to have an emotional support animal on campus.   Higher education insti...
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<strong>Counseling Center’s tips for students struggling with seasonal depression</strong>
17Nov trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Mental Health

Counseling Center’s tips for students struggling with seasonal depression

By Abigail Allen Staff Writer Some students celebrate the chilly autumnal days with pumpkin spice lattes and chunky knit sweaters, but for students like Sydnee Pendergraff, the plummeting temperatures indicate a plummeting mood. Pendergraff, a senior at Trevecca, is one of many college students who battle depression. For her and many other students with depression, the colder months bring about a spike in depressive symptoms. “I was diagnosed with atypical depression in 2016 and later diagnosed with seasonal depression in 2019,” said Pendergraff. “As we went through my medical history, we realized I’ve had general depression since I was 9 years-old.” Seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of depression occurring during the colder months. Accord...
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New telehealth app offers free medical and mental health services to students
24Oct trevechoesonline's avatarBy trevechoesonlineNo Comments
Campus News, Mental Health

New telehealth app offers free medical and mental health services to students

By Alayna Simons Assistant News Editor The Timely Care app is an easy-access, mental health and medical help service app new to campus. Provided to Trevecca students, it is free of charge for the first 12 counseling sessions, and medical care is accessible 24/7. The app can treat a wide range of common conditions: physical conditions like the cold and other illnesses, mental health conditions like stress and anxiety, and nutrition and overall health.  The app also has the option of providing help and guidance from a health coach specializing in whatever area students are struggling in. “As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, it is a phenomenal program to have. It’s all at the tap of your phone,” said Taneisha Stephens, an intern at the counseling cent...
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