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06
OPINION
KANSAN.COM
LIVES FROM PAGE 05
and Melody Henning. They are exceptional people with integrity.
"To be exceptional," however, "is often to be lonely." I would also say that it is a health hazard when an environment is toxic. Before preparing for the discussion, I saw these same exceptional, brilliant people teary-eyed, fatigued, anxious, and depressed. In addition to finding a way to "get it together" in time for the forum, they also had to put on their brave faces as orientation facilitators. They smile and laugh through the pain as predominantly white freshmen and their families smile and laugh with them, clueless and unassuming of their lives beyond that particular moment. Imagine how damaging it is to routinely be alone in your fight for equity and inclusion, ignored or reprimanded by your boss and peers for doing the right thing, and still expected to go about your day as if nothing has happened. You are in the twilight zone, routinely asking yourself, 'Am I crazy?'
On top of asking if "black lives matter" at KU, I also asked myself if I was crazy. How is it that the
majority are not affected by seeing black people be murdered every week? How am I expected to attend class, study and ace exams when I'm constantly reminded that I can be murdered for eating Skittles, wearing hoodies, swimming, driving, asking for help, playing in the park, breathing, shopping, minding my own business or going to church? Is it normal for me and other affected students to greet each other with weary faces, tense nerves, and cynical comments about how we're next? Where do I look for support, if my natural allies themselves are too weary, if my administrators are too afraid of political fallout, if my professors and University employees are intimidated by potential backlash or accusations of "favoritism"? What if this stress is building off of unaddressed trauma, from being kicked out of a historically white fraternity house for not being a "pretty white girl" to seeing resident assistants laugh and do nothing when I see "f** n***ers, feed n***ers, and kill n***ers" on a floormate's calendar in the dorms? When I'm expressing my fears and concerns, why are they dismissed by demanding that I remember that
"Jayhawks come from all different backgrounds and some of them have never interacted with black people before coming to KU"? Why are those threatening that I be lynched on YikYak never told "racism is not tolerated here"? How am I supposed to feel when I hear rumors that an administrator supposedly shot down a suggestion for increasing black student enrollment by claiming an increased presence would drive "white Johnson County students away"? All of these are suggestions that affirm that indeed "black lives don't matter" here.
Chancellor Gray-Little has expressed that we seek help through counseling services at Watkins to get through our stress. Under-resourced, underpaid, and hyper-stressed staff do not make it an ideal space for all Jayhawks, but the lack of ethnic and racial diversity makes it especially daunting for students of color to seek services to discuss mental health, racism and trauma. When I brought this up to the Chancellor, she noted that if a white psychologist can do their job competently, they should be able to work with any student regardless of race and ethnicity. This is no solace
for the many students of color who have already been dismissed by their professors, staff members, peers, and administrators; why should they be forced to automatically put their faith in folks who may not have specific training in addressing trauma from racism? If the University community chiseled through that trust PR disaster after PR disaster, from #rockchalkinvisiblehawk to #imnotpaco, how can we consider presenting our most vulnerable presents to those who may chisel at what is left of us? Will my campus, its black students and their allies drop dead from stress, killing us with its own handcrafted bullet?
I don't know how many black students KU lost this year due to its failure to address anti-black racism within and outside its campus, and following that, our collective mental health. After #rockchalkinvisiblehawk and #imnotpaco, the PR threat pushed KU administrators to act. This op-ed may encourage action, or it may be ignored — another suggestion that affirms "black lives don't matter."
To those who want to prevent KU from depleting its black student population, and people of color at
large, I encourage you to give your stressed peers a hand. Address injustice on campus wherever you see it; do not leave the aggrieved population to be the sole group pained by police brutality, xenophobia, Islamophobia and transphobia; and motivate your respective departments and centers to push forward reform from within. Write your statements of support to students, facilitate your own workshops or forums, and reach out to campus community members in your own spaces. Visibly and vocally maintain that we matter, put your support behind efforts to increase funding for psychological services and retention programs, and treat us like we exist, rather than invisible exotic monsters. That lends to a more productive, healthy campus community and the that, yes, "bla
Cassandra Osei is a 2015 graduate from Shawnee majoring in history and Latin American and Caribbean studies. She is also a recipient of the Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award.
Women need to practice strength training
Whether we want to admit it or not, bikini season is here. It came out of nowhere and hit us like a truck, leaving us with regret over the decision to hit the sheets with Netflix
instead of the gym.
Luckily, there are multiple types of workouts one can choose from between cardio and strength to help solve this problem. But many women stay away from lifting weights because they think doing so will give them a bulkier build. This is entirely a myth.
Only about 20 percent of women practice strength training every week even though lifting just twice a week can reduce body fat by 3 percent in 10 weeks, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Strength training burns more calories because they will continue to burn off after the workout.
A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that if you do an hour of strength training,you burn an additional 100 calories the following day.
An article on Healthline explains how adding weights to your exercise routines benefits you in a variety of ways. Strength training creates and preserves muscle mass. As women grow older, their percentage of body fat increases if they don't keep creating muscle. Lifting reduces the risk of many issues, such as osteoporosis and future injuries. Making lifting weights a routine slows down bone deterioration and makes them stronger while increasing your
balance and coordination, which is crucial as you age.
According to the Women's Heart Foundation, because women have high levels of estrogen it is difficult to become overly muscular. Something that often gets overlooked is the importance and impact of diet. The word "diet" doesn't necessarily mean juicing or no carbs; it relates more to your eating habits and schedule. Consuming higher levels of protein is what builds muscle.
An article on Breaking Muscle states protein is the most important factor in maintaining lean muscle mass. Eating on a college budget is difficult but can be done. I know
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how hard it is to stay away from Burger Stand and Pizza Shuttle, but there are alternatives. You can exchange beef for turkey at Burger Stand for free.
The idea that lifting weights will automatically make women bulky is a lie, so grab some dumbbells and work toward a healthier lifestyle without the fear of looking like the Hulk in a few weeks.
- Jessica Gomez is a senior from Baldwin City studying journalism and global studies.