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OPINION
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KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, OCT. 1, 2015
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So is the moon supposed to catch on fire or explode? Why did the Mormons have to warn that's it's not the sign of apocalypse?
Just came across a squirrel that was sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, doing its best Gandalf imitation. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!"
So many cute boys, so little time. (So little time for anything really.. sleep, eat, school, eat, homework, eat, sleep, REPEATI)
I just love "bus full"
Editor's note: Can't
have emojis in the
FFAs. Sorry :{
The crunching of leaves under my feet confirms that it's autumn and I couldn't be happier
Is it socially acceptable to carry conversations with the squirrels on campus?
I look like a chill when I eat salad. Leaf fall all over my face before it get in me mouth.
Impulsive? I have three tattoos. Before getting EACH one, I waited a full year to make sure I still liked the design. That's not impulsive.
@babylfk eats oak mites for breakfast
Shout out to Joel Gutovitz just for being able to make me laugh every day you are the real mvp
Fall break countdown: 9 days.6 Jimmy Johns orders. 2 midterms.1 mental breakdown
u-u-g-g-g-g-g-h-h-h-
h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h
I can't believe Kevin Ellis didn't screw up
Finally fall weather!!! Break out the boots and scarves and #PSL #typicalwhitegirl
Zen Zero chicken pad thai for the win
READ MORE AT KANSAN. COM
Stigma of mental illness brought on by media portrayal of 'crazy' people
JESSICA GOMEZ
@jessicataylurr
The media is responsible for creating perceptions of mental illness that we do not always see in reality. People link what they see on TV with what they hear everyday unintentionally. It's instinct. The problem is that most of the time, these assumptions and characters portrayed through media outlets are not always correct representations.
Inaccurate portraits of various societal issues are prevalent today, but unjust depictions of mental illness are not commonly talked about. People with mental illnesses are commonly shown as violent, unpredictable and incurable. These are all false accusations — leading us to believe that these people are "crazy" and won't change.
The number of students with some type of mental illness has increased because students now experience more stress than ever before. The stigma placed on people with mental problems is harsh, negative and doesn't show how these individuals feel and what they go through on a day-to-day basis.
The negative stigma makes people who have these issues scared to get help — and that contributes to the growing number of college students with mental illnesses. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 50 percent of students said their anxiety was so bad, it was hard to
succeed in academics. In addition, 1 in 3 college students have gone through prolonged periods of depression.
People with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims rather than commiters of a crime, according to the Psychiatry Department of Massachusetts General Hospital. This research contradicts the "crazy and violent" stereotype of people with mental illness. Being violent has more to do with one's background — not mental illness.
Additionally, many murder trials end with a shorter sentence for the murders because they plea mental instability. This can give people the idea that people with mental illnesses are comparable to murderers.
something else someone might say about mental illness is that it is a "phase" Mental illness is not a phase; it's a condition that people cannot control. The NAMI states the number one reason people do not get help is because of this stigma, but nobody deserves to be judged or taken lightly because others see their illness as a phase. More than 90 percent of children who commit suicide have a mental illness. If that doesn't prove it's not just a phase, nothing will.
The negative stigma on mental health issues needs to be removed from society.
As a society, education about different types of people is important. Media can distort reality and the outlook people have on others. Even if it's unintentional, it happens often.
Mental illnesses affect more people than before, and those suffering aren't crazy, but legitimately ill. Instead of promoting negative stereotypes,
the media should show more people getting treatment. It could save a life.
JESSICA GOMEZ/KANSAN
Jessica Gomez is a senior from Baldwin City studying journalism and global studies.
Ask Anissa: Am I a bad person for still loving a person who makes racist, offensive comments?
ANISSA FRITZ
@anissafritzz
Q: My boyfriend makes backhanded racist and offensive comments, and doesn't understand why that is a problem. I try to correct him when he says these things, but he says it's just me being "too politically correct." Am I bad person for still loving him and being with someone who says those things, even if I don't agree?
There are many uncomfortable situations we will encounter throughout our adult years. But hearing someone say racist or offensive comments that you know are not morally or politically correct
is one of the most uncomfortable, especially when it's said by someone you know.
First off, you are not a bad person because you openly admit that it is wrong for him to do this. This reflects well on you for having a solid moral compass and being able to identify when something is not right, even when it comes from someone whom you love. Not only do you identify it as wrong, but you have also brought it to his attention.
I would seriously reflect on your relationship with him. Sit down and have a discussion about how these comments not only hurt you, but also others who hear him. The way he treats others reflects how he treats you. If he can't respect others, regardless of
their social class or ethnicity, then tell him to at least respect you enough to stop saying these offensive comments. I believe respect is something that people must practice in all areas of their lives. Whether it's respecting friends, family, authority figures, partners or people from other cultures, it is very hard to respect one and not the other — if he lacks respect for other humans who have done absolutely nothing wrong to him, how are you going to expect him to respect you as well?
You are not a bad person for loving him because you see this as a problem and want to fix it. However, if he continues to say these derogatory comments, you have to think
about yourself and your well being. If you were to marry this person, his close mindedness could affect you as a couple. If you were to spend the rest of your life with this person, his character becomes a reflection of you. And even though you don't agree with his comments, people may assume that you do because you're married.
You must also prepare yourself to be put in uncomfortable and even dangerous situations because of the things he says. One day someone might hear him make a racial comment and decide to confront him about it, and this person may want to harm him because what your boyfriend said was offensive. You need to ask yourself if you
are willing to be with someone who would be willing to put you in those situations just because he can't keep his rude opinions to himself.
His offensive comments don't reflect badly on you as an individual — yet. Take some time to evaluate your relationship and ask yourself if you want to be with a person who is capable of not only thinking badly of others, but also verbally announcing and defending it. Problems between you and him, as well as between other people, will continue to come up as long as he insists on making these comments. Either he changes, you accept that he won't change, or you break up.
Edited by Amber Vandegrift
Prairies are an important ecosystem for Kansas
JENNY STERN
@jenlikeswhales
The last time you thought about prairies was most likely a while ago. Maybe it was in elementary school, while reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House on the Prairie." Maybe it was on your drive out to Colorado, seeing the "World's Largest Prairie Dog" sign as you pass through Oakley. However, it's about time we start thinking about prairies on a regular basis.
Prairies have a wide range of ecosystem services. To name a few: they detoxify waste, provide refuge for pollinators, protect from erosion, harbor potential alternative
In his essay titled "Why I Care About Prairies and You Should Too," Chris Helzer, ecologist and Eastern Nebraska program director for The Nature Conservancy, outlines why one should care about prairies beyond the logical reasons. Before presenting his argument, Helzer discusses the idea that people are more likely to donate money to a natural disaster close-by, rather than one on another continent.
fuel sources and produce the most breathtaking wildflowers. While these are all logical reasons to protect prairies, it often takes a more personal reason to motivate action.
When talking about his motivation for his career and pastime in prairie conservation, he referenced that he has developed a connection to prairie/grassland species in his close interaction with them.
"Not only do I know those species exist, I can also identify with them and what they're doing to survive. By becoming familiar with them, I became fond of them," he said.
University students have this same unique opportunity to connect with the prairie ecosystem and the species that inhabit them, without leaving campus. Prairie grasses formerly covered the University of Kansas. In 1932, four KU women set aside "prairie acre," a half-acre piece of land on campus to preserve the original character of the land.
Students can still visit this
tract of land, located behind Watson Library on Sunnyside Avenue. Only a 10-minute drive from campus, Free State High School has a recently restored prairie restored by efforts led by University professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Helen Alexander, Ph.D., and Free State High School Teacher Julie Schwarting.
Not only does Lawrence have opportunities for accessing prairies, Kansas as a whole has the majority of remaining prairies. North America has a long history of tall-grass prairies. According to Kindsch and Byczynski in their 2009 "Native Prairie Hay Meadows: A Landowner's Management Guide," there was once 140
million acres of tallgrass prairie in North America, however, only 4 percent of that remains
only a percent of the remains Two-thirds of that 4 percent is in Kansas. Visiting the Flint Hills or other near-by prairies is an opportunity not to be missed while at KU. It's important to take time to explore these ecosystems because they might not be here forever.
It is our responsibility as the upcoming generation, to protect these prairies. Facing threats such as conversion to agriculture, killing of prairie species, and invasive species, prairies need our support more than ever.
Jenny Stern is a senior majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Lawrence.
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