TO THE EDITOR:
I propose a fun and natural strategy that could dramatically improve the mental health of many students on campus. We need to acknowledge each other as human beings more explicitly and often. This might sound strange, but think back to your last walk through campus — there are very few smiles, many down-turned heads, and lots of seemingly unhappy people. However, I don’t think very many of us are actually unhappy; we might just not feel comfortable expressing it openly. We might also be under pressure from assessments and studies. However, while these tensions are normal and healthy, the unneeded and detrimental social tension and interpersonal division have a ready antidote. I challenge you to take on a new mindset during your daily life on campus. Simply meet a few passers-by with a friendly smile and head nod. This might sound small, but this mutual acknowledgement of humanity and scholarship will make you feel good. When my mom traveled to North Carolina from New York in the 1980s for graduate studies, she mentioned that her anxiety and stress level reduced considerably just because she felt a strong sense of campus unity and friendliness. Thus, a simple head nod and smile to a fellow student could lead the University’s atmosphere to be more positive and productive.
Robert Alfredson ’17
Physics
