The Stentorian Newspaper

Tag: mental-health

  • Mediocrity is failure. And you are not mediocre.

    Mediocrity is failure. And you are not mediocre.

    (Teresa Fang/Stentorian)

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    “I’ve set myself to become the King of the Pirates, and if I die trying, then at least I tried” is one of the many great lines from “One Piece” (1999-present) I think about often. Monkey D. Luffy, a silly but optimistic boy with the ability to stretch his body like rubber, accurately captures a rather fantastical but current perspective on attaining excellence in life—if I do not excel, then why would I pursue? I would rather be unknowing than know failure.

    A few weeks ago, I received my college decisions. Now, I’ve never been the social butterfly winner of everything great and holy, but I consider myself fairly well-rounded as an applicant. Yet, when I started opening the letters, I realized that the feeling of satisfaction was very rare. In other words, the results were unexpectedly expected.

    I was mediocre.

    What does it mean to be mediocre? Merriam-Webster defines mediocre as “of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance: ordinary, so-so.” It already sucks to be called “so-so,” but even further I’d argue that the modern use of mediocrity is much simpler (and more brutal). Mediocrity is the failure to excel.

    There’s nothing wrong with being mediocre. The only problem was that my computer screen did not match my ego and pride. I felt humiliated. Let down by none other than myself. By living this day alone, I knew that other people would also be doing this, and they would ask me in return. It is embarrassing to be reluctant to reply.

    I went on spring break with my head hanging low. Upset at myself, not for being mediocre, but for feeling embarrassed to be mediocre. Is my self-esteem this fragile? That I can’t even tolerate the possibility that I may not excel at everything I do? So pathetic.

    I am pathetic, but so are most people. It’s our nature to excel because it feels good. Being handed a blue ribbon warrants us a little more pep in our step. The pleasure and glee are multiplied when we post and promote these ribbons to the rest of the world through likes, comments, and shares.

    There’s nothing wrong with being mediocre. The only problem is that we feel there is nothing worthy of celebrating in mediocrity. There’s nothing impressive about learning your way around using public transportation. Seeing zero assignments to do on Canvas. Jack Black saying “chicken jockey.” If it’s not worth celebrating, then it’s not special.

    In the same way judges rule people guilty or innocent, we deliver our own verdicts as mediocre or exceptional. In a time where anyone can easily leave a mark on the world through social media posts and 10-second shorts, being mediocre is almost like a crime (in the least flattering, least interesting way). We perceive being mediocre as an either-or option.

    The minute our binary perspectives designated ourselves as mediocre, we find ourselves stuck between judgment and self-consciousness. What value do I have if I can’t get out of here? If I’m anything but exceptional?

    Why would we be so stringent with our happiness? Leisure is frowned upon, and failure calls for punishment. We may not all be content if we had a “the great” attached to the end of our names, but there is just a big difference between being recognized and being “great-less.” It is appealing to be recognized, but there is also so much freedom abandoned in settling for mediocrity. Do we always have to excel to have value? Have we regressed enough to times when not attending an Ivy for undergrad is embarrassing rather than endearing?

    There’s nothing wrong with being mediocre. The only problem is that we believe mediocrity to be a problem. What if we expanded our narrow, binary perspective across a scale, into a spectrum? What if I valued the result not by my performance in comparison to others, but by its influence on my outlook on life? Indeed, the “oh, Yale!” and “where’s that college again?” still exist on this scale—but not necessarily at the endpoints. The value of my life is not evaluated by the decisions, but by the process. Was it a meaningful process? Did it give me joy and sometimes misery? Yes, and even if I could have done some things differently, my accomplishments are valuable experiences.

    Hence, let’s redefine mediocrity as not a failure to excel, but just one experience of many on a spectrum of a set standard. Mediocrity is not a shameful measure of performance, but a measure of meaningfulness. That way, even a poor performance, which you can consider a mediocre experience, can be a learning opportunity. These learning opportunities drive us to discover the world and society, inviting new discoveries about the world and, perhaps, ourselves. 

    What if our drive to be not mediocre is just a purpose to excel? What if we didn’t have a purpose? What if I applied to college for fun? What if all I went through in the November and December grind was to enjoy the feeling of that grind being over? What if I could laugh, be carefree, and celebrate the one single instance of confetti filling my screen? There is so much joy, happiness, satisfaction, and freedom in these experiences. 

    There is so much untouched potential in mediocrity, to be free of judgment and simply live for the experience. Rather than saying the generic “don’t be afraid of failure,” how about we recognize it as “risk failure” instead? Embrace our mediocrity, and celebrate just being able to be here.

    At the end of the day, I realize that I’d rather know failure than be unknowing.

  • Hidden Ethics of Biomedical Communication on Eating Disorders

    Hidden Ethics of Biomedical Communication on Eating Disorders

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    The name “eating disorders” (EDs) may seem straightforward, but they are one of the most misunderstood conditions. The rise of attractive, accessible social media has exposed mass populations to messages conflating the ideas of body image and health. EDs impact a broad spectrum of the population and for many different reasons and ways, making recovery complex; 1 in 11 Americans—or 28.8 million people—will develop an ED in their lifetime. For young people, 13 percent of adolescents will develop an ED by the age of 20.

    Today, a general distrust of mainstream media outlets has led the public to flock to other reliable sources, leading medical sites to skyrocket in popularity and engagement. Modern readers are obsessed with personal image, and sites have adjusted and seen a drastic rise in health facts and biomedical communication. The seriousness of possible actions and repercussions has pushed objective data-driven information to subjective opinion-based suggestions, vulnerable to dishonest and dangerous arrangements to lead to misinformation, fearmongering, and competition. Thus, it is paramount that the general public becomes aware of the avenues of language a science communication piece possesses over their subjects and readers, especially with a topic so universal and nuanced yet often overlooked as eating disorders.

    Language by the writer

    To have a context for the ethical intricacy of biomedical communication when it comes to EDs, we must first look at the basic information available to the general public on the Internet. A quick Google of one of the most prevalent eating disorders, anorexia (even so, “anorexia” is an umbrella term for other EDs), will take us to the first search result by Mayo Clinic.

    Like many informational websites, this article starts with an overview of the subject but its language regresses on the verge of being a piece of scientific writing versus giving directions as if it is the widely-accepted truth. A growing subjective language used to describe anorexia, which still is a widely-debated topic to be categorized medically, effectively freezes the process of teaching anorexia to telling readers how to see anorexics, disqualifying the root issue as how to deal with the aftermath rather than deal with how anorexia is borne in the minds of anorexics in the first place. The writers of Mayo Clinic unconsciously adopt this false essentialization of all anorexics as people who have no self-control, have unrealistic perceptions of life, have fatphobia, and starve themselves for personal validation of their self-worth.

    This is not to casually accuse Mayo Clinic of scientific misrepresentation. They are among the world’s largest and most influential medical nonprofits, rated as the No. 1 hospital in the world for the past six years in the global hospital rating. In the organization’s mission and values statement, Mayo Clinic claimed that its vision is “transforming medicine to connect and cure as the global authority in the care of serious or complex disease” (Mayo Clinic); they view success as the paradigm of scientific progress and social compassion, a representation of their patients by collaboration so close to their patients the doctors can be called patients themselves. 

    Interpretations by the reader

    As seen in Figure 1, a person with anorexia may interpret the language as hypocritical or as further justification to continue their starvation behaviors to be “better” or thinner than other anorexics for more societal attention and praise. With this article and that of other biomedical communication writers from organizations such as the National Eating Disorders Association and Healthline, the lines between objectiveness and subjectiveness are easily blurred.

    At the same time, these texts gain traction on the Internet because of their authority and wide acceptance. Articles by lesser-known professionals and experts are often buried underneath higher-standing ethos, albeit they may provide the same information about eating disorders but at a level easier to digest and understand for both general audiences and people with EDs, like citizen science.

    In a 2022 blog post on Octave, a mental health care provider-based company, author TJ Mocci explains why EDs are difficult to understand, along with suggestions on how to support people struggling with an ED. The ethos of the writer as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the logos of the broad but niche language become a powerfully visceral tool for the blog in promoting understanding in a non-triggering way; the use of targetted facts and statistics are reminiscent of active listening strategies that make an effort to understand what the other person is trying to communicate, making them feel less alone.

    In regards to research articles that describe the latest updates/breakthroughs in producing medical cures for EDs, many articles are sourced from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision, which places the majority of the symptoms of each ED on physical symptoms, remaining vague in its behavioral ones, to categorize patients. Mocci utilizes careful wording, like pronouns, and lists “common signs,” not “symptoms,” of an eating disorder to inform readers how to be good allies/supporters. These are mostly behavioral, which is less emotionally/psychologically triggering and less likely to appeal as a fairy tale weight loss story. Intentional language can address readers directly and allows for a reader with an ED to gain sympathy for third parties, who may or may not also have EDs, which in turn allows them to gain sympathy for themselves.

    Misinterpretations

    As with any piece of writing, it is impossible to avoid misinterpretations, but the writer must be especially careful when consciously choosing language and interpretation to teach science because their work is dependent upon honesty. Some articles can fulfill both obligations; Mocci’s Octave blog can both inform and generate sympathy. This article promotes a pragmatic way for individuals, families, and communities to help people with EDs recover fundamentally. Other articles may disregard language and interpretation to get their information across. The growing demand to get immediate answers at its extremes has altered people’s perceptions of honesty. Technology has superseded honesty to dangerous trust. Now, more than ever, biomedical communication must be aware of the nature of this ethic.

    An excerpt of Mayo Clinic’s article on Anorexia nervosa (Mayo Clinic, 2018) with annotations by a person with anorexia (Anna Tringale).
  • Sexual Assault on College Campuses

    Sexual Assault on College Campuses

    By Aspen Elliot / March 20, 2024
    According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while attending college. Additionally, the American Psychological Association states that part of the reason college campuses are such high-profile locations for sexual assault cases to occur is due to something called the “Red Zone.” (The Gender Policy Report)

    Mentions of sexual assault and harassment are common themes throughout the article.

    College campuses are supposed to be where lives truly begin. They are meant to be a place to learn and discover who you are as an individual, a spot to gain an education, and a home away from home for the students attending. But underneath the beautiful fantasies of college campuses, many troubling things are occurring. 

    One of the most prevalent problems that occur far too often on college campuses are sexual assault and sexual harassment incidents. Sexual assault incidents can range drastically from person to person, making it difficult to assign a singular definition to the term “sexual assault” but even though each person’s experience may differ, they are all valid and the topic needs to be addressed more to prevent it from becoming overlooked. When someone has suffered from a sexual assault experience, it immediately creates an environment where that person feels incredibly unsafe. Unfortunately, people often do not come forward about their experiences, whether that be due to their concerns about whether people will believe them, because they blame themselves, or because they are in denial about the situation. 

    While sexual assault occurs everywhere, on college campuses there is an exceptionally large issue. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while attending college. Additionally, the American Psychological Association states that part of the reason college campuses are such high-profile locations for sexual assault cases to occur is due to something called the “Red Zone.” This term refers to the first few weeks of each new school year when large amounts of events are being held on campuses, and as a result of this, the number of sexual assault cases rises during that period of time. During the “Red Zone” at the start of each school year, 50% of campus sexual assault cases occur, and students who are new to the campus are shown to be at even more risk. 

    When one thinks of sexual assault cases that they hear about in the news, the first thing coming to mind is probably going to be a rape case, and it’s likely going to be a case involving a man and a woman. However, the Office of Justice Programs states that the most commonly occurring forms of sexual assault on college campuses are unwanted sexual contact and sexual coercion. Coercion is a particularly complicated form of sexual assault. Often the victims feel as though it is partly their fault that this happened or that they’re making too big of a deal out of something because they “gave in.” No one should ever have to feel that kind of emotional turmoil and confusion in the aftermath of being a victim of assault, and it needs to be talked about more 

    Similarly, while there are forms of sexual assault that are overlooked, there are groups of people suffering from sexual assault cases that are also being overlooked. Based on the evidence provided by the American Psychological Association, gay and bisexual men reported similar rates of on-campus sexual assault as heterosexual women, and LGBTQ+ students also reported having a higher risk of sexual assault than heterosexual and cis students. 

    These facts, while extremely uncomfortable and difficult to read about, are important to be aware of, because the reality is anyone could be a victim of sexual assault, and often certain marginalized groups that deal with high rates of sexual assault get overlooked and forgotten. With all of the seniors heading to colleges across the country next year, the topic of sexual assault is so important to keep people safe and allow for the best college experience possible.