I have a letter to the editor of the Daily Northwestern today. If I seem kind of angry, that’s because I am. Dear Editor, Today I learned that Alyssa Weaver, the Weinberg junior who passed away last week, took her own life. I didn’t know Alyssa. I could’ve, though, because she was going to move into …
Tag Archive: mental health
Nov 19 2012
Why Northwestern Needs an Orientation Program on Mental Health
A little over three years ago, I arrived at Northwestern as a freshman completely unprepared for what was about to happen.
I don’t mean the difficult academics, the new social structure, or the challenges of living away from my parents, although those certainly had a learning curve.
What I mean is the intense stress I suddenly had to deal with, the complete lack of a support system, and the shame and stigma of admitting “weakness” or “failure.”
Sep 05 2012
The Circular Logic of Internet Misogynists
Yesterday–the same day, incidentally, that I discovered that I’ve inspired my first pathetic little hate club–a blogger I respect announced that she’s taking a hiatus from blogging after enduring constant abuse and harassment for daring to be a woman with opinions on the internet. Jen McCreight wrote: I wake up every morning to abusive comments, …
Jul 30 2012
[Guest Post] Runway Rising: Perks and Challenges of a Socially Conscious Fashion Company
Hey everyone! In this guest post, my friend Danielle writes about fashion, mental health, and running a socially conscious business. To all fans and readers of Brute Reason, I am Danielle Kerani, CEO/Founder of the knit fashion company AK Kerani and a fellow student at Northwestern with Miriam. When Miriam first asked me to write …
Jun 27 2012
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the B's
A few weeks ago, our final grades for spring quarter were posted online. This usually happens on the Monday evening after the end of the quarter, and you see people posting Facebook statuses about their grades all night. I used to be one of the people who’d sit there refreshing Caesar or at least checking …
Feb 25 2012
Goodbye Lexapro
[TMI Warning] Today marks the end of an era of my life. Today I took my last dose of antidepressants, and tomorrow, for the first time in a year and a half, I will get up in the morning and (purposefully) not take that pill again. I went on Lexapro as a last resort in …
Feb 01 2012
Depressed on Shabbos
[TMI Warning] This past weekend, I participated in an overnight retreat with a Jewish education program I’m involved in called the Maimonides Leaders Fellowship. In Jewish parlance, the trip is called a shabbaton as it takes place over the weekly holiday of Shabbat (“Shabbos” is the Ashkenazi variant of the word, in case you’re confused). On …
Jan 17 2012
College Freshmen Need a Class on Mental Health
This is the second installment of my weekly column for the Daily Northwestern. Check it out in its original here. As college students, we’re intimately acquainted with stress. Everyone feels it, often on a daily basis. We juggle classes, jobs, extracurriculars and social lives, and the stress we feel means we’re pushing ourselves to succeed. …







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