Real sympathy for mentally ill requires awareness, openness

As the spring semester begins, students leave the holiday warmth of their families to return to problem sets and design projects that pile up like the dead leaves that litter the quad. Less conspicuous this time of year, however, is that winter can be an especially difficult time for those with mental illnesses, a significant but often unrecognized and untreated portion of the collegiate population.University years, typically when arresting uncertainty and ambiguity proliferate, are a particularly trying time for the mentally ill. As someone who suffered from mental illness while at Rice and has friends still there with similar afflictions, I understand that the fear of stigma and even university retribution prevents many from seeking help - a dangerous prospect for youth who typically have little familial support nearby and a plethora of means by which to harm themselves. In light of this, I ask you, the reader, to resolve to develop a more authentic sympathy for the mentally sick, especially those with whom you learn and reside.