Author: Christian Morales
At Occidental there is a strong focus on creating a culture in which students can thrive and learn from one another. Creating opportunities to see things through different lenses and gain new insights enables the Occidental community to become a stronger support system for individuals of all diverse backgrounds. Yet one area of diversity that seems to be missing or minimized at Occidental is raising awareness about individuals who have the additional challenge of managing chronic health disorders.
In addition to coping with all of the complexities and challenges of being a college student, individuals with chronic health disorders also have to be highly vigilant with everyday duties like monitoring vital signs, taking medications and scheduling medical appointments. There is also the pressure of being accepted for who you are, balanced with the fear of being ostracized for not fitting the profile of a stereotypical healthy college student. As a result, individuals with chronic health disorders struggle to create an identity that is independent from their disorder.
The lack of student exposure and advocacy from the Emmons Student Wellness Center continues to exacerbate the problem. Yes, Emmons provides medical services to students such as “outpatient diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses and injuries, clinical laboratory services and health education.” But Occidental students lead none of these services, and they are poorly advertised. Students who have to deal with chronic health disorders on a daily basis have the potential to become targets for physical and mental harassment, and creation of a student-led club for those living with chronic health disorders would enable these students to organize group therapy sessions and casual get-togethers, and ultimately to feel comfortable and be more willing to share their obstacles and triumphs with the Occidental community.
As an individual living with a chronic health disorder, I believe it is essential for Occidental to create a long-standing support system on campus. If Occidental did this, it would encourage all students to further explore, challenge and embrace differences at a heightened level.
Recent events confirm what is possible here at Occidental with regard to disease awareness. In the spring of 2010, the women’s lacrosse team played the Purple Game in honor of Lauren Wemple ’13. Lauren Wemple was recognized for her contributions as an athlete and for overcoming the challenges of having epilepsy.
In the fall of 2013, the women’s soccer team partnered with the Global Genes Project, an organization that aspires to educate society about the multitude of chronic health disorders individuals live with to advocate and create a greater awareness amongst students.
The fact that these events took place presents a hopeful future but also highlights the need to create a student-run disease awareness organization on campus. The time has come for the creation of a club that will bring students who have chronic health disorders together to educate and increase the level of understanding. The creation of such an organization could allow the Occidental community and the student body to further support, understand and respect individuals that live with chronic health disorders. Such an organization would reflect Occidental’s promise to enhance the student’s education through “the fulfillment of individual aspirations and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good.”
Ignorance breeds contempt; people fear the unknown, and the unknown is anything but the norm. Perhaps the time has come for the Occidental community and administration to champion a campaign to enlighten all students. The creation of a student-run chronic health disorder support system would empower all individuals, not just those with chronic health disorders, to share their stories, enrich our school with awareness and explore the opportunities that Occidental has to offer.
Christian Morales is an undeclared sophomore. He can be reached at cmorales@oxy.edu or on Twitter at @WklyCMorales.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
