Around the middle of the Fall semester, Emporia State made the decision like other universities across the country to cancel spring break amid the ongoing novel coronavirus. However, in return, the spring semester was pushed back a few days in re turn for two “mental health days.”
But, how much does this actually help?
Yes, mental health days are extremely important, especially during a pandemic. However, there could have been better alternatives rather than pushing the week back and sprinkling in two mental health days for students.
First of all, thank you to Brayden Soper, Associated Student Government President, for being one of the first students to speak up and give feedback to the importance of mental health to the Fall Planning Group, now known as the Future Planning Group.
Two mental health days are better than none, right?
The point still stands: Two mental health days are not enough.
With many classes being online or hybrid, some students regularly do not have classes on certain days. Many students even still had deadlines on last Friday, March 5, or even just that weekend.
Students did not really get much of a break when they still had group meetings for classes, deadlines, or other class requirements. The decision to cancel spring break to protect students was a good choice, but more support needs to be provided to students especially at a time when so many of our normal coping mechanisms are not available to us.
Taking care of your mental health is an ongoing process and while a handful of says off can help ease the immense stress of college life in the pandemic, if we are going to succeed this semester, we have to do more than just survive it.