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These problems are not unique to this campus, or even the school as a whole. But I spent four years here and experienced the inner workings. We need not just expanded therapy resources; we need proactive policy, structural, and curriculum changes.
SCAD (and any prestigious university) profits off its most ambitious students. There is no intervention to prevent these kids (yeah— kids) from working themselves to oblivion, or in my case, a chronic physical health condition.
Kids should not be crying in class. Kids should not be going without sleep. Kids should not need caffeine just to function. Kids should not be constantly sick.
But instead of listening to exhausted students, administration punishes them for falling asleep in class. It’s evil.
But instead of listening to exhausted students, administration punishes them for falling asleep in class. It’s evil.
I’m not saying anyone at SCAD is evil, but allowing this process to unfold every quarter without doing something about it absolutely is. I was so lucky to have professors that encouraged me to rest, but not everybody does. Even with that, look what happened! I’m a “good” case!
My humble suggestions:
-Put a cultural end to “Sleep Comes After Death.” Not just new rules.
-Train freshmen in research-based stress resilience strategies.
-Reduce curriculum.
-Loosen the attendance policy.
-Broaden classroom accommodations for mentally ill students.
-Put a cultural end to “Sleep Comes After Death.” Not just new rules.
-Train freshmen in research-based stress resilience strategies.
-Reduce curriculum.
-Loosen the attendance policy.
-Broaden classroom accommodations for mentally ill students.
For years I’ve felt shrugged off as a “bitter, disgruntled student,” and while that’s true, keep in mind:
-I got good grades
-I was employed right out of school
-I am still working full time in my industry
I am a perfect poster child SCAD grad. But at what cost?
-I got good grades
-I was employed right out of school
-I am still working full time in my industry
I am a perfect poster child SCAD grad. But at what cost?
Also, I held off on this for so long bc I have a long running friendship with SEQA. I love that department, I loved creating at the school, I love my professors, I love the students. It’s possible I’ll get blacklisted for speaking ill.
But please understand I just want the best.
But please understand I just want the best.
I want to restate how insane and disturbing it is that a school has such inhumane conditions that it is causing physical disease in its students. This should not be tolerated by anyone. It's an emergency. We have to demand stuff now.
I have Phase 2 HPA Axis dysfunction. In a biological sense, this is what your body does when it perceives famine. Metabolism slows to conserve calories and energy. Hypervigilance. Survival mode. The conditions at school made my body think it was going to die.
In a way, that's what's happening. The cultures at these schools, intentional or not, dangle "success" out of arm's reach, with total failure immediately behind. If you don't succeed, you don't eat, you don't survive. If you don't keep moving, you won't find food. Famine.
If you stay in this long enough, it becomes your body's new homeostasis. When the stressor is removed, so are the driving forces like adrenaline. What's left is no purpose- cravings for high calorie food- no energy- no pleasure- depression.
Human bodies are not mean to endure this level of stress long-term. It is a function saved for life-threatening emergencies, when survival is not possible with normal reserves.
WHY are we tolerating any social system to trigger that response on such a grand scale?
WHY are we tolerating any social system to trigger that response on such a grand scale?