Sarina Simpson

When I asked my friends on my floor where the Counseling Center was many responses were along the lines of “In Perkins, right?.” Others I spoke with, however, were familiar with the space above UD’s student center. To these individuals, I posed the question, “Were you embarrassed to walk up the stairs?” Their responses were consistent with how I felt when I made the trek up those floating stairs for the first time. One individual said, “I was not ashamed to walk up the stairs because I have gotten help before. But, I couldn’t help but think about people who are less secure in whatever problems they have going on and how they would feel”. The stairs are not only within view of the Dunkin Donuts and a room full of couches frequented by students, but they are also surrounded by glass, so that students on the outside can watch their peers make the step towards getting help. Once a person makes that courageous trip, they are met with a row of cubicles, and wait, often for up to an hour, in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows, where you are again viewed by others. Moreover, the offices have no windows and the walls consist of white cinder blocks. Going up those stairs can be daunting enough, but being in an environment that puts you on display and resembles a high school classroom can deter students from wanting to open up and may make them feel less comfortable in a space that should feel safe and welcoming. 

Furthermore, while Perkins is less than a one minute walk from our home, I can not help but acknowledge the students who live on North Campus. In my interviews, I asked if people would feel less motivated to get help if they lived a thirty minute walk from the counseling center. My floormate met this question with a response that I, and many others, can relate to. She explained that “If I’m not doing well, I sometimes convince myself that because I am in a better spot than I once was, I am doing just fine. If I lived on North, I feel like it would be even easier to justify not getting help with statements like this. Perkins being so close makes it easier for me to disregard thoughts like ‘I’m doing fine’, because I think, ‘It’s right there, I might as well go’”. Living on North Campus can potentially make one feel as though getting help is too much of an inconvenience due to the lengthy walk one has to make. Why is there not another center in North Campus, or in a closer location like Trabant? Did UD consider this, and if so did they feel as though financing this would be too much of a hassle? 

It is appreciable that health services are provided by the school, however, the price of our tuition is too exorbitant to have an unwelcoming mental health center that is so far from such a large portion of the student body.