Mold Student Communities to Better Student Health

As I sat down in the Ridgeway commons, my college commons at Western Washington

University and the building in which the dining hall is located, I saw a familiar face. It was
someone I knew from high school. It appeared as if he had just eaten. He was carrying his
practically empty, dirtied dishes towards the exit. But about thirty seconds later he came back
through the exit, backtracked across the entire hall, got a slice of pizza, and came and sat down
with me. We chatted for a bit; its always nice to eat with others. He ate his one slice pretty
slowly, so he was finishing up just as I was finishing my meal. He probably saw me as he was
leaving, and maybe the prospect of talking with a friend made room for another slice. I mightve
done the same thing because everyone has a need for social interaction. Its healthy, and mental
and physical health is something that a lot of college students arent focusing on. Well, theyre
working hard in class, right? But are students working hard the wrong way, in detriment to their
health and academics, and what are we doing in their communities, such as college commons, to
help them be healthy?
In a 1999 mental health report, the US Surgeon General said: Americans are inundated
with messages about successin school, in a profession, in parenting, in relationshipswithout
appreciating that successful performance rests on a foundation of mental health, and the
Canadian Mental Health Association reports significant connections between mental and
physical health. Additionally, the University of Michigan reports significantly decreased
academic success in students with poor mental health and nutrition. As the mental and physical
health of students decreases, so does their academic performance.
And despite increased attention to student health in recent years, students increasingly
report barriers to socialization, exercise, and stress management. At my college commons, a

survey of freshman indicated that 73% report eating less healthy in college than high school.
Only 20% of freshman asked report exercising more in college despite 100% of freshman asked
reporting increased access to exercise equipment all while reporting their stress due to school to
be 7.5 on a point scale from 1 to 10. The pressure for success takes its toll: According to The
College Board and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, in the last decade the number of
students who believe that being financially well off is essential has gone up 12%, the number
who think they have above average emotional health has decreased by more than 10%, and the
number of young adults committing suicide has increased by 10%. The number attending college
has increased dramatically while the percentage with diagnosable mental health issues has also
increased. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports nearly 65% of students who drop-out
report mental health issues as a factor, a shocking but understandable figure considering the
pressures students report.
We increasingly pressure kids to attend college and seek a profession but dont tell them
how to be healthy while doing it. According to The Heritage Foundation, The Washington Post,
and NPR, South Koreas economy has exploded over the last 4 decades, for they have one of the
most educated workforces, a booming technology sector, and a long-time spot at the top the
education charts. They also have the highest reported school related stress. 70% of students in
South Korea say they feel guilty when taking a break from their 12-hour schoolwork days. Their
suicide rate is almost two and half times that of the US. South Korea is an extreme example of a
trend that the United States is currently undergoing increased pressure for success without
proper mental and physical health.
Yet we have need for an educated society. According to the
Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development physical health,

crime decreases, wealth distribution, and economic growth all correlate with
education. Every day in high school I walked past posters reminding me
about how the less educated have lower earnings and higher unemployment.
And the gaps are just increasing. Kids are told that college provides health
and wealth, so thats where they go. Students, including me, invest in an
education because the figures point to social and financial benefit, but what
about the other side of the coin? As students place greater emphasis on
education they divert attention from their health, which in turn decreases
academic success. Its counterproductive.
Lynn Staeheli writes about place as a social process, combining the physical and
nonphysical of different levels. My Western Washington University college commons is just that
- a place where we take our basic needs for food and human interaction and create a dining hall
filled with grub to grab and places to sit and talk with friends or gather as a group and watch the
Sunday game. Similar places across the nation are instrumental in the same processes. Paul
Heilker writes of genres as mediums through which we act or ways of being. If we apply his
conceptualization to Staehelis idea of place, then we create a genre, a place, out of the physical
and nonphysical of different levels, through which we act. We can mold action, or behavior, by
molding place. Thus by improving the composition of a place, such as my college commons, we
can improve aspects of the people who use the space, such as health. Improvements may be
subtle, but with accumulation and rippling, the effects will be will be significant. But what can be
done at my college commons?
A lot. I remember a few weeks ago I had to wait in the sandwich line for five minutes or
so to ask for an apple and a banana. I was told I had to choose one or the other. And over the last

two days, fresh fruit hasnt been restocked. Fruit and other healthy food options should be better
promoted, and nutrition facts should be clearly labeled. 7% of freshman surveyed report
investigating a club. Clubs should recruit and advertise on the bulletin boards or napkin holders,
offering niche groups for those who might feel left out elsewhere. Signs should be posted about
how sports rackets and balls are available to rent while the exercise equipment room should have
a sign or appear more welcoming for everyone to use. Only 13% of students at my commons
were aware of sport equipment rentals. 87% of freshman surveyed report that late night, which is
an after-dinner meal, attracts larger groups and social interaction than other meals likely because
all students are out of class. So, late night should have a more varied meal rotation and
prominent advertisement to foster social happenings. All of these changes promote beneficial
physical habits and socialization, fostering overall health. These suggestions require increased
engagement from the staff at my commons in addition to slight monetary costs for additional
healthy food options that could be accounted for in a slight increase in cost of board. However,
the costs would be minimal in comparison to the health benefits. One might question whether
diverting attention from academics for social happenings at academic institutions is apt because
of increased workloads in college and the existing challenge of time management, which is a
valid consideration. But focusing not only on academics but student health is the necessary and
forward-thinking response that will bring overarching benefits. Although changes may not be
drastic, we need to act and do it anyways.
We must develop communities that view and encourage mental and physical health as a
means to bolster education. As a community and as a society, we cannot continue to focus solely
on large economic and social goals while ignoring the real, often counteracting effects, that
doing so has on our youth. If we value the benefits of an educated workforce, then we must focus

on education, and we cant focus on education without focusing on our students. We can do so by
improving their communities, and we should start at my college commons.