Oct 23, 2020 | OPINION | By Finn Mott | Illustration by Xixi Qin
We are college students in the midst of a pandemic, and it is easy to lose hope and motivation. The world is not OK and there is no reason that you should be expected to fight these battles all on your own.
Each and every one of us has been disrupted by the current situation. Some of you were sent home to uncertain circumstances, some were forced off campus to apartments where it does not feel safe or like home, some of you are locked in the dorms with little freedom, and some of you are stuck doing remote learning for the entire semester or year. And by no means is this a comprehensive list.
With this in mind, I am here to tell you that it is OK not to be OK. The most important thing is for you to recognize the emotions you may be feeling. Mental or physical, your pain is valid.
If you are struggling, please reach out to a friend, a professor, or a counselor to get help. Find something that keeps you going, whether that is rock climbing at the Colorado College climbing gym, painting watercolors, or the leftover slice of pizza you have buried deep in your fridge. It is vital that you keep going.
Discover something that grounds you, even when times could never be less certain. This could be just getting a cup of coffee each day or going on a walk. Only you decide how you are going to react and grow from these adversities, and you have a tremendous opportunity to vote for your future.
In the next day, take some time to yourself that you have not been allowing yourself to have. Think about all of the little things that you are grateful for, and please know that we are all here to help you get through this. Your voice and your story matters. Do not let anybody or anything take your life away from you because the world and this college needs to hear you.