I really, honestly do not want to see another email from the University talking about mental health until they increase the budget of CAPS and hire more counselors.

The email sent out on Friday February 20th that introduced Kognito, a mental health online training website, is yet another band-aid to a problem they haven’t solved. As students we do not schedule break downs or mental health needs. When my grandmother went into a coma during my freshman year, CAPS told me I would need to wait four weeks to see a counselor unless I felt like this was truly an emergency – four weeks out being finals week of spring term, and I decided not to book an appointment because it felt useless. My grades tanked and I struggled to get my footing after she passed a few days later. I’m very lucky to have family and friends who were willing to listen, cry with me, and offer encouraging words. Being able to see CAPS that week could have changed the rest of that term and the following summer for me.

Many friends have had this same complaint after trying to make a single-session counseling appointment but being turned away by the next available appointment being three to five weeks out. We all feel as though OSU continues to put misguided effort towards a subject they claim to care so deeply about. I hope I’m wrong, but please, no more “it’s all on you” emails.

Sierra Hosea

Earth Sciences major