Starting a dialogue on mental health requires patience to grasp at what is elusive and acceptance of the impossibility of capturing every nuance of stress, addiction and trauma.

Trust me when I say this; we should all be seeing a therapist.

How is a freshman supposed to make sense of all the tragedy that has struck Penn? And how can they ensure that they will be immune to the mental health issues that plague its campus?

Mental health may be a general term, but in reality, it looks so different to so many different people, especially to various communities and cultural groups on campus.

The first step to solving any problem is acknowledging that there is one. 

Administrators have a standard process to follow after any student death, but student accounts show that there are instances where Penn does not, or is unable to, follow this protocol.

Approximately 15 percent of all students who visit CAPS are referred to an outside provider, but many feel like they don't have a choice when it comes to pushing back against this process. 

But I do think we can always try to do more in our everyday lives to just be kind to one another. It doesn’t cost any time or energy to smile at the person walking into Van Pelt as you’re walking out. No one will ever be worse off if you tell your friends you love them just a little more often. Ask a friend how they’re doing. You may not know it, but that person might breathe a whole lot easier because of you.

For the fourth time this season Penn men's soccer found itself in a 2-1 contest, and for the fourth time this season Penn was the team with one.

For a number of former Penn student-athletes, however, the most difficult move of their lives often ends up being the most necessary one. And while starting their next chapters after leaving Penn varsity teams provides former Quakers with major fulfillments in their own right, the sports world’s unique thrills of competition, triumphs and camaraderie often prove difficult to replace.

Positive self-talk. Relaxation. These are skills that seem imperative to get through collegiate life, let alone life as a college athlete. This is exactly what all three men stressed: how important it is to translate these skills off the field, and how crucial it is for those not competing in Division I athletics to execute these mental skills as well.

This one had it all—four first half turnovers, two blocked punts, two missed field goals, and injuries to junior running back Jake Klaus and junior wide receiver Aiden Kelly. But through it all, Penn sprint football punched its ticket to the Collegiate Sprint Football League championship, defeating Navy 28-23.

“It is important that the death be addressed openly and directly. After a suicide, once the basic facts are known, any attempt to delay informing students will only encourage rumors.”

A DPS administrator said students attending off-campus social events is not a concerning security issue because these venues have regulations that students must comply with. 

“I tend to think that there’s some value in leaders accepting their own vulnerability. That’s how you form a connection to other people, and maybe that’s how you offer support.”

SARAH KHAN is a College freshman from Lynn Haven, Fla.

On Oct. 16, a woman reported that she was near 34th and Spruce Streets when a person exposed himself to her.