BERKELEY, Calif. – As the Fall 2021 semester draws near, UC Berkeley students are vying for the continuation of the additional mental health awareness and support provided during the throes of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“I just don’t get it,” stated Math 1B professor Byron Palady. “Classes are no longer fully online. Everything is making its way back to normal. Students’ mental health should then be on the mend too, you know? Getting back to the way they were before COVID.” He took a thoughtful pause. “I will admit, our collective experience in the pandemic kind of makes you wonder what it’s like for those that are always coping with stress external to academics.” He shrugged. “But seriously, these kids can get over their ‘depression’ now. We have indoor dining, for Christ’s sake! The world is our oyster!”
Indignant CS professor Mike Michigan also commented on the extra support instructional staff gave the past few semesters.
“I have never done so much for my students’ mental health before,” he lamented. “On all of my bCourses announcements, I graciously added, ‘I understand this is a challenging time for everyone. Stay strong.’” Michigan shook his head in disbelief. “Now they’re saying that was ‘the bare minimum?’”
He shifted in his chair, then continued.
“Life is tough, alright? But that’s just what it is. In my day, the only words I exchanged with my father were when I wouldn’t finish the bowl of plain oatmeal I had for breakfast every morning and he would shout, ‘Eat it, pig boy!’ That tough love is what made me who I am today: an insecure, angry, controlling man who would literally turn to dust if given a hug. These kids need to learn that life isn’t all about kittens and rainbows or fathers saying they’re prou—” his voice broke “ — proud of you.” He took a shaky breath. “I didn’t get any support for my mental wellbeing, and I clearly turned out just fine! So these students can deal.”
The few instructors promoting an ongoing system for students’ mental health were GSIs, who are exhausted themselves from their own workloads and the weight of carrying undergraduate classes on their backs.