"I don't feel like there is enough awareness about eating disorders." - PZ '22
Students struggling with their relationship with food and their body have expressed that they feel alone and unsupported. Hosting speakers on campus gives students the tools to help foster a supportive networks, build resilience social pressures, and support community wellbeing. We were inspired by the work of Alaina Neuburger who brought a myriad of speakers during the 2021-2022 school year. We are currently working to coordinate peer-support workshops in the fall and a speaker series this coming spring. Recordings of previous workshops can be found on Alaina Neuburger's Youtube Channel and on this site's expert page.
Students need to be supported from the moment they arrive on campus. When transitioning to college students are met with a new set of responsibilities and agency. At the same time, students' eating routine and access to food changes. This transitionary period can easily lack structure, cause stress, and put people at risk of developing harmful relationships with their body and food. Because of this, it is our long-term goal to have guest lecturers be incorporated into each school's orientation. Orientation provides a unique opportunity to connect with a captive audience of new students to promote positive cultural norms and give students the tools they need to successfully navigate life on campus.