Graphic by Bell Jackson By Daniel Sanders
On October 3, students met with the Falcon Facilitators team in Strong 119 to discuss the topic of how Gen Z’s mental health and education were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the packet that students were given about the issue, it states that “To better understand and support this generation, the contributing author hosted three concern-gathering forums where Gen Z students and their allies explored possible responses to the crisis. These forums encouraged participants to reflect on shared values and consider practical solutions that require collective action and compromise.”
To start the discussion, participants were asked to share their name and one word that they think describes Gen Z. Chaotic, depressed, resilient, complex and creative were all words used to describe the generation.
Four possible solutions to the problem were presented to students in the forum: building friendship bonds and expanding social and cultural opportunities, expanding college leadership to support and assist students, closing the pandemic learning gap and investing in academic excellence and seeking government assistance at national, state and local levels.
When discussing option one, students showed interest in having more cultural events on campus that would serve to bring students together and give opportunities to socialize that students missed during the pandemic. Events like SGA Karaoke and UPC Baby Goat Snuggles have been around for a while, but having more free events that students could attend without needing transportation is something that students expressed a need for.
Additionally when discussing the second option, many participants spoke about how grateful they were that Montevallo is keeping up with mental health services, especially since many similar programs across the country are being shut down.
Since option three is about closing this learning gap created by the pandemic, the need for critical thinking and accountability in students is at an all-time high. Many expressed the desire for training or workshops on life skills, like how to open a checking account or how to handle health insurance.
Lastly, the forum discussed the possibility of having more government assistance for things like textbooks and meal plans. It’s no secret that the university is cutting their budget across the board, and having extra funding from the government to keep mental health services running would be a positive.
The forum concluded with participants discussing how to implement the options discussed. An agreement was made that in future discussions about this topic, SGA and members of the faculty should be included so they can help with implementing events and workshops into campus life.
