There have been more mass shootings this year than days — 294 tragedies in just 274 days’ time, as of Oct. 1, according to Mass Shooting Tracker.

The astounding frequency of these events makes it understandably hard to be outraged and heartbroken every time. Americans, but particularly the millennials born into the height of this phenomenon, are becoming numb to reports of gun violence.

For students especially, the pressure to stay updated on each new fact in an ongoing tragic event comes from multiple sources.

Some students take classes that require them to know what is happening in the news every week, and social media is certain to feature the opinions of friends and family on the event. Even casual conversations on campus are likely to involve some aspect of the news. Disconnecting from these sources of information may stave off some anxiety, but where should students go for guidance?

Students must make efforts to protect their mental health in the wake of national tragedies like the latest campus shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. Avoiding “breaking news” updates that sensationalize mass murder is a strategy to defend one’s psyche. Seeking counsel for difficult emotions rather than avoiding them is vital. Allowing for personal time to heal can be crucial to maintaining a healthy respect for human life — potentially reducing future gun violence events.

At SU, the Counseling Center is the most frequently suggested resource for students in a crisis. However, a significant drawback to the center is its focus on emergency-based services.

The Counseling Center, whether intentionally or not, has a reputation as an “emergency-only” facility. Students seeking advice on navigating complex emotions are told to make appointments, which are often unavailable immediately. There’s a perception that walk-in consultations are reserved solely for students on the brink of violent actions against themselves or others. These perceptions reinforce the culture of burying emotions until they boil over.

Hendricks Chapel is often overlooked as a resource for students seeking emotional comfort. Studies show that current college-aged students have been leaving churches in far greater numbers than preceding generations.

Hendricks has a central location on the Quad and is designed as a particularly accessible refuge for those grappling with emotions or overwhelmed by their classes. Gail Riina, a reverend and Lutheran Chaplain at the Chapel said Hendricks is a safe place to come for students of every religion, or no religion at all.

“[Overcoming emotional numbness] is an issue of balance, it is an issue of centering in yourself and connecting to your spiritual core, whether that’s religious in a traditional way or not,” Riina said.

Riina made it clear that the Chapel does not exist in a bubble — chaplains are aware of the educational demands placed on students at SU, but recommends distance from “the media blitz” to avoid emotional numbness.

“Distance yourself from your profession … to become all professional you lose your personhood, and you don’t want to do that,” said Riina. “If you lose who you are, if you lose that inner voice to your mind and heart, you are going to be cold.”

In times of tragedy, students must understand that it is OK to disconnect from the news and seek guidance in order to preserve one’s connection to humanity and personal mental health.

The culture of gun violence in America makes students feel like it’s a requirement to rise up in protests in order to prevent more deaths. A truly preventative position acknowledges complex emotions like grief, numbness, and confusion before they become tragedies.

Zhané Souter is a senior broadcast journalism major and forensic science minor. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at zisouter@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @zhanesouter.

Published on October 7, 2015 at 12:07 am