Last week was national suicide prevention week. Did you have any clue?

To me, issues of mental health (including but not limited to suicide awareness) are incredibly important and dear to me. And I say this year in and year out: as a college, we do not talk about it enough. This year in particular, the silence about mental health and suicide awareness has felt incredibly loud.

The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy for anyone, especially not for people with histories of mental health issues. However, the pandemic has hit everyone hard, and it’s hit everyone – with or without mental health issues – in unique ways. No matter who you are, you are not immune to feeling overwhelmed to experiencing grief, to finding yourself struggling. We’re all weathering the same storm right now. Be compassionate with one another. Reach out to your friends and actually ask them how they’re doing. Check in with yourself. Do more for your own mental health than you ever have before and do more for others. These times are difficult and a little love can go a long way, no matter what people are facing. 

It is a privilege to have a platform, to have readers who pick up the paper or check out or website and look at what I have to say in these letters. Our staff is aware of the privilege in these pages, which you will find evident in the next three headlines. These opinion-editorial pieces cover a wide range of topics and all say important things. I highly recommend you read them. 

I also encourage you to send us your thoughts, to write me a letter, to write a reported opinion piece. These pages are for the entire Manhattan College community, so let us hear your voice. 

Sincerely,

Gabriella DePinho,

Editor-In-Chief