Depression is an uncomfortable topic to talk about, especially for college students. Even when there are symptoms of depression, it is hard for someone to come to the reality of possibly being depressed.

According to the editor of The Conversation, Beth Daley, “One in five college students have anxiety or depression.”
UW Oshkosh enrolls about 14,000 students, so approximately 2,800 college students a year can be suffering without notice.

Depression for students is correlated with winter months. As winter approaches, it is especially important for UWO to restructure their counseling and extracurricular activity spending in order to get as many students involved as possible.

UWO spends a large amount of money on counseling services which is not utilized to its best potential. It is most important to keep students involved around campus, especially during the cold months of the year when most students are not as active and more prone to becoming depressed. This could improve the overall mental health of our student body and save the university some money as well.

The university should utilize the Rec Plex in the winter by creating more intramural sporting leagues such as flag football, softball, soccer and lacrosse.

Additionally, intramural basketball and volleyball leagues should have longer seasons and more games. Exercise is a key factor, not only for physical health, but mental health as well.

Implementing more intramural sporting events is an awesome, affordable option for the university to offer in order to get more students up and active during the winter time.

For other activities not related to sports, the campus can establish a variety of different clubs including cultural, academic and art clubs. The Titan Underground in Reeve Union, which many students are unaware of because of the lack of events there, would be a great place for these activities.

It is scientifically proven that becoming more involved in your community leads to new friendships, improvement in self-esteem and keeps stress levels at a minimum. Stimulating student involvement by creating cost-effective events around campus during the winter months of the school year will help eliminate depression problems within the student population at UWO.