Oklahoma Institute for Duty to Journalism

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OIDJ Editor - page 14

OIDJ Editor has 309 articles published.

I shouldn’t have to say ‘I’m not white, I promise’

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By Chloe Dean I had never realized just how complicated and fragile my identity was until early this year. I am Native American, but if you walked passed me on the street you would think I was a white woman. Racial tensions are prevalent in so many lives, but they are also raging within myself. I have always been white passing and I recognize this is a privilege at times, but it is also a challenge. Being a white-passing minority shifts the outside world’s paradigm on how I should identify, but mostly it affects how I view myself. In President…

OU and Norman Public Schools offer resources to help those who suffer from abuse

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Photo by Kiami Whitfield

By Keren Florez OU and Norman Public Schools have prioritized helping victims and survivors deal with the consequences of emotional and physical abuse.  “Abuse, whether physical, emotional, verbal or sexual, can have long-term effects on your mental health,” according to a study published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in August 2018. Too often, victims of abuse are young people.  Katy Powers, who works with OU’s Behavior Intervention Team, or BIT, said OU offers many resources for those who have suffered abuse or trauma. Several campus resources are available 24 hours a day so that those who…

A perhaps unexpected source of veterans’ PTSD: Sexual assault

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Photo illustration by Rachel Barney and Rustie Anglin

By Rachel Barney Some veterans come out of the military with post-traumatic stress disorder. For nearly one in four women veterans, a source of PTSD may be sexual assault. According to the Battered Women’s Justice Project, nearly 25% of women veterans who seek health care services from the Department of Veterans Affairs remember being assaulted at least once while in the military. Victims in the military – both men and women – frequently do not report the assaults for many of the same reasons as the victims outside of the military: Embarrassment, fear or shame. The justice project notes that…

Food insecurity and Norman’s plan to handle it

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By Chloe Dean Breea Clark has already made strides for her generation by becoming the first millennial mayor in Norman, Oklahoma. But her unique approach to spreading awareness about food insecurity may be a bigger stride needed for the community. Over 55 percent of Cleveland County lives in an area with low access to food, according to the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. And Clark believes that food insecurity is a root cause of many issues. “You can’t truly be a productive citizen when you’re hungry and malnourished,” Clark said. Clark, who took office in July, wants to host themed mayoral…

Marginalizing minorities affects school environment

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Goddard Health Center on Elm Avenue is OU’s campus health clinic. Photo credit: Taylor Chase McArthur

By Taylor Chase McArthur Minority students in Oklahoma are suffering from marginalization, and it’s causing drawbacks in furthering their education according to a college official. Koretta McArthur said she often has minority students come to her with the problem of marginalization on campus. She is the University of Oklahoma’s coordinator of special events for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Price College of Business. “I have about three to four students who come each week talking about the treatment inside and out of the classroom.” McArthur said. “As a diversity officer, my job is to report and document to…

Before the test itself, a lot rides on combating test anxiety

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By Jacqueline Garcia You place your writing utensils on your desk after hours of preparing for the final exam of the semester, which will examine how much you have learned. You read through the test and notice you don’t know some of the answers. You start doubting yourself and the chances that you will perform well. Suddenly, you are sweaty, dizzy and uneasy. Welcome to test anxiety, something many students experience, according to an article from the Educational Researcher, on standardized test or just general exams. Test scores can affect the future and careers of students. For example, students taking…

Under pressure: College students find ways to deal with stress

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Alyssa Dalley-Schofield depicts signs of stress in young adults. Experts say finding good coping strategies is key, especially as people move into new stages of life. PHOTO BY BAILEY COYLE

By Bailey Coyle College can be a stressful time in a person’s life and if not handled correctly can lead to serious mental health issues, experts say.  Studies show that students are more stressed than others notice or realize. Feeling overwhelmed, sweating palms and feeling lost are just a short list of symptoms of stress reported by the American Institute of Stress. A 2018 study by Harvard Medical School examined high stress rates, mental health diagnoses and suicidal thoughts among 67,000 college students. More than 75 percent of students surveyed faced more than one stressful event as defined by the…

For women, balancing act of career and home can tax mental health

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Bella Iovieno with Norman Mayor Breea Clark. Photo by Kiami Whitfield

By Bella Iovieno For generations, women were not valued as viable workers. Their gender automatically determined their abilities. Through perseverance in the last century, women have been elevated from housewife to CEO to candidates for president – their gender no longer a measure of competency. Still, working women face many pressures including performance at work and social expectations that come with being a woman in a patriarchal society. This creates a balancing act that is an ever-present struggle for some women as they try to maintain their professionalism and home life. Balancing personal, social and professional responsibilities is something that…

Law enforcement taking steps to better meet those with mental health issues

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Members of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office attend Mental Health First Aid Training as a part of the ‘Stepping Up’ initiative. Photo credit: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office

By Michayla Tate In January 2018, a Norman man with mental illness died in police custody after being removed from medical care. Marconia Kessee displayed signs of a serious medical condition, according to media reports, yet he was still sent to jail. Kessee was unable to walk or put his shoes on, which resulted in Norman police officers dragging him across pavement. As they watched him shake and convulse, the officers did not identify his situation accurately. Efforts to eliminate such incidents between law enforcement and people who have mental illness are taking place, but as Kessee’s death shows still…

Fear of speaking in front of crowds may be a disorder

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Bailey Coyle models signs of stress and anxiety in a bathroom mirror. Photo illustration by: Alyssa Dalley-Schofield

By Alyssa Dalley-Schofield Speaking in front of a large crowd can be terrifying for some people, resulting in a fast heart rate, sweaty palms and dizziness. If you are experiencing this type of fear, you may have glossophobia, a social anxiety or social anxiety disorder — also known as the fear of public speaking. A social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition where social interactions cause irrational anxiety.   “Anxiety is about wanting to do well…. (there’s) nothing wrong with that,” said Charlotte Lankard, who helped establish the James Hall Center for Mind, Body and Spirit at Integris Hospital…

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