Megan Orth
News travels extremely fast around college campuses, especially with the widespread use of social media like Facebook and Twitter. News of Professor John McCarthy’s breakdown during class two weeks ago was no exception to this, as it traveled between students at an alarming rate and in an alarming way with taunts and jokes made at the professor’s expense. Countless Spartans were saddened by the reactions and felt the event should have been treated with sensitivity and empathy for a man struggling with an apparent serious mental health challenge. As a result, many people across campus welcomed the dignified and impassioned response in the State News written by MSU alumnus Aaron Schafer.
Schafer lauds McCarthy as “one of the single most influential professors” he had while at MSU. He implores Spartan Nation to move forward from this event with positivity by opening up to friends, embracing the struggles of others, and starting a “vulnerable revolution” that teaches all of us that we never know what battles others are facing, and we must treat each other with sensitivity and kindness.
These views, as expressed by Schafer, are shared by the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities. The mission of RCPD is to provide opportunities and spread awareness about the abilities of people with disabilities; we believe it is important to increase knowledge, compassion, and understanding about mental illness in order to remove stigma and move forward with empathy in society.
In the words of RCPD Director Michael Hudson, “Any of us can find ourselves or a loved one in the center of a serious or life changing disability whether acute or prolonged. The way we choose to embrace this as a natural part of the complex human experience speaks directly to the fabric of our community. I remain hopeful that the initial feelings of surprise, humor, or personal embarrassment can be quickly surmounted and a network of thoughtful embrace for those in crisis quickly assembled. Life delivers all sorts of surprises and at MSU we are striving to help people move ahead and reach their fullest potential even when those challenges become crises or outwardly visible. Please join the RCPD in fostering a supportive community, centering on personal strengths and abilities and embracing the talents of all.”
To read the full article by Aaron Schafer from the State News, click on the following link:
http://statenews.com/article/2012/10/positives-found-in-professors-ordeal
Other MSU students and faculty have rallied behind Professor McCarthy and offered their own experiences with mental illness, already embarking on Schafer’s vision of a “vulnerable revolution”.
Sophomore Ian Kullgren shares his experience with ADD and the life-changing help that the Counseling Center was able to give him:
http://statenews.com/article/2012/10/mental-illness-no-laughing-matter
Lyman Briggs Professor Robert LaDuca offers his own perspective of what it is like to live with depression and asks students, “if you’re seeing someone struggle — try to touch into that sense of empathy”: