Although it has been going on for about three years, the war onterror fills the news every night and affects students on a dailybasis. Whether students are serving in combat or constantly seeingit in the media, the war is a pervasive element in society.
David Hayes, a clinical psychologist at the Student HealthCenter, said with people constantly talking about it, the war is anational stress. He said national stress combined with personalstress results in unique reactions.
Hayes said students view the war in many ways. He said theycould see it as an event to intellectually debate or a tragedybecause someone they care about could be fighting in the war.
Heidi Fontenot, a kinesiology sophomore, and Stu King, akinesiology junior, said the war does not affect them. They saidthey only worry about the safety of their friends who are fightingin the war.
Hayes said the war has different symbolic meanings for students.He said their symbolic meanings of the war coupled with theirhistory of stress results in different responses.
Hayes said students manage stress differently, which causes thedifferent reactions from students.
Sheena Evans, a psychology junior, said she tries not to thinkabout the war. She said she is saddened by the many innocent peoplefighting for other countries’ concerns.
Contrary to Evans, Justin Becnel, a criminology senior, said heis affected daily by the war. He said the war puts his troublesinto perspective.
“The war grounds me,” Becnel said. He said hisproblems do not seem as bad when he reads about the many people hisage fighting in the war.
Hayes said students must find concrete, immediate threats to beafraid of, instead of imagined threats. Students must put aboundary around emotionally charged problems and deal with them bytalking with others, he said.
Hayes thinks students’ minds are more free of clutter thanolder people. He said students are more eager to talk about, defineand articulate their feelings about the war, which makes theircollective response different from the rest of the country.
The Student Health Center does not have specific counseling forstudent stresses concerning war, but students can go to the centerand be counseled on any subject.