For each other.

When I needed help, everyone I interacted with was perfectly competent. However, I know that my experience is not the norm. I have friends who have not come close to having their needs met within the framework promised by the university.

I have had fine experiences with Yale Mental Health and Counseling. When I needed help, everyone I interacted with was perfectly competent. However, I know that my experience is not the norm. I have friends who have not come close to having their needs met within the framework promised by Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

When I tried to get matched with a therapist at Mental Health and Counseling my first year It took months to get an appointment, and when I finally did, I felt like every session was encouraging me out the door faster.

When I tried to get matched with a therapist at Mental Health and Counseling my first year It took months to get an appointment, and when I finally did, I felt like every session was encouraging me out the door faster. Eventually, my doctor asked if I was ready to Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

In my experience, not having to contribute to the SIC freed me to pursue the extracurricular activities I was passionate about, like rock climbing and Splash, and gave me breathing room in my schedule to get my schoolwork done and excel in my classes.

You don’t need to look just at Yale to see that the current pandemic is disproportionately impacting minority and lower income populations. When we get back to school there’s no doubt that this result will only deepen inequity among students. Measures like the elimination of the SIC are just some Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

I remember asking for a queer woman of color at my intake appointment and the person laughed. It’s exhausting to explain to someone who doesn’t understand your experience why your mental health is the way it is; relationships with therapists often take years to build.

I remember asking for a queer woman of color at my intake appointment and the person laughed. It’s exhausting to explain to someone who doesn’t understand your experience why your mental health is the way it is; relationships with therapists often take years to build. Yale, like the neoliberal university Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

In the midst of sacrificing everything just to stay afloat, many FGLI students cannot find the time to reflect on what they feel is worth living for. The day, week, and sometimes month long wait times these students experience before getting therapy for these feelings is yet another snippet of proof that showcases that Yale was designed to keep low-income students struggling much more than their wealthier counterparts.

As someone that is fortunate enough to have parents who can afford to cover my student income contribution, I have seen a notable difference between my life and the lives of my close friends who do not share that same privilege. When I am scrolling through Facebook to find college Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

As I reflect on the end of my time at Yale, especially my last few months in quarantine, it was my connections with a wide variety of student groups and communities that carried me through. In New Haven, I barely had enough time for those activities and my classes. If I had needed to pay the SIC, it would have been impossible for me to participate in all those communities.

As I reflect on the end of my time at Yale, especially my last few months in quarantine, it was my connections with a wide variety of student groups and communities that carried me through. In New Haven, I barely had enough time for those activities and my classes. If Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

I’ve heard a lot of horror stories of people going in for evaluations, and then they have to wait for weeks or even months to hear back about whether they had been assigned a therapist. That happened to me: I went in for an evaluation and never got any word back.

I’ve heard a lot of horror stories of people going in for evaluations, and then they have to wait for weeks or even months to hear back about whether they had been assigned a therapist. That happened to me: I went in for an evaluation and never got any word Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

After we went remote, I was paid less than I would have been for my spring semester work, and lost the paid opportunities for commencement and this summer. Now, my savings account has… no savings. Any money I do have saved will be paid to Yale’s SIC or summer income contribution, instead of a post-grad opportunity or any contingency plan in deferring next semester.

Before COVID-19 changed my plans, I was going to use this spring and summer as an opportunity to save money. These are the last few months before my senior year, and my on-campus jobs, commencement job, and work plans for summer were all going to add money into my savings Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

Beyond classes, slower internet also meant that my work as a CS major was stifled because online resources had a harder time loading. If the SIC were eliminated (including the non-billed portion), a stipend would’ve perhaps allowed us to afford because internet which would’ve helped alleviate these challenges.

During the rest of the spring semester as classes online, me and my housemates who remained off-campus in New Haven (and are each on financial aid) faced several resource-related barriers in our attempts to keep up with our schoolwork. Being forced to only use our personal wifi for virtual classes, Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

With my free time I’ve been able to pick up memberships in multiple clubs, including Yale Dems, First Years in Service, and Club Running. I can’t say the same for some of my friends who have had to balance the rigor of a Yale course load with the extracurricular and social challenges that come with acclimating to a place with as many opportunities as Yale.

The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated and accentuated the societal inequalities that exist in our communities and Yale is no exception. I’m fortunate enough to not have been greatly affected by the crisis, neither economically nor socially. During my time at Yale, I have not had to worry about sending money Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago