Feature Creature

Pitch 1-

This story will be about UNE’s mental health services and means of spreading wellness around campus.
The angle could be either positive or negative. The people who work to promote some of the mental health services would probably have a positive review, but students could have mixed feelings on whether they like the services provided.
I will talk to someone from the counseling service, maybe APB or someone who has hosted an event trying to aid or promote mental wellbeing, and students who have interacted with it or has opinions on the subject.

Pitch 2-

This story will be about RA appreciation, whether they feel there is too much work on their plate, if they are mistreated, and the virtues they find in their job.
The angle could likely be mixed since each RA probably has a different opinion of the job. Some may like it, or some may not and they probably receive a variety of treatment and issues based on the area they are monitoring.
I will talk to RA’s from different buildings, probably AC’s since their job is similar and they work with the RA’s closely. And probably also housing the people on the floors of the RA’s I interview.

Early Draft (200-300 words)

Mixed Opinions Among University on Mental Health Support

Students share their feelings on the University of New England’s counseling services and other wellness aids

February 23, 2025

Natalie DeGreenia

University Student

As freshly minted adults, taking on the world, life can get difficult and tiring. At the University of New England there are services offered to help combat mental health concerns among students.

One resource available is student counseling located in the Petts Health Center on campus. Director of Counseling, Laurie Cyr-Martel (she/her) says, “You may schedule an appointment by emailing, calling, or stopping by our office… As a UNE student, there is no fee for you to use the Student Counseling Center.”

The Activities Programming Board club (APB) is also working on campus wellness. Lex Piwicio, a Freshman Aquaculture, Aquarium Science, and Aquaponics major and Animal Behavior and Philosophy minor (he/him) says, “We have done a few self-care events, especially around finals and midterms.”

Kasi Carr, a Freshman Nursing major and Psychology minor (she/her) offers a commuter’s view. “Well, I know that there are free therapists… and there was a mental health week during finals last semester… I haven’t used any of it… since I’m a commuter I don’t really have a bunch of extra time to explore UNE’s mental health support.”

Developed Draft (400-500 words)

Mixed Opinions Among University on Mental Health Support

Students share their feelings on the University of New England’s counseling services and other wellness aids

February 23, 2025

Natalie DeGreenia

University Student

As freshly minted adults, taking on the world, life can get difficult and tiring. At the University of New England there are services offered to help combat mental health concerns among students.

Additionally various student teams work on campus to promote areas of wellness. Vi Afonso-Rojas, a Freshman Sustainability & Business major (she/they) works as a Peer Health Educator (PHE) saying, “We can provide one on one individual peer support… basically were underqualified therapists.” She goes on to say they also, “Do events that target physical, mental, emotional, just various areas of health… We do other group activities that foster social connection and involvement.”

Mia Estabrooks, a Freshman Biology and Global Studies major (she/her) shares a student’s opinion on the matter. “I have been going to counseling since November. It is a lot easier to access than counseling off campus.” She says the transition to college has been difficult but has found a lot of support at UNE. “I also really enjoy the events, I feel like I connect with a lot of people there.”

Britta Robinson, a Junior Neuroscience major (she/her) has a different perspective as an older student. “I honestly don’t think a lot of people are even seeking it… when you’re already overwhelmed and depressed, the last thing you need is one more hoop to jump through.” Robinson explained she knew a little of the counseling center.

Ultimately UNE has measures in place to support their students, but how effective is it and where does the charge lie when it comes to well-being around campus? Carr expresses, “I mean I think first and foremost UNE’s job is to give an education, and mental health is an important factor in getting a good education. But it’s not like UNE is solely responsible for meeting mental health needs.”

Workshop Draft (600-750 words)

Mixed Opinions Among University on Mental Health Support

Students share their feelings on the University of New England’s counseling services and other wellness aids

February 23, 2025

Natalie DeGreenia

University Student

As freshly minted adults, taking on the world, life can get difficult and tiring. The question is asked, how can colleges support their students? At the University of New England there are services offered to help combat mental health concerns among students.

Counseling is confidential, with trained professionals dedicated to helping students handle and overcome stress while at college. They can help cover topics such as anxiety, depression, adjustment to a new environment, loneliness/homesickness, alcohol/drug abuse, and most any other mental health issue.

Things credited to the PHE’s are those like pet therapy visits at the campus center, cannabis informational sessions, and contributions to the upcoming After-Hours event on February 28, 2025.

Everyone can agree college isn’t an easy ride. Support can come from many places; UNE continues to offer help where they can while students navigate their academic environment.

Revised Draft (750 Words)

Mixed Opinions Among University Students on Mental Health Support

Students share their feelings on the University of New England’s counseling services and other wellness aids

February 23, 2025

Natalie DeGreenia

University Student

One resource available is student counseling located in the Petts Health Center on the Biddeford campus, labeled building 2 on Hills Beach Rd on the official Biddeford UNE campus map. Director of Counseling, Laurie Cyr-Martel (she/her) says, “You may schedule an appointment by emailing, calling, or stopping by our office… As a UNE student, there is no fee for you to use the Student Counseling Center.”

According to Cyr-Martel, counseling is confidential, with trained professionals dedicated to helping students handle and overcome stress while at college. They can help cover topics such as anxiety, depression, adjustment to a new environment, loneliness/homesickness, alcohol/drug abuse, and most any other mental health issue.

Afonso-Rojas says, “We can provide one on one individual peer support… basically were underqualified therapists.” She goes on to say they also, “Do events that target physical, mental, emotional, just various areas of health… We do other group activities that foster social connection and involvement.”

PHEs receive an 8-module training course on crisis and behavioral intervention with a certification at the end. PHEs focus on targeting unhealthy behaviors and working sometimes one-on-one to plan and hold accountability on the issue at hand. They can also just provide support or provide a sense of inclusion on campus with providing access to resources and fun on campus events.

Things credited to the PHE’s are those like pet therapy visits at the campus center, cannabis informational sessions, and contributions to the upcoming After-Hours event on February 28, 2025.

Robbinson suggested, “I think some people would get more from just having information about health or etc. sent out in the newsletter. I know I never have time for events, but I would still like to learn!”

Workshop Experience Reflection:

I really enjoyed the workshop; it surprised me how many opinions my peers had on the topic I covered. One thing I had been worried about but did not say was that my story wasn’t super newsworthy. But my peers’ comments reassured me there was important information and they found interest in it. Some positive feedback I got was in the versatility of the quotes I had and being able to get multiple perspectives to add to the argument. One question I did have for the class is whether I handled the topic with respect since I did handle some mildly sensitive information about students on campus. It can also just be a sensitive topic, and I hoped I portrayed it in the correct light while not adding bias. Some of the suggestions I got focused on three parts of the piece. The first was adding to the nut graph, which focused on the campus counseling center, there needed to be more information about where it is, who is there, and what do they do? I plan to add more context on where the building is, and how I obtained some of my information about it to clarify. My part about the PHEs also needed more clarification. Specifically, my quote from there mentioned how the PHEs are underqualified therapists so I plan on adding another paragraph on their qualifications and what they can do about specific individual student health. The last part that needed clarification was in Robinson’s paragraph on why she didn’t find the counseling services accessible. I have another quote from her I can turn into a new paragraph to give more of her opinion on the topic. I also plan on cleaning up a few spots, like breaking up larger paragraphs, reworking the headline a little, and deleting the last paragraph to avoid summarizing too much.

Project As a Whole Reflection:

I thought this project was fun, though I was nervous about it at first. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do my topic on, but I am a PHE and we’ve been facing issues with student health on campus and trying to promote resources to help people. It was difficult to work through my drafts because I was trying to avoid making it to informational and just an ad promoting campus services. I wanted to provide context but also the opinions of those involved, which I had to search harder for than for the informational bits. It did turn out I needed more context for some of the informational stuff and my peers were satisfied with the perspectives of the students. I liked when I found myself reworking the story to clear out my bias, especially as a PHE with the inside information. I found myself laying out the quotes and adding transitional phrases and some context parts, but ultimately letting the quotes speak for themselves. I feel like I could see my perspective shifting from trying to convince the audience of something, like my biased opinion on the campus resources, and instead capturing what was actually out there and presenting the information as candidly as possible. I liked this project overall because I think it helped me learn that shift as a reporter not to give my opinion or try to inform in the way I believe but discover and present a whole well-rounded story.