Dr. Chris Siuta here at Hilbert College held a seminar last month explaining the types of mental health disorders, and methods to help students on campus that are struggling with their mental health.

Suita, Hilbert’s director of counseling, health and wellness, said athletes in particular can be under a lot of stress when it comes to playing their sport, getting homework done, and still maintaining a social life. Mental health is a major part of student athletes and includes mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, body dysmorphic, and many more.

 “Having the wellness center engaged with the student population, and that they know we are active and constantly looking for ways to help and guide throughout the semester and continue to embrace and reach the masses as much as possible because days and weeks go by quickly and you tend to forget that you’re off the radar,” said Siuta.

Siuta focused his presentation on consulting in sport psychology with many different disorders that individuals may run into. He stressed that attention and concentration and how these types of trainings and routines can help with your needs. Goal setting, confidence, motivation, and visual-motor behavior were all mentioned in regards to improving mental health as well.

Covid-19 is not going anywhere anytime soon, and changes to individuals’ everyday lives can be destructive to mental health. Not being able to socialize and live our normal lives is frustrating and mentally draining at times.

With some classes being hybrid, students tend to get in a rut. But, the Health and Wellness Center at Hilbert College is there for every student who just wants to talk Siuta said.

 “Even with just one meeting I can give a boatload of strategies to take with you to hopefully bridge the gap of whatever is occurring in your life… my services here on campus are private and confidential,” he added.

The Health and Wellness Center is always encouraging students on campus to come and talk even if it is just one time if they need someone to vent to. You can reach out to Dr. Chris Siuta by email; csiuta@hilbert.edu and make an appointment to meet up and talk.

Applications are now open for the Student Emergency Relief Fund which is offering support for students who are facing financial barriers.

The fund, which is supported by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, will assist students with a helping hand toward necessities that impact their ability to learn. This was created despite COVID hardships and is open to any Hilbert student that is looking for help with non-educated related expenses.

Jeff Papia, Vice President of Mission Integration & Campus Ministry, said that there are students that struggle being able to afford necessities that are essential toward becoming victorious scholars.

“We’re trying to assist students with food, transportation, utilities, rent or any other need that may crop up that prevents their ability to be successful here at Hilbert,” Papia said.

Students being able to receive support now is greatly important as there are many barriers that hold them back from being able to reach their full potential. This fund is unique as those that are awarded this money can use it toward weakening their financial strife.

“The emergency fund was established to assist students with things that are not related to tuition or books,” Papia said.

 Being able to get ahead on next month’s rent or not worry about bus fees can help students remain focused on their education goals.

“What we know here at Hilbert is that very often what prevents a student from being successful in the classroom often has nothing to do with the classroom. It is issues at home related to transportation, financial pressures related to rent or cost of living, childcare, those things that are sort of outside of the classroom that have a significant impact on life inside the classroom,” said Papia.

Just like many other funds, this one has a certain amount to distribute to applicants who are looking to receive help.

“There is a finite amount within the fund and for that reason we try to maximize our ability to support students by establishing a certain criteria and process to distribute the funds in the most equitable and diverse way possible,” Papia said.

Hilbert applied for this grant before the pandemic struck a year ago, only to realize how important it is now that applications are open. “The pandemic has only made so many of these emergencies more prominent and dire. It is being offered regardless of COVID-19, but because COVID is here it only makes it more necessary,” said Papia.

After a high ranking official in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration was caught on tape discussing the state’s Covid response in nursing homes politicians, Republicans and Democrats, are calling for further scrutiny and possibly even impeachment.

Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa said that she wasn’t sure what to hand over in a Department of Justice inquiry about nursing homes, because she wasn’t sure what “was going to be used against us,” allegations detailed in news reports first appearing in the New York Post.

State GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy believes what Governor Cuomo and his administration did was obstruction of justice.

“They made it about politics,” Langworthy said during a news conference at Erie County Republican Headquarters in downtown Buffalo on Friday. “These are laughable excuses. And it’s an insult to the intelligence in the integrity of 19 million New York taxpayers. He has grossly abused his power and he has destroyed the credibility and the trust of the Office of the governor. Andrew Cuomo must be prosecuted, and Andrew Cuomo must be impeached if this evidence exists. The truth is that this entire ordeal starting with that fateful executive order on March 25, was corrupt from the outset.”

A January report from the New York Attorney General’s office found preliminary information that the Department of Health had been undercounting nursing home COVID deaths, and many homes were failing to follow infectious disease control policies. In a statement, DeRosa said her comments on the conference call were about having to shift focus away from a similar request made by the State Senate, to the one made by the DOJ.

“I was explaining that when we received the DOJ inquiry, we needed to temporarily set aside the Legislature’s request to deal with the federal request first. We informed the houses of this at the time,” DeRosa said in the written statement. “We were comprehensive and transparent in our responses to the DOJ, and then had to immediately focus our resources on the second wave and vaccine rollout. As I said on a call with legislators, we could not fulfill their request as quickly as anyone would have liked. But we are committed to being better partners going forward as we share the same goal of keeping New Yorkers as healthy as possible during the pandemic.”

Inquiries and calls for action are also being taken by members of the governor’s own party as well. Tish James, a Democrat, headed the prior nursing home report in her capacity as Attorney General. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams tweeted that Cuomo’s actions are “Trump-like,” and said the governor only apologizes when he is caught. In what is the largest pushback from Democratic legislators against Cuomo, 14 Democratic State Senators, including Sen. James Skoufis, Chair of the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations, signed onto a statement calling for the rescinding of the governor’s emergency powers as they are “no longer appropriate.”

Senator Skoufis (D-39) was also on the conference call obtained by the New York Post, and DeRosa’s comments about the DOJ inquiry were in response to a question posed by Skoufis asking why it was taking so long for the Department of Health and the governor’s office to respond to a similar inquiry made by both the State Senate and Assembly.

The governor’s emergency powers are set to expire on April 30, but the coalition of Democratic senators are calling for that to happen sooner.