Article by Paige Clark | Owl Staff The additional stress that student-athletes feel can push them to a breaking point. Lauren Bernett, catcher for James Madison University Dukes Softball, was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week her freshman year as well. She also made the 2020 JMU fall Dean’s List at JMU … Continue reading Taking One for the Team: The Mental Health Crisis Among College Athletes
Keeping Your Distance
Article by Britney Erb | Owl Magazine Social distancing, quarantining, self-isolation. These are concepts people around the world have been confronted with since the outbreak of the fast-spreading Coronavirus (COVID-19). Social distancing can be described as an increase in space between people, the typical number being six feet apart according to the Public Health Department … Continue reading Keeping Your Distance
The Way I Am is Different: An Alum’s Path to Advocacy
Article by Alynie Hudson | Photography by Jessica Dekhart | Owl Staff Helen Simpson, shown here with her family, proves cycles of addiction or neglect can be broken. Helen Simpson had never been more scared. After days of tearful practice, she was about to stand in front of her class and deliver a speech about … Continue reading The Way I Am is Different: An Alum’s Path to Advocacy
The Power of Music: Extending Lifetimes Beat by Beat
Article by Caroline Cooney | Photography by Kristina McComas | Owl Staff As she anxiously sits on a hard, plastic seat while she waits for Demi Lovato to come out on stage, Sarah Meyerl, HCC student, scans the sea of fans below her. For the last few months, Meyerl has anticipated this moment where she … Continue reading The Power of Music: Extending Lifetimes Beat by Beat
A Reason to Quit
Article by Kevin Griffin | Photography by John Merkel | Owl Staff I couldn’t stop crying. It was my first experience with losing a loved one. My grandfather passed away from a multitude of complications but the primary factor was lung cancer. He was only 57. Even before he passed, Mom would talk about how … Continue reading A Reason to Quit
Psychedelic Therapy: Science Meets Subculture
Article by Nick DeMent | Illustration by Caroline Cooney | Owl Staff As severe depression took over every aspect of Jaime Weinrich’s life, she lost her job and all of her interests, including her favorite pastime of horseback riding. No amount of traditional therapy could help. She tried electroconvulsive therapy twice and every available medication … Continue reading Psychedelic Therapy: Science Meets Subculture
Unplugged: Breaking Free from Social Media
Article by Holiday Hutchinson | Photography by Matt Hubbard | Owl Staff Taking a hiatus from social media was much more difficult than I imagined. This decision was the result of many months of negative self-esteem, which I soon realized had become directly correlated to the amount of time I spent scrolling through Instagram. I … Continue reading Unplugged: Breaking Free from Social Media
Center the Mind: A Wellness Upgrade at HCC
Article by Matt Hubbard | Photography by John Merkel | Owl Staff A college education comes with no small amount of stress attached. Juggling assignments, quizzes, tests, exams and what little free time may remain is a great feat in itself. The stress and anxiety caused by this academic exertion could use some relief, a … Continue reading Center the Mind: A Wellness Upgrade at HCC
Finding Light Through Darkness
Article by Oksanna Shulgach | Photography by Julia Morris | Owl Staff Depression feels like a blanket of grey clouds that refuses to let in even a sliver of light. A gloomy haze plagues my mind, making me feel like I’m not good enough. To make things worse, I have experienced a stigma in society … Continue reading Finding Light Through Darkness
Saddle Up for Stress Relief
Article by Megan Nelson | Photography by Matt Hubbard | Owl Staff Two ponies amble up to the fence, no doubt looking for treats. As part of a special program at Bay Meadow Farm in Bel Air, Maryland, they are calm and curious. They are used for equine- assisted therapy, a form of treatment that … Continue reading Saddle Up for Stress Relief