 There was a year of my life where I couldn’t eat or sleep. I was throwing up almost every day, falling behind in my schoolwork, and spending my free time alone. Something was wrong, but it took me a long time to admit it. Later, my doctor diagnosed me with severe depression and anxiety. It didn’t sound right when she said it. I had Jesus in my life; wasn’t that enough? He was - and is - everything to me. I lived and breathed Jesus; I didn’t think I should struggle to be happy. One in five young people have a mental illness like me, but all young people can have lapses in their mental health (Mental Disorders, 2020). Spirituality can be very important to good mental health, but poor mental health can also be damaging to spirituality. I found that accepting the help around me was just as important as praying without ceasing. God has remained my rock, but there have been times when I couldn’t hear Him clearly enough through the clouds in my mind. When I went undiagnosed and untreated, I became distant from everyone important, even God. Sometimes, things would get bad enough that I would stop feeling anything at all, and everything would be a haze. Becoming numb to emotion made reaching out to God all the more difficult. My godly Seventh-day Adventist therapist once said this to me: “Sometimes God works miracles, but often He doesn’t, and then we have to work with what we’ve got.” I realized that I’d been feeling guilty for the condition I was in, like I was wrong for struggling. I broke down and cried good, cathartic tears. I’d been asking God for help and expecting instant relief instead of accepting the professionals He placed in my path. It would have helped me to understand sooner that I wasn’t ungrateful; I was sick. I wasn’t a bad Christian or not praying hard enough. I struggled with my mental health because of a genetic chemical imbalance in my brain. There was a Sabbath after I started getting the help that I needed that I sat in church feeling like the clouds were finally clearing. It was like being a kid again: suddenly, I could pray without feeling quite so distant and worthless. Faith is a fight, and having poor mental health makes the fight just that much harder. God is healing me, but He’s using people and medicine to do it. -Anonymous Campion Student Work Cited: “Mental Disorders.” Teen Mental Health, 2020, teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/.
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The Union College Road Show came for the day on February 20 to give students a taste of what college is like. Three professors and two other Union representatives were able to spend time with students and answer their many questions. A senior at Campion, Cade Lukens, shared, “The Union College Road Show helped me to understand that even though college is scary, God will be with us every step of the way.”
The day started at 7:00 a.m. with freshmen and sophomores going to four different breakouts of their choice. The breakouts were literature, graphic design, humanities, and science. Everyone came together for lunch and ate Chipotle provided by Union. After lunch, the students went to the gym and played bubble soccer. Benjamin Maxson, a junior at Campion shared, “Bubble soccer was a great time to bond with friends. My team was put together very last minute but we still got second place. It was super fun to watch and even more fun to play.” After soccer finished it was the juniors and seniors turn to do the breakout sessions. Students got to talk about possible career fields, get a little taste of what college classes are like, and ask the many questions on their minds. The Chaplain at Campion, Wendy Eickmann said, “What an awesome opportunity for Campion students.” Nolan Eickmann, guest contributor with Megan Michalenko  I was sitting on the floor crying harder than I’ve ever cried before. I couldn’t breathe and I felt so much pain. Everywhere. I had never experienced this type of pain before. Pain that was not just all over my body but was inside of me. I felt like I couldn’t move; I couldn’t get up. Why is this happening to me? Why are they doing this to me? Why are they saying these things about me? What’s wrong with me? All these questions and more could not leave my mind. And the worst part of it all? I felt like I had no one: no one I could talk to, no one I could ask for help. The tears kept coming like a waterfall, and it kept getting worse and worse. I tried to keep quiet so no one would hear me. I looked up and prayed, “What did I do wrong, God?”
Another student, who I had considered a friend, had been making repeated negative remarks about me, both to my face and behind my back. My best friends didn’t stand up for me, in fact they seemed to take his side. Bullying is no joke. It can be anything from as little as an off-hand remark to as big as physically hurting someone. Anything repeatedly said or done to make someone feel less of themselves is bullying. Every morning was a struggle to get out of bed. My body didn’t want to move. I felt so weak, and my mind didn’t feel like it was there at all. Going to class made me feel like a criminal walking into a court: unwanted and judged. I wanted to put in headphones and stay hidden. I waited for the minute I could go back to my room, and get away from everyone. Being around that group of friends gave me anxiety, so I avoided the cafe and kept to myself. No one understood, not even my parents. They told me that they doubted anything was actually wrong, and that I was just overreacting. I turned to God and asked Him why this was happening, what I did wrong, and how I could make it all go away. I didn’t always recognize it at the time, but God was answering my prayers and working behind the scenes. He brought the right people into my life to show me I wasn’t alone and there were people who cared. I was able to stop obsessing over the people who made me feel bad and surrounded myself with people who showed me true friendship and pointed me to God. Even though my new friends helped me feel valued, I never felt comfortable opening up about the bullying I experienced to someone, and I never completely got over it. I want students going through this now to have someone they can turn to for help. Campion needs a designated counselor with flexible hours available for appointments. Students need to be able to turn to someone who is trained to help them deal with the emotional strains of teenage life, and can give them confidentiality and support. Campion’s journalism class is doing a research series on mental health to bring education and awareness to the impact of mental health issues on their generation. Stayed tuned to read a new article on the topic each week over the next month. We are very grateful to the staff and students who are bravely sharing their experiences. Mental health issues such as discouragement, anxiety, and depression impact everyone in one way or another. Campion Academy’s nurse is a mental health professional and encourages students to seek assistance when needed. The chaplain's office is another source of help for students. -Anonymous student with Jill Harlow, Communication Director The Campion varsity basketball teams were gone from February 12 to 16 for the annual basketball tournament held at Union College. This year, the tournament was organized differently, with the games on Wednesday and Thursday determining if teams were placed in the first (red) division or the second (gold) division. The Campion boys team finished in fifth place in the red division and the girls placed second in the gold division. Bela Cinco, a senior and only member of the girls team to play all four years, said, “It’s always fun going to Union, especially since this is my senior year. It was nice to come home with a trophy.” Nolan Eickmann, a senior captain on the boys team, said, “It was a super awesome way to end my senior basketball season. Being able to play basketball and to cheer with the boys.” Obed Barrera and Regan Garman were given the MVP awards and Ashley Herber and Cade Lukens were given the Christmanship awards for the teams. 13 schools from around the country participated, including an international boys team from Denmark. The North Dallas Adventist Academy teams took home first place in the red division for guys and girls, and the Andrews teams took home first in the gold divisions. Thankfully, there were no major injuries on the Campion teams.“It was a really good opportunity for us to play more and learn. We did so much better than last year, I feel like we won! It’s fun to get away from school and do something you love.” reflected Kylie Wehling, a sophomore and captain on the lady’s team. Ashley Herber, Student Editor  Generation Z includes everyone born from about 1995 to 2015, and it’s the first generation to barely, if at all, remember a time without smartphones, the internet, social media, and 9/11. Gen Z is also known for having more anxiety and depression than any other generation. “Only 45% of Generation Z individuals say their mental health is good, or very good. That’s 11% less than the next closest generation. A whopping 91% of Gen Z said they experienced a physical or emotional symptom due to stress and mental illness in the past year” (Stress, Mental Health, and Generation Z). For previous generations, mental health may not have been a major issue in high school, so why is this new generation so different?
“I got sick during my sophomore year, and I never realized that it was a mental illness until my doctor intervened. I’d been given so little information on it, and I’d come to stereotype people with my illness so much that I would have never guessed that I struggled with what I did,” - anonymous student. Some claim that the mental health crisis facing Gen Z isn’t real, that Gen Z is just “softer” than other generations or seeks attention more than other generations. Others say that the explanation lies in Gen Z’s willingness to seek help. While it’s true that Gen Z is more likely than other generations to seek help for mental health, that does not explain behaviors like the rise of suicides and behaviors related to depression that can only be explained by an actual increase in poor mental health (Twenge). “When you go to someone who is supposed to be a person who cares and they shut you down, tell you that you’re just overreacting and you’ll get over it, it makes life just that much worse,”- anonymous student. Gen Z has the ability to constantly be connected to information from around the world, and sadly much of this information is troubling. Gun violence, school shootings, climate change, sexual harassment, and immigration are some of the issues that 75% of teens say are sources of stress which lead to symptoms such as depression or lack of motivation in 90% of teens (Bethune). Not only is technology a way to find out about world events, but a way to stay in contact with friends and keep updated. While this may seem positive, overuse of social media leads many teens down a path of constant self comparison that can turn into poor mental health. Social media is often labeled as the biggest culprit in the rise of the mental health crisis, and for good reason. Social media, however, is also a contributor to much good. Over half of Gen Zers say that social media is a source of support when in distress (LMSU). In addition, technology, friends, and school work are often chosen over sleep, a lack of which can lay the groundwork for depression and anxiety (Harvard Health Publishing). Feeling the pressures to succeed academically, socially, and extracurricularly, students are sacrificing their health. A lack of sleep can cause an increased risk of injuries, illness, substance abuse, and mental illness. The body needs sleep, and without it Gen Zers can not function at peak capacity (Garey). “My experience with mental illness began my freshman year and I’ve been dealing with it ever since. I attempted to ignore my feelings, but the more I avoided help, the worse my mental health declined. My sophomore year it became so overwhelming I had to reach out and get help,” - anonymous student. The causes of this crisis in the rise of poor mental health can be hard to pinpoint. Genetically, environmentally, and physiologically every person is different and so every mental issue is different, but the fact that Gen Z is hugely affected by stress, anxiety, and depression can not be ignored. Luckily, advances in medicine and awareness have made help better, more easily accessible, and less taboo. If you are struggling, I encourage you to seek help. If you are a parent or teacher that is reading this, I encourage you to show kindness and openness so you can be the person that a teen can confide in. Gen Z is living in the world given them, a world greatly different from the one that past generations grew up in, and a world that we as Adventists know will continue to become more broken than ever before. Ashley Herber, Student Editor Campion’s journalism class is doing a research series on mental health to bring education and awareness to the impact of mental health issues on their generation. Stayed tuned to read a new article on the topic each week over the next month. We are very grateful to the staff and students who are bravely sharing their experiences. Mental health issues such as discouragement, anxiety, and depression impact everyone in one way or another. Campion Academy’s nurse is a mental health professional and encourages students to seek assistance when needed. The chaplain's office is another source of help for students. Works cited “Stress, Mental Health, and Generation Z.” Western Governors University, Western Governors University, 13 Aug. 2019, https://www.wgu.edu/blog/stress-mental-health-generation-z1906.html. Bethune, Sophie. “Gen Z More Likely to Report Mental Health Concerns.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, Jan. 2019, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/gen-z. Garey, Juliann, et al. “Teens and Sleep: What Happens When Teenagers Don't Get Enough?” Child Mind Institute, childmind.org/article/happens-teenagers-dont-get-enough-sleep/. Harvard Health Publishing. “Sleep and Mental Health.” Harvard Health, https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health. Twenge, Jean. “The Mental Health Crisis among America's Youth Is Real – and Staggering.” The Conversation, 8 July 2019, http://theconversation.com/the-mental-health-crisis-among-americas-youth-is-real-and-staggering-113239. LMSW, Michael Friedman. “Is the State of the World Causing More Mental Illness?” Medical News and Free CME Online, MedpageToday, 25 Mar. 2019, https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/generalpsychiat  Yves Clouzet is the Director of the Music Dept. at Campion Academy. His wife, Melissa Clouzet directs the Mountain Echoes Chorale and Koinonia. Everyone knows about his love and passion for music, but not many know of the struggles he faced with academics and mental health as a college student, and how God helped him to overcome them.
Mr. Clouzet was born in Argentina into a Seventh-day Adventist family. He grew up within a family that was very intentional about family worship at home and going over Sabbath School lessons daily. He knew religion as a way of life for his parents and something that everyone just did normally. His family eventually moved to the United States so that his father could enroll in Andrews University for post-graduate studies. Mr. Clouzet went to Andrews Academy, where he had many opportunities for spiritual activities and growth. It was during a weekend teen spiritual retreat that Mr. Clouzet was faced with a stark reality. “I vaguely remember who spoke, but he spoke in such a way about Jesus and His Love for me that it convicted me of two things beyond a shadow of a doubt: ‘Jesus really, truly, and passionately Loves ME! I know every fact there was to know about Jesus and His life as written in the Bible, but I don’t truly, really, know-know Him.’” Mr. Clouzet realized that Jesus was everything and that he desperately needed a real relationship with Him. “During the last meeting that Sabbath evening, the speaker played the final scene from The Visual Bible: Matthew. It is where Jesus gives His ‘Great Commission’ and where the book of Matthew ends. It was such a powerful image of Christ assuring me that He was always going to be with me and that He needed me to tell others about what He has done for me. What a privilege and honor!” That is when Mr. Clouzet, although already baptized several years prior, truly understood what it was to give his whole life to Jesus. However, when Mr. Clouzet got to college, things began to go downhill. “My mother home-schooled me until I completed the 2nd grade. She really pushed me and I quickly realized that I was able to do things most 3rd graders couldn’t do when I finally joined “real” school. It was like this all the way up to when I graduated from academy. I always felt comfortable in a classroom and never really felt challenged. Sure, I studied for tests and completed assignments, but I don’t remember much anxiety and stress over academics. I can remember that there were a few assignments that great teachers assigned me during my senior year that really pushed me, but I just didn’t complete them because I got too used to not having to work hard. This should have been a warning flag for what was to come for me, but I just ignored it.” With a perfectionist mindset, coupled with not being fully prepared for the rigors and demands of college, it was a blow mentally for Mr. Clouzet every time he fell short of his own high expectations that he set for himself during his first year of college. He began struggling mentally, which led to a depressive state. At that time, his relationship with Jesus had waned severely. Out of pride and shame, Mr. Clouzet didn’t ask for help from anyone. This went on for several years and this self-destructive cycle had gotten him to the point that he was about to get kicked out of the Education Program at Andrews University. In a last-gasp effort to help him, the faculty at the Education Program called a meeting with Mr. Clouzet. “All five of my professors at the program were there, and I basically had to make a case for why I still had what it takes to be a great teacher. I gave that speech everything I had, took responsibility for my actions, and let them know I was fully aware that I deserved no second chance. By that point, it was probably a fourth or fifth chance! But I just asked them to take another chance on me and that I would not disappoint them, since I now owed it to not just myself, but to God, them, my family, and Mrs. Clouzet; who was my girlfriend of three years at the time.” “They asked me to step outside and they talked behind closed doors for what seemed like an eternity. Then they invited me back in and they voted right there in front of me with a raised hand for a yes. Slowly, three hands went up, and to this day I am eternally grateful for those kind teachers who believed in me when no one else would. By the grace of God, I was able to continue in the program. It was by far the most anxiety-filled moment that I have lived through to this day, and I have had to ask Mr. Anderson to marry his daughter! Ha!” As part of the ultimatum, Mr. Clouzet’s teachers required that he immediately seek mental health therapy with a licensed professional. It was there that he finally began getting the help he needed. He rebooted his prayer life and allowed God to help him surrender the destructive things he was holding on to in his life. Although his family knew there was something wrong, they were able to pray more specifically for his needs once he was willing to admit what he was going through. God helped him overcome his depression, and a year later Mr. Clouzet successfully graduated from Andrews University. He got married six months after that, and has continued to pursue his career in music education ever since. Mr. Clouzet explains that he perceives three key factors that helped him turn his life around. “The first one would be the unrelenting prayer warriors in my life. I know for a fact that my mother and father never ceased to pray for me daily, especially when I was traversing through that dark time in my life. God heard their prayers and He was able to steer my life in the right direction. I know for a fact that they still pray for me each and every single day.” The second factor was getting help from a counselor and opening up to the important people in his life. “Besides their prayers, my parents always supported me and let me know that they would always love me no matter what happened. Mrs. Clouzet, who was my girlfriend at the time, believed in me and stood up for me, despite people in her life telling her that I was a dead-end and that she was wasting her time with me. Those three teachers at Andrews University who believed in me and saw what no one else could see in me. They saw past all my shortcomings and failures, and gave me a chance despite all the evidence stacked against me. “Finally, the lasting impression of all my spiritual upbringing had a huge influence in the turnaround God orchestrated in my life (pun totally intended). I could never shake the convictions that the Holy Spirit ingrained in my mind during Sabbath School, in Bible class, in youth rallies, during evangelistic series, etc. Those were the convictions that helped me to truly see how God was working in my life; and despite my rebellions and self-destructive tendencies, He never gave up on me and was always willing to help me out.” “I see students with the same look that I had on my face when I was struggling with mental health; I am more than certain that there are many students who struggle with this on our campus. These individuals need to know that it is more than okay to talk about it with someone you trust and ask for help. I didn’t do this for a long time and it was a self-destructive behavior that I was living with that cost me dearly. I could’ve avoided a lot of pain had I asked for help sooner.” Yves Clouzet with Bela Cinco Campion’s journalism class is doing a research series on mental health to bring education and awareness to the impact of mental health issues on their generation. Stayed tuned to read a new article on the topic each week over the next month. We are very grateful to the staff and students who are bravely sharing their experiences. Mental health issues such as discouragement, anxiety, and depression impact everyone in one way or another. Campion Academy’s nurse is a mental health professional and encourages students to seek assistance when needed. The chaplain's office is another source of help for students. During the annual music fest at Union College this past weekend, students in Koinonia, Campion Academy’s select choir, were able to grow closer as an ensemble and meet people from many other schools in the Mid-American Union. The music festival choir rehearsed together for 19 hours in preparation for a vespers concert Sabbath evening. This year there was an honors choir in addition to the mass choir. Each school contributed four students to this group, and it was directed by Melissa Clouzet. They had several rehearsals together and performed two songs during Friday night vespers. “Honors choir was the highlight of my weekend because it gave me an opportunity to be part of something completely different from mass choir,” says Campion senior Kayla Gonzalez, “I enjoyed meeting the people in honors and finding out where they were from.” On Saturday night, Koinonia got frozen yogurt to celebrate the successful performances. After that, Campion students joined other schools to watch the Union basketball games. They cheered on Campion alumni and supported the Union teams. Erick Maldonado, senior at Campion, commented that “It was fun to put rivalry aside to make music and hang out with schools we normally play against in sports.” Ashley Halvorson, senior, guest contributor  Last Saturday night, February 1, Campion’s Chinese students and Jill Harlow planned a happy and meaningful event to celebrate Chinese New Year in the cafeteria and gym. Students had delicious food and played traditional games from China. Ensen Cai, a senior from China, said “Although preparing food for the cafeteria was a difficult process, and I didn’t sit down all afternoon, I saw that all the students were satisfied with the food, and I felt that all my efforts were not in vain.” The Chinese students planned the menu and cooked the meal with Dawn Fagan in the cafeteria, and in many ways, it was a learning experience. When they were making a dessert called Tangyuan, a small ball made from glutinous rice, they tried a lot of ways to make the whole process of kneading the flour into a little ball simpler, like using a spoon or even a scoop. However, no method was simpler than rubbing directly with their hands. They learned that the simplest method was actually the most effective method. For many Campion students, Chinese New Year is just a foreign holiday. But, driven by the Chinese students and Mrs. Harlow, students became more interested in the festival. Gregory Lang, a freshman from China, said, “This is the first time I have celebrated the Chinese New Year in the United States. Not only was the food delicious, but I also enjoyed it when I play some traditional Chinese games with others in the gym like jump rope and picking up beans with chopsticks.” Mrs. Harlow helped to organize the event for the students, and she explained, "Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China, and it is also a time when Chinese students miss home. So, I think it’s important for our students to be able to celebrate here with their Campion family." "I wish you all a Happy New Year and God bless." Rain Li, senior from China |
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