Campus Connection

Florescent green bandanas are popping up on backpacks across campus. It's no new fashion trend – it's an effort by UWL sophomore and Active Minds president Haley Ingersoll to make campus a more conducive environment for talking about mental health. "It was brought to us by a student who transferred from River Falls," says Ingersoll. "A professor there started using bandanas as a sign of solidarity for people struggling with anxiety and depression." The bandanas are available in the Student Life Office and will be around campus throughout the semester. Ingersoll sees this as a movement to improve campus and hopes the bandanas not only serve as a symbol for those who see it, but also those who wear it. "Being an advocate is great, but sometimes people forget to be an advocate for themselves," she says. "Hopefully this green bandana serves as that reminder." If you're struggling with depression, anxiety or another mental health issue, consider reaching out to the Counseling and Testing Center for help.