Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Getting a flu shot is one of
[00:00:01] Speaker B: the most important things you can do
[00:00:02] Speaker A: to stay healthy this year. Flu shots are available and free to University of Alabama students at sites across campus and at the UA Student Health center and Pharmacy. Check out our schedule at CCHS UA EDU flu shot.
[00:00:17] Speaker B: Call 205-348-6262 for a flu shot appointment at the student health center or walk up Monday through Friday from 4 to 4:45pm WVUAFM, Tuscaloosa.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: Happy Sunday, y'. All. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone and hello. Hello, I think. And it's so funny because right before we hit the record button, we were talking about all the things, and now I'm like, oh, we're recording. What do we talk about?
[00:00:51] Speaker B: You know, it's so funny. Cause we've been doing this for so long. I remember when, like, we first started doing this show, I was always really nervous. I'm not gonna l. Like, every time I would hit record or. Actually, at that point, we were not recording on our own. We had, like, a guy or a girl, like, doing it recording, and it was just like, very. I was very nervous. But I don't know if it's like, my maturity or like, we're so close and we can just sit here and talk. Half the time I'm like, you could just roll it, and we'll just talk about stuff.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: I agree. And we know each other's, like, facial expressions where it's like, does she have something to say? Has she zoned out?
[00:01:26] Speaker B: I guess it was last week when we had Hannah and Paige on, right? Were like, oh, my gosh, y' all are so good at this. And I was like, we are. You know, I was like, I guess we just can read off of each other that it's just like a normal conversation. And Sheena, I feel like if our Fit to Be Tied days ever end in the next year or two years or whenever our ending comes, I think we should start a YouTube channel or, like, another podcast. I've been thinking about this.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: I agree.
[00:01:50] Speaker B: I feel like we could do some things.
[00:01:52] Speaker A: I really. I do, too, actually. You're making me excited by that.
We don't need to be talking about side projects.
[00:01:59] Speaker B: Side projects.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: No.
[00:02:01] Speaker B: This is our deal.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: We're here while we have this.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: One Can Dream.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: Now I will say it is nearing the end of the semester, and we're in the beautifulness of spring. And I don't know how it's been for You. But I feel like for our department, it's a little bit of landing the plane for the semester while doing some other things. And actually tomorrow, or at least tomorrow from the time that we are recording this, I have been working on a, well, Bama presentation. I know you and I, we both are frequently utilized for different wellness presentations. And so I am doing one tomorrow on fertility, nutrition.
So it's been really interesting doing some research about different types of eating habits and nutrients to consider for semen, sperm quality, egg quality, how alcohol affects things. And so I don't know. You know, I know it's not going to be one of those topics that affects everyone, but I think for those that are trying to conceive, hopefully they'll gain some insight.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: It's interesting because it sounds.
You don't normally talk about that. That's not like one of your topics, which is funny because I have to put together a presentation about exercise and special populations. And I feel very confident on talking about osteoporosis and some of my active aging clients that I work with. But I started digging a little bit with diabetes and hypertension, the things that we talk about all the time, but trying to learn a little bit more and be a little bit more specific of what you should do. Maybe things to avoid, maybe things to consider. And that's kind of been a challenge because I don't really dive into that as.
And it sounds interesting that me and you both have these topics that, like, are kind of pushing us a little to research a little bit more and, you know, think outside the box. So it's kind of exciting, it's a little bit more work, but it's kind of good.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: Yes, But I think both of you, we. Both of you, both of us, we like to geek out about things. And so I feel like I was kind of in that boat with this just because there was a point in time I was trying to conceive, and it did take quite a bit of time. And one of the things that I am gonna mention in the presentation is that it can be one of those where you feel like you want to micromanage everything and you convince yourself, oh, because I'm not eating this certain way or moving this certain way. That's why I'm not getting pregnant. So I'm trying to balance. Here's some information, some good key nutrients to think about, but please do not drive yourself crazy feeling like you have got to make this perfect. So I'm going to talk about specific nutrients, but then just general eating styles that make it practical as opposed to feeling like you've got to have this massive Excel sheet of, oh, did I get enough folate here, here, here, and here? You know, what did I do?
So I'm excited about the practical piece of it.
[00:04:48] Speaker B: So. Well, and it seems like, I mean, with anything, I feel like people just in our human nature can kind of get obsessive. Like, I might get obsessive about something that I'm like, oh, this is cool, and this is interesting. I need to learn about this. And so I feel like we have to be super careful when we give this information, because it's guidelines for people to hopefully have success.
It may or may not work. I don't know. It may increase, the chances decrease, and who even knows? I mean, you just have to try it, but you almost have to think about certain populations that might get a little too obsessive about it. Same thing with exercise, you know?
[00:05:20] Speaker A: Yes, I know, because I feel like there's probably gonna be some folks that ask some questions out of left field. They saw something on the Tiki Talkies or Pinterest, and they're like, oh, what can you say about beets? And eating that to thicken my uterine lining? And I'm gonna be like, I don't know. That sounds very interesting.
So I don't know. We'll see what happens. But just if you're tuning in now, don't worry. We're not talking about getting preg on this show, but we do have to take a break. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 capstone.
[00:05:54] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Shina and Whitney. And it's spring. We've had lots of rain, but we've also had pretty weather and lots of sunshine. Yes, it's been great.
[00:06:13] Speaker A: Yes. No, it's been awesome. You know, just, you know, we talk about spending time outdoors and how beneficial that is, getting in the oxygen, being physically active, sunshine. Yes. You know, there's stuff that's in season now. But, you know, Whitney, as we were thinking about what we wanted to talk about for today's show, one of the things that I realized is that, yes, we talk a lot about health, you know, college, health, students, all the things. But normally we kind of just block it off into, like, very specific things for one show. And I don't know if we've ever done a show where we just kind of, as a whole, talk about some of the top health Issues specifically for college students.
[00:06:52] Speaker B: I don't think we have.
[00:06:53] Speaker A: And I think one thing too, you know, with our listener base, for. At least for those that listen to us on the radio, you know, our campus community is students and faculty, staff. And when you think about the priority health needs of employees versus students, it can be completely different. So, you know, thinking about the fact that we're utilized for a lot of, well, bama stuff for employee things, you know, but our.
Our work is in the division of student life. You know, I just thought it might be fitting to talk about some of the, like, main things that are concerning to college students.
[00:07:27] Speaker B: I think so. And I think, like, when we were kind of like, looking at the list, because you kind of sent me a couple links and like, I actually did my homework and I printed everything out, I couldn't believe it. Normally I'm like, where's my phone? But. And not as prepared. But this time I was like, I think I need to print this stuff out. And the list was not surprising to me. Like, just based on having our guests, our students coming in and like last week talking with Hannah and Paige, just about, you know, things to consider when you. When you are a student, like, this was definitely not surprising. But I do think it's important to talk about these things and maybe how we can like, shed some light on them. And may. I think as a college student, sometimes you don't realize that you are dealing with these things or you fall into these categories. I think we do a great job on campus of using our campus partners and showcasing these things and having events, initiative. But I know when I was a student, it just didn't cross my mind if I fell into these categories of these things I'm doing or not doing. I just kind of brushed it off. I don't know. And maybe our students are better than I was and maybe there's probably more resources out there, but I think we should just go through some of the things.
[00:08:31] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. So one of the.
And Whitney, you probably noticed the commonalities among all of the resources. I'm gonna first talk about some of the more obvious things like cold flu and sore throat, people just getting the crud in General.
[00:08:46] Speaker B: Yes, yes, 100%. And what's weird about that is, I mean, it all goes together, right? Because some of the other things we're gonna talk about, it's like, oh, yeah, that makes sense. If you do this, it could help prevent this. And da, da, da. But I have noticed a lot of students going to class or going to the Rec center. And they're, like, coughing and, like, hacking up along. And I'm like, dude, what are you doing? Like, why are you here? And I mean, part of me is like, okay, maybe you're, like, a type A personality, and maybe you need to, like, you're going to class because you don't want to miss out. But I feel like learning how to balance out when you should go to class and not go to class is important because you have some students that are going to take every.
Every inch, and you're going to have some that are, you know, literally, like, not going to show up because they have maybe a slight cough. And so it's like, where do you find the balance? Like, are you taking care of yourself? Are you utilizing the student health center? Like, you know what I mean?
[00:09:35] Speaker A: Yes, yes. We have students that have a bad case of FOMO these days. You know, they don't want to miss out on social situations. And honestly, I think social media has kind of ruined that. Because, you know, before, if you missed a party before social media, like, people kind of talked about it, but it's like, okay, whatever. But then if there's, like, documentation and then there's the group photos and all the things, and maybe that's a stretch, but I think there's some core.
[00:10:04] Speaker B: Well, and also, I mean, I was just thinking about, you know, you have students that are going to not go to class because they're sick, but then they're gonna go to the parties and they're gonna rest up because the priorities are different. Maybe not all students, but, like, what do you do? Do you. If you're a part of an organization, do you skip class to get well so you can have the social life? I mean, is that what goes through somebody's mind? I don't know. I just think back to, like, when I was sick. I just kind of learned growing up, like, if I'm sick for the day, I'm sick for the day. Like, you cut off everything that you're gonna do, whether that means you' going to classes, social events. But I've noticed that FOMO is real, and they don't want to miss out.
[00:10:42] Speaker A: Yes. You know, and I think since COVID you know, people have been a little bit more aware of, I guess, what you'd call sick etiquette as far as, like, keeping your distance and things of that nature. In the general health presentation that I do with our department for a lot of our freshman compass courses, one of the things that I drive into the students is, like, really keep Your distance when you can. I know the flu virus, it can travel up to three feet, which is crazy to me. So when you think about somebody sneezing and those droplets and then, my goodness, please wash your hands.
[00:11:16] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, wash your hands.
[00:11:17] Speaker A: Yeah. Don't be that person.
[00:11:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: Every time in the classroom, I always use this example of, like, have you ever been in a public restroom and you're in the stall and you hear that person that comes out of the stall and they, like, turn on the water for a half second and then turn it off? I've read that that's actually worse than not even washing your hands at all. It's almost like you kind of like you wake it around. Yeah. Basically lubricate the germs to, like, more freely be able to jump around. And water droplets.
[00:11:46] Speaker B: It is kind of like in our environment, we are at a university with 40,000 students, 5,000 faculty, staff. Like, there is going to be sicknesses and illnesses. Like, we are going to be exposed. Now, that could mean you have a better immune system because maybe you are exposed. Or it could be vice versa. You could be immunocompromised and get sick and it becomes this whole thing.
And so I think washing your hands is, like, literally the bare minimum that you can do. That is really a big step. And even, like, when we were wearing masks, like, I don't really like wearing masks. I don't want to wear a mask. But if I was sick and I knew that maybe I was lingering or I'm clear to go back to work, why not just throw on a mask when you're in those closed settings? You know what I mean? Like, I just feel like it's just kind of being courteous and practicing social distancing. I mean, nobody really loved it when we were going through Covid, but I think we all felt a sense of, like, we wanted to protect each other. And I think some of those practices are good to continue doing.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: I agree. I agree. And so if you are sick, get sick in the future.
You know it's gonna happen and you're a student, going to the student health center can be a great way to get checked out. You know, one hashtag pro tip that I would share is if you can go early in the morning just to knock out that appointment, it can be easy to be like, oh, I just want to rest, sleep in, you know, and then you kind of hem and haw being like, oh, do I go to the doctor or not? And then finally your mom's like, have you gone to the doctor yet if you're going late or even mid afternoon, everybody else is too.
Historically it has been very quiet first thing in the morning and you can go in and out, which is really nice. And also they have the on site pharmacy, which is amazing as well because they have both the over the counter meds plus your prescription stuff. So then you're not having to worry about going to see the doctor on campus and then going somewhere off campus to get your scripts filled.
You know, just in case you don't have a vehicle on campus. I know a lot of our students are in that boat.
[00:13:47] Speaker B: Or you just let the ball drop and you just don't go. It's right there.
[00:13:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:13:51] Speaker B: Which kind of leads me into the lack of sleep that seems to be. And I always think about getting sick and lack of sleep. To me, they go hand in hand because your body has to have rest, it has to rejuvenate. I mean, you have to have sleep in order to be healthy and have good cognitive function when you're in school. And so immediately when I see cold and flu and all those things, like you, your body has natural defenses to fight these things, but it can't do it when it's under the weather and when it hasn't had enough rest.
[00:14:19] Speaker A: I agree. And there's a term that we often use called sleep hygiene. And I'll ask students, like, do you know what that means? And sleep hygiene is not only having an environment that's conducive to sleep, but habits that actually lead up to getting restful sleep. So trying to minimize screen time right before you go to bed, probably not wanting to drink a super caffeinated beverage right before you go to bed. And then also as much as you can, using your bed for just sleep, really your bed just needs to be for sleep and sex. If we're getting very, very technical, we don't want it to be the place where we're binge watching Gilmore Girls, eating our ramen, doing our homework, because your brain is not gonna associate that space with rest.
[00:15:06] Speaker B: Yeah, and I was just thinking about that, how some of our students are on campus and they have to stay on campus and. And so they. I mean, I know we have like desk and stuff in the residence halls, but like I always want to do a poll, like how many of you sit in your bed and study. The thought of like. Cause I know I did it when I was in school, but like the thought of like sitting in my bed to eat or study or do anything else besides like resting just like freaks Me out. It's almost like I think about Wally at the end when, like, everybody's, like, kind of overweight and they're little, like, pods. And I'm thinking, does it create these bad behaviors of laziness as well? Like, are we very productive? Whereas if you're sitting at a desk or standing up, you know, are you able to function better and learn, you know, the stuff you have to learn for a test, it just. It just kind of grosses me out, to be honest with you.
[00:15:54] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:15:55] Speaker B: Like, sitting in a bed and eating or even, like, watching tv. I'm weird about that, though. Like, it just makes me feel like I'm not doing my best.
I don't know.
[00:16:04] Speaker A: Yeah, no, no, I like that thought process, for sure. Tangent, but, yes, that's okay.
[00:16:10] Speaker B: Tangent.
[00:16:10] Speaker A: You know, on that note, we will take a quick break, but we're gonna catch up on this conversation. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 Capstone
[00:16:22] Speaker B: WVUAFM Tuscaloos.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to be Thai with Sheena and Whitney, and we are just trying to, like, help our students finish out this spring semester with some tips. Not like you really need us to tell you these things, because I really feel like the list that we're going through. Everybody knows what they should and shouldn't be doing in order to be healthy and happy and live a good life. But sometimes you just need a reminder.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: I agree. And with the topics that we are talking about today, you know, I would love to say it's like, oh, this is all common sense to Whitney and I, and in some ways it is. But with all of the articles that we have referenced, all of this data is coming from something called the National College Health Assessment, which is administered through the American College Health Association. And so this is a testing instrument or survey instrument that is used at multiple universities. We also administer it on our campus as well every spring. And so when we talk about these different health concerns, this is coming from actual college students who have said, hey, yes, this is an issue for me. Or, you know, I feel like this is a priority area. So if you're just joining us, we have spoken about sleep, and then we've also talked about getting sick in general. The crud, like cold flu viruses, things of that nature.
[00:17:49] Speaker B: Yeah, well, and as I was kind of going through and looking at this, because, you know, sleep and getting sick, in my opinion, go hand in hand. But also. And we talked about this before, I don't even know like, how much we should really talk about, like, eating healthy and exercise. I feel like we always talk about that. But to me, the trifecta of feeling good as a holistic human being is to eat healthy things, to fuel your body, to exercise, to move your body, and to get enough sleep. And I feel like if you have those three components, you're doing pretty good, and the other things will kind of fall into place.
[00:18:23] Speaker A: I agree. And it's funny because as you get into this vigorous academic schedule, things like physical activity, sleep, and eating, those are the things that go on the back burner when we're trying to prioritize staying up to study and all the things. But those are actually the components that make us do really well academically. So it's very interesting. So I don't know, it just. It definitely all ties in together, for sure.
[00:18:49] Speaker B: I feel like there's only so much that your brain can handle. And I think that's why, you know, I was looking at on the list and I was talking about, like, substance abuse is the other thing. And like, obviously alcohol consumption in college is a big deal. You need to limit that. That can affect you in so many ways, emotionally, physically, mentally, but even, like, substance abuse. Because I know for a college kid, just to get real, I know the whole Adderall thing is a thing. Like people take pills, take things so that they can actually. Maybe it's not to, like, have a good time, but it is to promote that sense of focus. Whether you're prescribed it, that's one thing. But when you're not prescribed it, that's another thing. You shouldn't be doing those things. And so I feel like if those things were taken away, obviously prescription is one thing, but if those things were taken away and you just focused on the amount your brain can physically take in that time and then gave it a rest and actually rested, would it be the same as someone that is getting a pill from a friend, like Adderall, to take so that they can focus?
[00:19:49] Speaker A: Right.
[00:19:49] Speaker B: You know, like, you almost have to weigh it out a little bit, like, what's the healthy version? What's the non healthy version?
[00:19:54] Speaker A: Yes, you know, and I'm glad you bring up that point. And one thing I do want to say with all of this, you know, it can be easy to say, like, well, you know, what's everybody's problem? Why don't they just eat well and exercise and have a good schedule? But we really, we do want to give ourselves grace in this. Because if you think about this generation that comes through now for college, they're going from a pretty structured schedule, you know, probably managed quite heavily by a parent or guardian. And then now, all of a sudden, you're having to make all of these independent decisions, and you're really needing to find out what works best for you in this season of life. Because, you know, again, we have this generation where mom and dad might have been helicopter parents. They have micromanaged every minute of your day, or just naturally being in a high school sport and being involved in all the things.
Things were regimented. People were cooking. They were cooking the food for you. Even when we were talking about going to the student health center, we have students who. This is their first time independently going to the doctor where, you know, before they were used to their guardian sharing their health concerns on their behalf, or they come into the exam room, and it's like, I've had a student hand me their cell phone. It's like, oh, my mom's gonna tell you what's wrong with me.
[00:21:10] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:21:11] Speaker A: And I'm like, really?
[00:21:11] Speaker B: Yeah. And so I literally was trying to Google helicopter parent because I was curious when that term, like, first came about. Of course, I might have to take me a little second, maybe during the break. I can look it up. But, like, I was thinking about it, and when I was growing up, I think I had a good balance. I think I had. My parents were involved and supportive of the things that I did. But I also know that my mom would tell me I need to do things on my own when she knew I was fully capable of doing it. And so I'm trying to figure out at what point in our society, at what year did this helicopter parent term come up? Was it the millennial phase, which technically, we're considered millennials based on our birthday? I don't feel like one. But, you know, but, but. But then, like, then the new generation coming in, I guess, is Gen Z. I feel like some of them are almost more responsible in taking action. So it's kind of dipped the other way. Do you remember when the term helicopter parent came about?
[00:22:01] Speaker A: I don't.
[00:22:02] Speaker B: And it's.
[00:22:03] Speaker A: You know, I'm trying to.
[00:22:03] Speaker B: We could find that.
[00:22:04] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm trying to think, like, was that a thing. Thing while we were students? Has it been since we've been professionals? But I actually. I want to take a weird turn in our topics, and you might be surprised that I'm bringing this up. Yeah. But one of the things that has been indicated in the National College Health Assessment Survey is that people will frequently Report having roommate difficulties.
[00:22:26] Speaker B: I thought that was crazy. Yeah.
[00:22:27] Speaker A: Yes.
And that wanted me to prompt, what was your roommate experience like your freshman year period?
[00:22:34] Speaker B: So I actually didn't come to Alabama until I was a sophomore. I transferred from uah and so I had like a year under my belt. I was living at home, teaching dance, doing, like, all these different things. So I was like, ready to get out. My roommate situation my first year was my family, and I was like, okay, this has got to go. So that's when I came to Alabama. I was like, we're done here.
But my roommate situation, while I was a sophomore, I lived with three other people.
And for the most part, it was okay. There was always one room that was always changed out every year with a different person. And, like, I think I had, like, my first roommate that lived beside me. Like, she was fine, but, like, I was a little bit more studious in a way to where, like, I didn't, like, go out a whole lot. So that was kind of interesting because she'd come home late and I was like, dude, I'm trying to get my sleep, you know, because I'm a big proponent of sleep. Even back then I was. But I think I had really good experiences with my roommates. Like, I can't remember having any type of, like, difficulties where I had to, you know, approach them about something. I think honestly, I had it made like that. And plus, I would go home when I wanted to go home. I was only like two hours away, so I can't really think of anything specific.
What about you?
[00:23:46] Speaker A: I think for me, I'm trying to remember my freshman year, I actually lived with someone that I did go to high school school with. So we were from the same hometown and we were friends, but we were not best friends. So I think in some ways that helped. She also spent a lot of time at her significant other's off campus apartment. And honestly, that was helpful just because our residence hall room was so tiny. We were in one of the older buildings.
But I know even in my experience as a resident advisor, when you're thinking about those different roommate conflicts, it can be, you know, one person's cleanliness or lack thereof. And then, you know, as we kind of fast forward to now, we have this generation of folks that don't really know how to talk to each other in person.
So there's a lot of, like, text communication that's happening or maybe no communication whatsoever.
[00:24:40] Speaker B: I think that's right. Yeah.
[00:24:41] Speaker A: And we have residence hall buildings where you're literally not sharing a Bedroom with folks. So I'm actually curious if there are less or more roommate problems nowadays. Just because the style of our residence halls, it's a little bit different. It's not this whole, like, oh, I'm, you know, sleeping three feet away from my roommate. It's like, no, they're down a hall. Down the hall in a separate bedroom.
[00:25:06] Speaker B: If I had to guess, and I have no idea, this is just me assuming just based on, like, the times now and like. Like texting, social media and all that. I bet you there are difficulties, but they go unsaid. I bet you people are irritated that so and so used this of mine or did this, but they don't verbally say it, and they only tell their friends, and they only talk about it. And I think that. And I don't know, this is just my assumption of things because I think that with the tech world now, and you can just easily escape a situation or you can go somewhere you don't have to, like. Like up front, you know, like, face a head on. I would imagine that it happens that way. But then I also have seen a lot of our students who are very independent and mature, and I feel like they might actually say something. It could be the total opposite direction.
[00:25:51] Speaker A: So I don't know.
[00:25:51] Speaker B: But, I mean, that's interesting because I feel like roommate difficulties is something that has probably gone on forever. You can't always have, like, the perfect roommate. You know, we were probably blessed with just our situations. But you also have to think about, like, if you meet somebody that's not from the same area of the United States as you. You know, if you're from the south and you've got somebody from New York, I mean, the translation of, like, how you view things could be totally different.
And I don't know. That's a whole nother factor.
[00:26:18] Speaker A: Oh, yes. No, I mean, if you are a roommate where maybe you did not go through sorority recruitment and then your roommate did. There's that issue. I will. I know we gotta take a break. I'm gonna share one thing, though. I remember I won't name names or locations or anything like that, but one year when I was a resident advisor and I was on call, I got a call from one of my residents, and she was whispering on the phone. I'm like, why are you whispering? And long story short, it was the weekend of the Iron bowl, and she was like, my roommate just brought this. These, like, older men over. They bought her alcohol.
[00:26:58] Speaker B: Busted.
[00:26:59] Speaker A: They're playing beer pong. And, like, they just look like, they're in their 40s or 50s, and I feel very unsafe.
[00:27:04] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh.
[00:27:05] Speaker A: And I cannot tell you how awkward it was to kick out, like, grown men out of a residence hall room. But on that note, we had to take a break, and we were listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:27:22] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied. And sometimes being a college kid is kind of hard. It's also, like, one of the best times of your life. I really fully believe that one of the biggest, bestest times growing up is your college experience. And there's so much that you. You learn about. You learn about yourself, you learn about other people. Like, that's kind of your time to really thrive and grow. But then there's also some negative things, and there's also some serious things that can happen. And we've just been kind of going through a list of what college students say they struggle with and some things we kind of already thought, but, like, the roommate difficulty. One never really even thought that. Like, I just didn't really think about that being something that is a struggle for people. But, you know, I do.
I have. Just on this note, I have heard stories of actual, like, bullying as well in residence halls. Like, if something isn't working out with somebody or bullying where, like, people have had to call parents or be involved with our friends over in the residence halls and our staff over there. And so that is kind of sad that, you know, things like that do happen. So just know your resources. If that is you, you can definitely call uapd. You can, you know, talk to people. You're RA on your floor. But you never would think that that would happen, but I guess it does.
[00:28:45] Speaker A: It does for sure. And I think that's a good segue into our next topic of sexual assault and relationship violence. I'm actually glad we're talking about this right now, because I know April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and so I know our friends at the wgrc, they do a lot of programming during this time of year, but it's something that we do need to acknowledge, and you need to know the resources that are out there. So just like I mentioned, your Women and Gender Resource center, your counseling center, we have our other resources on campus, like our student health center, to be able to confide in. And, you know, and I think that it's not always something that is talked about. I know that people who are victims in these situations feel like Nobody's gonna believe me. What does that look like? But I would encourage you. You feel comfortable sharing what feels most comfortable for you and what makes you feel safe in all of this.
[00:29:41] Speaker B: Yeah. And, you know, I don't know if sometimes. Well, actually, I would assume that. I think sometimes when people are in these situations, they don't realize it.
So, you know, you might be thinking maybe this significant other is trans treating you with love and respect, but it could be a form of manipulation. You know what I mean? So it's kind of like you have to kind of open your eyes to some of these events on campus and resources because you could be in a situation, really not realize it. And I think that's what's so interesting is, you know, if we come from high school where things are kind of okay, like, life's pretty okay. You're got your parents or legal guardians watching out for you. You have teachers that are seeing you every single day that might be a bit little in tuned with, you know, your whereabouts and how you're acting and can see changes in you. When you get to college, it's very different. Your professors may be a little bit more distant because you're in these big auditoriums that were like, big good, you know, and Austin, like, you, like, you're in these places where you're not going to have a direct relationship with your professor or your teacher. And then maybe your friends are different. Maybe they don't see those things. So I think like, being aware that of these signs of sexual assault is important because you may have never experienced this before. You know, having someone watch your back, have your friends go with you. You know, don't. Don't ever be alone when you're going somewhere. I know I'm kind of going off on a tangent, but I'm thinking back to like one time I was in college and I was like driving. I think it was over off of 10th Avenue. And I saw this girl, I was with some friends in the car and she was like by herself, walking. It wasn't like a super great area of town. And I remember, I like, stop the car. I was like, why are you here by yourself? I was like, do you need a ride? And she was like, oh, my gosh, yeah, I'm trying to get to this fraternity house. I was like, well, let me stop you right there. Well, I didn't say that, but I still was kind of like, okay, well, can I just drive you there? She knew that I was like a college student. Like, obviously I had my hang tag and all that, but, like, being aware of, like, your surroundings and having a buddy system and being safe. I think it's important to be able to confide in your friends.
[00:31:40] Speaker A: Absolutely. And knowing the red flags of a.
Of an unhealthy relationship. My co worker, Charlotte Robbins, recently did a presentation series for some of our different classes on campus about unhealthy relationships and red flags to look for. So, you know, if you have this person that you're in a relationship with and they're constantly gaslighting you, or they are micromanaging your time, you know, they don't want you to have relationships or friendships outside of the relationship that you have with that person. Or maybe that in the beginning, they love bombed you. I just learned what that means.
[00:32:19] Speaker B: Love. What does that mean?
[00:32:20] Speaker A: So basically, like, you are like, they, like, throw literally, like, bomb you with all this love. Like, you know, they, you know, say all of the sweet things and, like, all of this, and then all of a sudden, like, they take it away and then they kind of give it to you in doses, like when you. You've quote, unquote, behaved in the relationship. So, you know, it kind of makes you think, like, oh, my gosh, this person is, like, head over heels for me. Like, and then when they start pulling that away, you think, what did I do wrong? Did I upset them? Like, wait a second.
[00:32:51] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:32:51] Speaker A: And so it can be a very, very controlling tool and technique. And so, again, you know, just being aware of that and then also making sure that you have friends that know about your relationship too, so that they can be an outside party to kind of, like, vouch for what they're seeing as an outsider that seems unhealthy to them.
[00:33:12] Speaker B: It's so important for your friends to like your significant other and not just like, oh, yeah, they're cool. But, like, as you. And just like, a word of advice, like, as you begin to make friends that you're going to have lifelong or, you know, you're tight circle, like, listen to what they say, you know, don't always think, you know, oh, they're jealous or, oh. I mean, like, sometimes people can see things that you can't see. And I think that's important.
And so I know we sound like a couple of moms, but, like, I mean, you know, we've had life experiences. I think it's important to mention. And so, yeah, relationship advice from Sheena and Whitney.
[00:33:49] Speaker A: Exactly, Exactly.
We would be remiss if we did not talk about mental health issues and depression and anxiety when it comes to student college. Health concerns. And, you know, we do have some fantastic resources on campus, as we mentioned earlier, the counseling center, our capstone family therapy clinic, our women and gender resource center. And again, you know, I think seeking a professional to talk things out can feel taboo, but I think we're in a society now where people are embracing, facing much more, going and seeing a therapist and helping have that, you know, professional outsider to really help them navigate thoughts.
[00:34:32] Speaker B: And I think professional is the key word because as we talked about, having your friends to be, you know, kind of your. Your backup for your relationships, to be able to run things off of them.
They can't always be the eyes and ears when you're dealing with mental health. Like, they might see things. Things, but it's always better to seek out a professional. Even, like when you get into a serious relationship with somebody or you're gonna get married, like, sometimes that person can't handle the load of the things that you think, and you need to protect and create, like, a little barrier, a little trust with a professional. So, yeah, I feel like everybody has a therapist nowadays. I feel like everybody, like, seeks, you know, counsel on those types of things and also feel like. Like, now that we have online ways of, like, you know, I can't really name the names. I don't think on the radio, but, like, ways that you can get quick access to somebody on your phone, I think that's important. And, like, I don't think people think twice anymore about, like, if someone mentions, oh, yeah, I've gone to therapy, it's like, oh, yeah, me too. You know, it's just kind of like, it's just what you do. Like, it's just we need help. And I mean, if Covid taught us anything, we were so isolated from people, and sometimes that changes who we are, and we have to kind of, like, find outlets for things. And so, yeah, therapy's cool.
[00:35:45] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, it's just the thing is just someone else at your healthcare team, like, you've just. You've got, like, your entourage.
[00:35:51] Speaker B: Exactly, Your healthcare entourage.
[00:35:53] Speaker A: That's like, you need a dermatologist.
[00:35:55] Speaker B: You need, like an eye doctor. You need a. There. I mean, we could just. You could have your entourage.
[00:35:59] Speaker A: I like that.
[00:36:00] Speaker B: Maybe we should, like, coin that your healthcare entourage.
[00:36:03] Speaker A: I think. On that note, we'll take a break because I honestly, I do like that we'll have to. We gotta talk offline about this. You're listening to Fit to be tied with Shane and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:36:18] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to be Tied with Sheena and Whitney and we just finished another show. Almost.
[00:36:33] Speaker A: Yes, almost. We're almost at the finish line. And. And for those of you that are just now joining us, we have been talking about top college student health concerns. And you know, when you think about students in general and how we approach wellness, at least as the University of Alabama, we have something called the Alabama model. We do, which I truly love. And it's within our division of student life and we have these different sectors. And so we're not just concerned about only your physical wellness because, you know, if we're thinking about physical wellness, that certainly goes into mine and Whitney's realms of fitness and nutrition. But we're looking at your academic wellness, your career wellness, your financial wellness, your psychological wellness, physical wellness, social wellness, and your spiritual wellness. So if you go to any kind of programming on campus, whether it's through the office of fraternity and sorority life university programs, you, my department of health promotion wellness, our career center, we're always looking at this Alabama model because we care so much about your health and well being. And I think a lot of students are not aware of this model. It is something that we introduce during Bama bound, but more so in the parent orientation piece of things just so parents can have peace of mind knowing that like, hey, we got your girl.
[00:37:52] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, well, and I was just looking it up on the website because what I think is really cool is when you, if you were just to Google UA Alabama model, it'll pull up the website and talks about our student well being and assessment and then all the dimensions like Sheena was saying, like academic, career, financial and the list goes on. But it's cool because when you click on each box, it will direct you to your resources on campus. So even though it's just kind of showing you that all these components are important to make a holistic person, it shows you where to go, go. And I think people forget that, you know, the division of student life is for students like, yes, you have academics and yes, you're here to get your degree, but there's another component to being successful and that involves this holistic model. So I encourage y' all to check it out, to look at it online. I mean, it's, it's pretty cool. Definitely. If you click on the physical, you'll see the rec center. And I think, Sheena, I think yours is under, I don't know, yours might be a couple of different ones. Yours might also be under physical as well.
But it's pretty cool to just think that, like, we care about you, and we just want our students to be well.
[00:38:56] Speaker A: Yes. And this is something that you'll find on a lot of other college campuses, just in terms of, you know, they might have something called a wellness wheel or there's a wellness. Yeah. So, you know, if you decide not to attend the University of Alabama and you're going to another university, you just know that this is something that most universities are gonna utilize for your health and wellness, because we do care about your health and wellbeing while you are achieving your academic goals.
[00:39:23] Speaker B: Yeah. Lifelong behaviors. They start now.
[00:39:25] Speaker A: Absolutely. You know, but anyways, I feel like we have just had this, like, rock and roll kind of show today, kind of going through all the different health topics. But, y', all, I hope you have a great week. You will catch us next week. We have a guest.
[00:39:39] Speaker B: We do have a guest. I'm excited.
[00:39:40] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: I.
Yes. Okay. That's all I'm gonna say.
[00:39:43] Speaker A: Yes, we're excited. We're gonna be talking to them about multiple topics. We've never had this guest on.
[00:39:48] Speaker B: We've never had this guest before. We can't tell you now. You just have to listen.
[00:39:51] Speaker A: Yes, we're just. You're on a cliffhanger. You have been listening to Fit to be tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:40:03] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
