Source: L.A. Sentinel Black publishers from across the country, leaders and students at CSUDH, and celebrating Black History Month in L.A. Council Chambers were all part of the Senator’s visit to the Southland. California U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler has moved with urgency to address constituent concerns since her appointment to the position in Oct. 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. In the past five months, she has conducted listening sessions across the state with people of all ages on topics including mental health, reproductive freedom, and the future of our democracy. On Feb. 26, she visited Southern California to attend a meeting of National ... Read More
Mental Health
Mental Health Takes Center Stage at Town Hall
CSUDH welcomed U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA) and the Born This Way Foundation (BTW) to campus on Feb. 22 for a Gen Now Youth Town Hall on mental health. The event brought together youth mental health advocates, students, faculty, and administrators for a panel discussion on ways to better identify the mental health needs of young people and improve the quality and availability of services in the spaces where they’re most needed. Butler was appointed to the Senate in October 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Dianne Feinstein. Since her appointment, she has conducted listening sessions with young people across the state on ... Read More
CSUDH’s Sonja Ulrich on Cult Survivorship and Healing
Not everyone is willing to unpack their past—particularly when it is traumatic or extreme. But Sonja Ulrich, lecturer of anthropology and behavioral sciences, unflinchingly owns her story and the hard-won lessons she has learned from her life experiences. For more than 30 years, she has been rebuilding herself in the aftermath of her tumultuous youth and involvement with the Rajneesh movement, which many experts describe as a cult. Born in Germany and raised by a single mother, Ulrich had what she describes as an “unstable” upbringing. Her mother, who faced many challenges as a single parent, became involved with European communes founded by Rajneeshees, followers of Indian guru Bhagwan ... Read More
Amber Riley Shares Struggles, Triumphs at Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
Vulnerability is power. That was one of the key messages imparted by Amber Riley, the featured speaker for CSUDH's Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series on November 30. Riley, a Grammy-nominated singer, award-winning actor, producer, and author, spoke candidly about her personal journey of self-care and mental wellbeing, as well as the tools and lessons that have helped her along the way. The Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series program, established by CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham, invites celebrated public figures to discuss their experiences within the context of society's most pressing issues. Riley is a vocal advocate of mental health and speaks openly about her ... Read More
CSUDH Mental Health Resources Expand and Adapt
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing hardships, college students were not immune to the nation's widespread rise in mental health issues. Studies from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) found that pre-COVID, one in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 had a diagnosable mental illness. Among college students nationally, a recent Mayo Clinic study found that 30 percent reported experiencing depression in the past year, while 50 percent said they had felt “overwhelming anxiety” during the same time frame. Paradoxically, the restrictions placed on in-person meetings and counseling have made receiving mental health services more difficult. Creative ... Read More
