By Skylar Dubelko, The Miami Student
The National Institute of Mental Health reported that 25 percent of all college students struggle from an eating disorder, and a 2013 study by the National Eating Disorders Association shows eating disorders have increased on college campuses.
An event Monday, Crossing the Line, will bring awareness to this issue, as well as addiction problems on Miami's campus. Hosted by five Greek organizations, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Gamma, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Epsilon Phi, Crossing the Line will take place from 7-8 p.m. in Armstrong Student Center Pavilion B.
According to an article from the Journal of College Student Development, "When Does it Cross the Line?: College Women's Perceptions of the Threshold Between Normal Eating and Eating Disorders," by Megan R. Yost and Laura A. Smith discusses how, on college campuses, it is more likely that a friend would notice changes in the physical and/or mental wellbeing of one of their peers long before a doctor or psychologist would.
"The point at which one crosses the line from dieting to an eating disorder becomes extremely important to identify, because this boundary likely determines the point at which someone would seek help, or would recommend that a friend seek help," Yost and Smith wrote.
The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that many college students might not even realize they have a serious health problem, or may mistakenly regard their disorder as something they will grow out of.
Left untreated, eating disorders can lead to permanent physical damage, ranging from more mild side effects, such as hair loss, to extreme side effects, such as death. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate out of any psychiatric disorder.
While many people recover from eating disorders treated at an early stage, the longer these disorders are left untreated or ignored, the more likely they are to cause severe medical and psychiatric damage.
Crossing the Line intends to equip students with the information necessary to educate students about how to identify issues related to disordered eating and other mental illnesses, along with how they can seek help.
Designed to hit points about using alcohol and other substances, Crossing the Line will also inform students about how to identify when a student is abusing either or both, how to respond to a crisis and how to cope with excessive stress, said Maggie Graney, a Kappa Kappa Gamma delegate involved in the event's planning.
The event will also cover the Good Samaritan rule, a policy implemented in the fall of 2013, aimed to give students the opportunity to seek medical help for themselves or one of their peers if they are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, without fear of suspension, expulsion or legal punishment.
Miami has also been facing increased issues related to high-risk alcohol consumption among students, ultimately leading to the creation of an Alcohol Task Force on campus.
"Results show that Miami students' high-risk drinking behaviors are consistently higher than the national average (35 percent at midsemester vs. 28 percent) and that Miami students were more likely than other college students nationwide to report binge drinking," said Miami University's official website.
Sophomore Alicia Di Scipio said she sees that playing out on Miami's campus.
"Drug use and alcohol consumption is a prevalent problem on this campus," Di Scipio said. "The social scene at Miami seems to be driven by how much alcohol one consumes, and whether or not you're willing to participate [in] drug [use]. I think administrators at Miami try to educate students and attempt to prevent over-consumption of substances, but we need to find new ways to change the conversation about how to responsibly consume alcohol."
Crossing the Line will give students the opportunity to interact with a panel of members from the Oxford community who have professional experience with these issues.
The panel is comprised of Sgt. Susan Tobergte from the MUPD, Susan Vaughn, the director of the Office of Ethics & Student Conflict Resolution, Jayne Malpede, Coordinator of Substance Abuse Services from the Student Counseling Service, Ashley Wilson, Coordinator of Women's Services from the student Counseling Service and Becca Geston, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator from Health and Wellness.