SGA vice president Carli Hendershot resigns following hospitalization for depression

Vice president for the Student Government Association Carli Hendershot is resigning.

The junior political science major said she was hospitalized Sept. 2 and diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, something she has dealt with since middle school, before being released from the psychiatric ward at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital two days later.

“I would love to stay with SGA, but unfortunately because of this, it would be best for me to focus on getting better, and I really want someone to lead SGA with a positive mind,” Hendershot said in an interview with the Daily News Tuesday. “And I’m getting the help that I need with going to counseling and going to doctors.”

By bringing her own experience to light, she hopes to help other students with similar mental health issues.

“I kinda wanna take this time to bring attention to mental health issues, especially within college students,” she said. “I know I’m not alone. There’s other people that are going through the same battle. I want to show, you know, you’re not weak, you’re a survivor.”

According to the National Institute on Mental Health, more than 11 percent of college students have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety in the past year, while more than 10 percent reported being diagnosed or treated for depression.

SGA President Nick Wilkey said he found out Hendershot was hospitalized in an email, which was scary for him. He said they had become close while campaigning and working together.

“Carli is such a sweet girl,” he said. “She does care about what people say and she wants to make them happy. She would do stuff just to make you laugh and things like that.”

He said even when campaigning, she would always stop and talk to everyone.

“She’s just this very nice person that can bring the spirits up of everyone around her,” he said.

Hendershot made the announcement during the weekly Senate meeting Sept. 10. She said Bryan Kubel, former president pro-tempore, will be sworn in as vice president and finish leading the rest of the meeting. Hendershot will remain a Ball State student.

SGA bylaws designated the president pro-tempore as the position that replaces the vice president if there is a vacancy. Nominations for pro-tempore will take place at the next Senate meeting, Sept. 17.

Although he is looking forward to working with Kubel, Wilkey said it will be different not having Hendershot on the executive board.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” he said. “She brings a lot of energy … It’s just kind of an eerie feeling not having the girl we ran with with us anymore. It’s gonna feel weird, like something’s missing.”

HER TIME WITH SGA

Hendershot was sworn in to the executive board in April with the rest of Cardinal Connection, including president Nick Wilkey, secretary Rahissa Engle and treasurer Sidney Staples.

Since then, she has been managing a few different platform points, including adding a “B” on the football field, which is set to happen this weekend, and creating Chirp City with athletics, a newer version of Countdown 2 Kickoff alternative tailgate that will also likely launch this weekend.

Hendershot also was in charge of trying to implement 24-hour library access during Finals Week, one of the platform’s larger goals. She said Kubel will take that over and get it started.

“I definitely don’t have any concerns about the platform continuing,” she said. “I know Bryan Kubel is very passionate about SGA and a lot of the platforms I was working on myself, like the freshmen 'B' on the football field, he is so excited to get working on those. And I’m sure with diversity, he’ll work with our secretary of diversity to make sure that those things do happen.”

As vice president, some duties include serving as the President of the Student Senate and overseeing weekly meetings, according to Ball State’s website. The vice president also serves on the Student’s Rights, Ethics and Standard Committee of the University Senate.

At the base of the Cardinal Connection platform was representing diversity. Hendershot formerly was the SGA representative for Spectrum, a support group for LGBTQ individuals and their allies.

Hendershot said she isn’t worried about Spectrum losing any representation in student government.

“Even though I won’t be in the office, I’ll definitely be staying in touch with the executive board just because I worked very hard with them during campaigning,” she said. “I’ll probably stay up to date with them, see what’s going on with them and how they’re doing.”

Wilkey said Kubel should have very few problems stepping up and helping complete Hendershot’s goals.

“I’m extremely confident in him,” he said. “He ran senate last week for the very first time and he did a very good job. Like I said, he was the social media guy and helped with a lot of the Cardinal Connection events and platform points we were working on.”

This is the second resignation for SGA in the past two years. Former president Malachi Randolph resigned in Fall 2013 following racially insensitive tweets. Former vice president Chloe Anagnos stepped up and finished out his term.

HER EXPERIENCE

Stressors in Hendershot’s life have been building and began to accelerate just a few years ago.

Hendershot was first diagnosed with a stomach condition in middle school, which she said lead to some depression. The problems with her stomach made it hard for her to eat. She was then prescribed an antidepressant.

It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she started having suicidal thoughts.

“I neglected to get help,” she said. “I didn’t want any help and I thought I could get better by myself. It would come and go and I would just think, ‘Oh, you know, it will go away. I will be okay, I can get through this. I’m just a little stressed out right now.’ Unfortunately, it gets worse. And if you don’t get help, it’s not gonna get better.”

Being scared to get help led to the situation getting worse for Hendershot. Luckily, she had a friend she knew she could always turn to for help.

But this year, the additional stress of SGA, among other things, grew.

“What needs to happen is people need to be there for each other,” Hendershot said. “If you can just tell a friend, that friend can be there for you and can help you along the way. That, I think, helped me the most, even when I didn’t seek medical help or medical attention.”

Hendershot said she will continue to meet with Spectrum, although she is no longer on their executive board.

“That’s where my Ball State family is, kind of,” she said. “They have always supported me and I know that through this, they will continue to support me.”

GETTING HELP

In situations where students are at risk for self-harm, Ball State follows a protocol to assist students in the recovery process.

According to the Counseling Center’s website, students are required to attend two risk assessment sessions that the university uses to make suggestions for how students should proceed with classes, or if they should continue.

“Our goal is to ensure the student is safe and that we’re providing the most support possible,” said Michael Gillilan, director of student rights and community standards.

A committee chosen by the Dean of Students are the ones who decide what to suggest.

Over the past six years, 36 to 44 percent visitors to the Counseling Center said staying in school was a concern for them when they came in for counseling, according to the website.

Since she was hospitalized, Hendershot will be following this protocol.

“I’m pretty sure they do what’s best for the student,” Hendershot said. “I have no doubt that they will do what is best for me. I trust them.”

Active Minds, a new Ball State organization, also helps connect students with resources to learn about depression and other mental illnesses.

For more immediate needs, students can call 765-285-1736 to talk to someone and get help. For non-office hours, on-call counselors can be reached at 765-747-7330.

“I want them to know that there are places to go to get help,” Hendershot said. “There are people willing to help them out. Sometimes it just takes a friendly hand to help take them out of that place that they’re in.”

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