This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
We sat down with Krystle Orlando, a senior psych major involved with NEWCOPE, Northeastern’s Eating and Weight Concerns Project.
Tell us a bit about yourself and about how you came to be involved with Newcope.
I’m a Senior, Psych major with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies. I came to Northeastern because I’m was interested in working with eating disorders and I read about the NEWCOPE program online. The year I transfered here, which was my middler year in Spring 2009, I took a class with Professor Emily Fox-Kales, Eating Disorder Prevention and Intervention, a lab in which we ran NEWCOPE. I’ve been involved ever since!
Tells us a bit about Newcope. What are the goals of the organization?
NEWCOPE stands for Northeastern’s Eating and Weight Concerns Project. Our mission is to provide students with education, awareness, and support in regards to problematic eating and exercise behaviors, eating disorders, body image, self-esteem and nutrition. Our goal is to spread the education and awareness of eating disorders, disordered eating and body image disturbance and provide support to those in need!
What does it do? How does it service the Northeastern community?
NEWCOPE offers anonymous and confidential peer counseling. We have a drop in center located at 314 Ell Hall, a hotline, website, twitter, and facebook to accomadate all who are interested in learning more about eating disorders, disordered eating and body disturbance and to those who are looking for support for themselves or a friend, We also run various outreach and training programs across campus each semester! This Spring we had the executive director of The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness and author of Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder, Johanna Kandel, speak on campus during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
What’s your favorite thing about getting involved with the group? The most challenging?
The best thing about being involved with NEWCOPE is helping other people. It really feels great to know that you made a difference in someone’s life. I understand the pressures that our culture puts on us to look a certain way and adhere to unrealistic standards, I can relate to those with body image and self esteem concerns and I want to help those who are struggling and spread the message that everyone is beautiful and deserves to feel that way!
There are a few challenges to being involved with NEWCOPE. We are a small, student-run organization. We don’t have a huge budget or large number of members, but I think we do pretty well for ourselves. Recently we’ve been trying to gain more publictity on campus and I think we’ve been successful so far. NEWCOPE is only going to get bigger in semesters to come.
I also think that people might not reach out to NEWCOPE becasue they don’t think or don’t know that they have an eating disorder and a lot of people don’t realize that eating disorders are really a big problem, and sadly they are growing. Eating disorders are a national epidemic, more than 10 million Americans struggle with eating disorders. They are especially a big problem on college campuses, a 2006 survey by NEDA found that nearly 20% of the more than 1,000 college students surveyed – both male and female – said they had or previously had eating disorders. More than half of those polled (55.3%) said they know at least one person who has struggled with an eating disorder. I hope that anyone who suspects they might have a problem or knows someone that they are concerned about decides to reach out. You don’t have to meet the full criteria to be diagnosed with an eating disorder to have trouble with body image, diet, or exercise.
Another challenge is leaving the work behind when you go home. Being the leader of a student organization comes with so many responsibilities, there is SO much to do! When someone reaches out for help I always follow up to make sure they are getting the help they deserve. It can be time consuming to run a student org, but it’s totally worth it- It’s a great learning experience, you make friends and meet lots of people and most importantly, you get to make a difference!
How can other people on campus get involved with the organization, or with eating disorder awareness?
According to Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc., one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control—including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. You can help fight eating disorders, disordered eating, and counter negative body image by practicing healthy eating, exercise, and body image behaviors! Love, respect and celebrate your body and you will help spread the message that everyone is beautiful!
It’s easy to get involved in NEWCOPE! We have meetings once a week and new members are always welcome! Anyone who is interested in joining can email us with their interest atnewcopeneu@gmail.com. If you aren’t sure if you can commit to weekly meetings, you can still join! Anyone can also sign up to be a volunteer, if you send us your volunteer interest we will email you when we are looking for volunteers to help table or run events!
Any advice for those who may be struggling with body image and weight concerns?
“Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.” -Mary Schmich. I love this quote. It was made famous by Laz Buhrmann during his “Wear Sunscreen” speech.
I also love this quote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?” – Marianne Williamson (use whichever one you want!)
You are not alone! You can find great support at NEWCOPE! We have tons of resources and information, and we welcome any questions or concerns with respect to privacy and confidentiality. If you have concerns about yourself or a friend, please consider reaching out! We are here to help. Even if you just want to chat, NEWCOPE is here to listen.
Facebook them, email the girls at newcopeneu@gmail.com, leave them a voicemail at 617.373.3173, chat with them on AIM at NEWCOPENEU, visit their website, and/or follow them on twitter!