A response to ‘Take It or Leave It’ and its portrayal of medical leave

Medical leaves of absence remain an inappropriately quiet topic among both students and administrators, and it is encouraging to see the attention addressed in the Voice editorial board’s piece arguing for greater support to returning students. For this, we would like to express our appreciation for the Voice in its ambitious tackling of this subject. We feel the article “Take It or Leave It: Does a medical leave of absence help or harm?” however, ultimately strays from this question, instead leaning toward more of a critique or advocacy piece.

Furthermore, we feel that the experiences shared in the article are relatively one-sided with negative portrayals or, at the very least, portrayals that are not balanced by a discussion of the potential benefits of a leave of absence. We fear that this limited coverage may discourage students from reaching out to CAPS or deans for counseling in this matter, arguably preventing students from pursuing the options most conducive to their flourishing and well-being. We understand that articles are limited in their scope given length constraints, and so we offer our own experiences in expansion on those already shared.

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Ben Saunders (SFS ‘15)  – On “Leaving It”

I was quoted in the recent Voice article as citing my “own ambitious nature” as the driving reason behind deciding to stay at school. This statement is partially true, but it problematically assigns a false normative value to the decision to remain on campus. I felt I was best served staying engaged with the Georgetown community and my roles while addressing my depression with the support of my friends and counselors, but this was my individual decision.

My considerations regarding a leave of absence began once my depression began to severely hinder my memory, from names of European philosophers to close friends. I’m glad for the support of my dean and for the information on the MLOA process and the unbiased counsel CAPS provided me. The decision was mine to make, right down to the deadline. I can’t speak to the experiences of others, but after deciding to remain on campus, their support was essential in addressing my depression head on.

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Jack Schmitt (COL ‘15) – On “Taking It”

Last fall at Georgetown, I fell into a deep depression. I felt more alone than ever before—facing thoughts of death and suicide—and I struggled on a daily basis with finding the motivation to stick to my commitments. When others inquired, I denied the trouble I was facing, as accepting it would make it real. But due to this avoidance, when the time came to discuss my options, a MLOA became the only realistic choice.

My leave, however, provided me with an ease and opportunities that would be nearly inaccessible at Georgetown. I began to regularly see a therapist, taking the time to sort through underlying fears I never had the chance to unpack. I also worked full-time at a data entry position, which offered a slower pace than the rigor expected of me at Georgetown and became an almost therapeutic engagement. During my leave, I realized taking one semester or even a year off from school to obtain a better grasp of my mental health was a better option for me than trying to struggle through it with added pressures at school. Although there are plenty of resources available at Georgetown, I believe my decision to take a medical leave was the best one for me.

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These are just two experiences of the many who take or consider taking leaves of absence. Despite different choices, we both made out alright. Staying isn’t better than taking leave, it is simply taking a different course of action. There is no prescribed formula for success, but the following quote by Mark Caine provides some instruction on where it could start:

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.”

This “environment” is not Georgetown, but rather our relation to Georgetown and the perceived norm. Both courses of action require a willingness to reach out and accept help, and both require courage to take agency. We must commit ourselves to fostering an environment that supports those who choose to “take it” and return, but one that also equally supports those who decide to “leave it.” We encourage the reader to live actively and not resign themselves to this position of captive, to decide which course of action is best for them and follow through with confidence, and to leave Georgetown after four years not as survivors of college, but as beneficiaries of the personal and intellectual development this institution fosters.