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Bennett College students voice concerns over lack of in-person mental health resources on campus

Senior and Miss Bennett College Ja'nylah Johnson said students skipped classes to hold a sit-in on campus.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — There was a sit-in on Bennett College's campus Tuesday.

Students say they're not happy with the lack of in-person mental health resources on campus.

Students told us Bennett still hasn't filled the open Counseling Services Director position.

Bennett College could not comment on personnel matters. 

Senior and Miss Bennett College Ja'nylah Johnson says a new director was supposed to be in place by April 1.

As a response, students held a sit-in on campus to voice their concerns to each other and to Bennett's President who was there to listen.

"We can't be students if we're not human first and so having the president see that it's not just me going to her over and over again about mental health it's the whole student body that's backing me up and they're able to share their story and share why counseling services are important to them individually," Johnson said. 

"Mental health does matter and if you don't take it seriously, we will not participate we will not be quiet, we will stand as a community," Senior Tirenia Hunter said. 

The school said it offers virtual counseling, but students feel that information wasn't made widespread. 

President Suzanne Walsh said the college is working to provide an in-person counselor for students. She also agrees the college needs to work to improve its communication when relaying information.

"We feel really good for what we have plan for the fall. There's lots of things that are on the list of demands we're addressing those in the fall but as a student said that's not good enough, waiting until the fall is not good enough. What are you doing right now and so we are having a meeting right now and I think all of their demands are things that we are looking into," Walsh said. 

Johnson says they're giving the college 24 hours to come up with a concrete plan or the sit-in will continue.

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