By Gracyn Van Bemmel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood College welcomed its new Title IX coordinator and a new mental health counselor in an open house on Jan. 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bryan Robinson took over the position of Title IX coordinator in December after the previous<\/p>\n\n\n\n
coordinator, Runako Allsopp, departed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning a doctorate\u2019s degree in sociology, Robinson worked at a series of institutions where he volunteered in Title IX roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said chose to work at Hood because he is from Atlanta and his partner is from rural, upstate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York, making Frederick the perfect in-between location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was a great area for us<\/p>\n\n\n\n
because it\u2019s a big city, but it doesn\u2019t feel like a big city,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cAnd Hood is a small<\/p>\n\n\n\n
college, but that\u2019s what we both wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite once being a student at a large university, most of Robinson\u2019s experience<\/p>\n\n\n\n
is in working at small colleges, which he said he prefers due to the connections between<\/p>\n\n\n\n
students and faculty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last institution where he worked before coming to Hood, Title IX was housed in the Dean<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of Students, making it very student oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think in some places Title IX is just about \u2018We need to get justice,\u2019 which I think is a very<\/p>\n\n\n\n
important piece, but there is also a big piece on how do we support the student who\u2019s looking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
for help? And what do we do if that student doesn\u2019t want us to pursue it for them and just want support?\u201d Robinson said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s kind of the philosophy I came out of. It\u2019s one where support is a big part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Biden Administration plans to update Title IX regulations but the details have not been released. According to Robinson, the two biggest focuses of the updates are providing more gender<\/p>\n\n\n\n
protection for students who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community and more accommodations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
for pregnant students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still new to campus, Robinson plans to meet with Hood students and faculty to learn<\/p>\n\n\n\n
more about campus life and to see what the community wants from him and the Title IX program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, Taylor Hahn was recently hired as Hood College\u2019s mental health counselor for both<\/p>\n\n\n\n
undergraduate and graduate students, after the previous counselor, John Slick, departed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After moving to Frederick, she joined Hood College\u2019s Clinical Mental Health Counseling<\/p>\n\n\n\n
program as a graduate student. Upon receiving her master’s degree, she worked as a counselor for a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frederick practice before coming back to Hood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Hahn, there will not be many changes made to Hood\u2019s counseling services. Walk- in hours will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., four days a week, instead of the three days a week last semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those days will be Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays. Like in past semesters,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
students can request a 15-minute consultation online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think in general, a change that could happen is that there are plans to start some groups, like<\/p>\n\n\n\n
group therapy,\u201d Hahn said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get that up and running this semester.\u201d In the past,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slick was involved in a few groups, but there was not a standing group that existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hahn hopes to offer some fun and creative counseling activities and events. \u201cIn terms of creative counseling, this could look like putting<\/p>\n\n\n\n
together some self-soothing kits and things where people can access personal coping strategies<\/p>\n\n\n\n
or give them some sensory connection,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choosing a holistic counseling approach, Hahn likes to emphasize the importance of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
mindfulness, whether that is meditative practices or creating safe and calm spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s really fulfilling,\u201d Hahn said. \u201cI really enjoy connecting, and it makes me feel really happy when<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m in a space where I can form those relationships with people. And honestly, it is fulfilling to me to see people be successful in their day-to-day, their feeling whole and healthy, and making<\/p>\n\n\n\n
good choices that make them feel good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students can learn more about Bryan Robinson and Taylor Hahn through the Hood College<\/p>\n\n\n\n
website or by visiting their offices. Robinson\u2019s office is Room 308 in Alumnae Hall, and Hahn\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n
office is in Room 8A of the Joseph Henry Apple Building.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"