On Feb. 19, 2025, Harper Van Lare, a Psychology student at RIT,  uploaded a petition titled “Clear paths OR cancel Classes” onto the PawPrints website. The petition opened, “Campus accessibility is horrid right now. Paths are covered in snow, ice, and slush, walking safely takes twice as long, and indoor floors are soaked.” Garnering 560 signatures, those words hit close to home for many RIT students.

*This article was originally published on Dec. 22, 2025 in Reporter Magazine Since arriving at RIT in August, most people I’ve met have taken a “mental health day” of some type. These have ranged from missing class to focus on restorative sleep to being unable to leave bed due to depression. No matter the severity of the situation, mental health is something on the collective radar of college students. According to a 2024 survey conducted by U.S. News, 70 percent of college s