Students talk debt and mental health at CCV town hall with Senator Bernie Sanders

image courtesy of sanders.senate.gov

While awaiting the arrival of the Senator in Winooski, people’s eyes were cast down scrolling on their phones. When he arrived, heads turned in undivided attention as he took strides to the front of the room

On Friday, April 28, the Community College of Vermont held a town meeting on its Winooski campus with Senator Bernie Sanders. Community members eagerly gathered to voice an array of concerns to the senator including student debt, substance abuse/addiction, and healthcare. Almost every chair in the room was filled. This meeting was an open discussion to voice and listen to each other’s personal experiences for the Senator to bring back to Washington. 

Opening the meeting, Senator Sanders said, “What is going on in your lives economically…what would you like to see the government do?” 

A Community College of Vermont student spoke about her debt and the setbacks she has experienced while trying to obtain her education. Some of her setbacks included having a heart attack, homelessness, and her parents passing away. 

The student said, “I want to keep going. I have dreams, I have passion, and I have a gift to give to the world. And I believe that my mission is to share. But now I have to decide, do I want to go to school with $50,000 in debt or do you want to take care of my health?”

Senator Sanders said, “Other countries have made the decision that free public education should not just be your high school, but it should be college and graduate school. Well, I agree with that. One of the things that we are fighting for.”

For a large portion of the meeting, many community members expressed their anger about the American Healthcare system, and their personal struggles navigating the excessive costs.

 A young man brought up needing to spend most of his savings, $5,000, on an MRI out of pocket even with health insurance through his job.

A Community College of Vermont custodian said, “I'm disabled and a lot of my medical bills like tape and ice packs and overhead payments and stuff like that, doesn't even go to insurance that comes out of pocket and I can't afford that.” 

Another disabled community member spoke, “There have been several employers that have exhausted me until I can't walk.”

The extensive cost of healthcare was also discussed. Many people in the room commented on how they will not seek out medical help unless in extreme need because of the high price of care, with or without medical insurance. Sanders noted that 60,000 people a year die because of not going to the doctor. The general consensus of the room was that universal healthcare is essential. 

Sanders said, “We are the only major country on earth that primarily ties healthcare to your job.” He spoke about other countries viewing healthcare as a human right and how it is funded in the same way as public education. Sanders continued to speak about how he believes in universal healthcare.

Mental health was another hot topic. Senator Sanders said, “We have today, a major, major mental health crisis in this country. It impacts everybody, all the old, the children.”

A young woman brought up being in a dark place and a therapist said she couldn't be admitted unless she was close to taking her own life. 

Another woman shared that she is pregnant and a lot of her issues aren't taken seriously. She said they were deemed as just hormones and mental health support has to be found outside the hospital and isn't promoted within; “A lot of women during pregnancy commit suicide because you can't balance your hormones. There's no medication for it and they're not taken seriously as a real problem.” She added, “I feel like the medical field itself kind of just pushes you away.”

A woman sitting toward the front voiced that if you are a person of color it’s very hard to find someone who is also a person of color in the mental health field. 

She said, “That is important to feel comfortable that, you know, just what individual needs that they can find one person that they can find someone to relate to them.” 

Senator Sanders said, “We have nowhere, nowhere near the number of mental health practitioners that we need. We don't have enough counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists.” 

The topic of mental health was a gateway into a discussion relating to people’s struggles during the pandemic.

Many of the attendees shared their feelings of isolation and disconnect from other people. Many found themselves relying on social media and computers for connection but overall felt dissatisfied with online interactions instead of face-to-face interactions. 

A young woman said, “I was in high school when the pandemic started, so I did a lot of my schooling online and I graduated on time and that made it harder for me to socialize with other people and like, unite with other people because I've been alone for so long just doing work and not socializing.”

Many community members noted that there is a decline in community and a noticeable change in the way people interact today, in the years after 2020. 

A young man said, “how many noncommercial meeting spaces are there? I want to go meet with my friends. Where am I going to go? A library or a public park? Anywhere else? I'm going to be expected to spend money.”

As the meeting approached its close, Senator Sanders made a point to touch on the topic of drug addiction in the United States. He mentioned that 245 people died of an overdose in Vermont last year and 100,000 people overall in the United States. Attendees shared different thoughts on why they think there is a drug problem in the United States. 

A common theme in answers was the feeling that a lot of people have lost hope for their futures, coupled with little community. Drug use is an easy escape to turn to. 

A community member also pointed out, “People that work in manual labor are more likely to sustain injuries. They are also more likely to not have health care to cover the cost of pain medication or pain treatment. These folks end up using opioids that are not legal or, you know, pharmaceuticals because of that.” 

As the meeting came to an end Senator Sanders received a warm round of applause and gratitude from the attendees. There was immediately a line for selfies that followed.