For this assignment I am going to be looking at the Slippery Rock Counseling Center and the number of students that have used the facility over the years. I believe that this story is very newsworthy because mental health is something that has been a growing problem at our university and the country, especially with younger generations. By bringing attention to the mental health issue on campus, I hope to be able to put into perspective how many students need someone to talk to.
I am hoping to be able to interview either Kenneth Messina the Clinical Director/Associate Professor or Donald Strano the Counseling and Development Interim Director and talk about the increase in student usage over the years. In order to get in contact with them, I emailed both of them with the premise of the project and also asked them if they would be interested in being interviewed. To take it one step further, I also went to the Counseling Center and went to talk to them in person. I was able to speak to someone who forwarded my request to them. I am hoping to be able to see data regarding the increase of usage over the past couple of years. I hope to be able to get about five years of data at least, but if I get more then I will be sure to include it.
The best way to show this data would be through a line graph. By using a line graph, I can show increases and decreases in student activity through each individual month. Each line will be its own year (so 2016 will be one line, 2017 will be another) and the chart will start with the beginning of the school year, August, and will end at July. Due to summer and holiday breaks I am expecting to see a decline in students using the facilities, but I feel this is a good way to also represent how many students use the Counseling Center over extended breaks.