Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn welcome President Jim Gash from Pepperdine University for a deep dive into student resilience and mental well-being. They discuss Pepperdine’s innovative approach to proactively supporting students through the RISE (Resilience-Informed Skills Education) program. President Gash sheds light on the repercussions of cancel culture on student mental health and underscores the crucial role of university campuses as spaces where students confront and contemplate challenging ideas that differ from their own beliefs.
“What we do is ensure that they have the resources available to not fall into a distressing situation with mental health, but instead to prevent that from happening,” says Jim Gash, President of Pepperdine University. “You’re going to encounter people that are going to be saying things or posting things that you think are contrary, not only to your political beliefs, but your religious beliefs, and here’s how you’re going to respond. You’re going to respond with three words. You’re not going to say, ‘You are canceled.’ You’re going to say, ‘Tell me more,’ or ‘Help me understand.’”