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The Eastern Echo Wednesday, July 1, 2026 | Print Archive
The Eastern Echo

Chelsea Idzior

The Eastern Echo
News

The four phases of studying for final exams

College students are no strangers to the most dreaded week of the semester – finals week. Freshman year you are likely to make a lot of mistakes regarding studying for exams, such as preparing too late or not preparing at all.

The Eastern Echo
News

EMU junior first to perform at gala event

Eastern Michigan University junior and dance major Chloé Gray performed her self-choreographed solo piece at the East Central American College Dance Festival on March 2. Out of 45 dances, Gray’s was selected, along with 10 others, to be performed at the concluding Gala Concert on March 5.

The Eastern Echo
News

Visions concert allows for a variety of art, genres

“It offers a wide range of perspectives on the world we live in, all through a lens of dance,” professor of dance Joanna McNamara said of Visions, Eastern Michigan University Department of Music and Dance’s 62nd Annual Faculty and Guest Artist Concert.

The Eastern Echo
News

D.A.R.E event held at EMU

In a room of women, the one thing they all have in common is what also makes them different – a set of experiences that make each and every one of those women who they are. These women were gathered in room 360 of the Student Center for the “Do You D.A.R.E.” event held by Zeta Sigma Chi Mulitcultural Sorority. Dominique E. Moore, the public relations chair and website administrator of Zeta Sigma Chi, says the event is about motivating young women to overcome adversity.

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Opinion

Commonly broken rules of social media

Let’s face it — it can definitely be said that social media is at the center of everyone’s lives these days. But as much as we love and rely on social media for not only entertainment, but communication and even professional purposes, there are things people post on social media that make us want to reach through the computer and thump them on the head.

The Eastern Echo
News

Ways to avoid the famous “freshman 15”

“The freshman 15” is a phrase that can elicit horror among college students everywhere. It refers to the weight that some college freshmen gain as a result of partying, overeating and making unhealthy food choices in the school cafeteria.

The Eastern Echo
News

MTV analyzes womanhood

There are certain aspects of womanhood that contain unspoken rules — the things that women understand and things that leave guys scratching their heads.

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Eastern Michigan University’s “Enlighten U” has been ranked the top mental health podcast in Michigan by FeedSpot, a platform that compiles blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters and other sites in one location.

“Enlighten U” is a podcast geared toward students who are experiencing mental health challenges. Melissa Thrasher, EMU's executive director of media relations and social media, and Lolita Cummings, an EMU public relations professor, serve as the co-hosts. Each episode is released around the 15th of every month and features a student or alum and a subject-matter professional.

Lolita Cummings in an interview with The Echo said that this is not the first time the No. 1 mental health podcast in Michigan has been awarded to "Enlighten U."

"We've been the No. 1 mental health podcast in Michigan from the very beginning," Cummings said. "I think it's an indicator of the fact that what we are trying to do, we are doing well, and that is important."

At the start of each "Enlighten U" episode, Cummings and Thrasher state that the "Enlighten U" podcast is an award-winning show.

"A couple of years ago, I won the best in PR for good campaign from Public Relations Society of America for the marketing and promotions program, because it's important that we get this, the word, out to everyone and about the podcast," Cummings said.

Thrasher and Cummings are both extremely proud of their podcast, but these awards and recognitions are not why they continue with it.

It is important to Cummings that she serves all of her students' needs. She noticed that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of many of her students was declining. When the students came back after the pandemic, Cummings noticed that her students' mental health was even worse. Due to this, she began brainstorming with one of her students about how she could help.

"She [the student] said to me, 'We watched a lot of podcasts while we were off.' So I said, 'Okay, I don't know anything about podcasts, but I will meet you all where you are.' So that's where the idea came from," Cummings said. "I am able to not just serve their academic needs, but I'm also able to serve their mental health needs. And to get the feedback from them, that is really helping, and is everything to me because the students are the ones who tell us what issues are impacting the most. Those are the issues that we bring to the table at 'Enlighten U.'"

Cummings encourages students to not only watch and listen to "Enlighten U" but to also spread the word about the podcast.

"One of the things we want to do is get the word out about this podcast to as many people as possible, across the nation, across the world," she said. "The need is not limited to our campus — the need is universal; it is worldwide. My goal at this point is obviously to continue to produce quality shows that reflect the mental health challenges that students are facing, but also get it out to wider audiences so we can help more people."

For those who are interested in engaging with "Enlighten U," the podcast can be found on YouTube and Spotify.