Hello,

I am writing in regards to the article “Keeping cool” in the May 1 edition of The Daily Evergreen. Immediately upon reading this letter, I wanted to bring to your attention the inappropriate wording used in the article.

The first line “Goodbye bipolar weather, hello sunshine” is extremely inappropriate and offensive. It is also something I have heard multiple times on the Pullman campus of Washington State University. While the word ‘bipolar’ may be defined as ‘existing in two extremes,’ this word also has a connotation of being used to describe a serious mental health disorder.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly three percent of adults, including myself, suffer from bipolar disorder. This disorder can affect every facet of a person’s life and cause serious harm to the affected individual, as well as their friends and family.

I wanted to take this opportunity to ask both The Daily Evergreen and its readers to stop using this word in ways that diminish the experiences of those who suffer from bipolar disorder and those who have had their lives impacted by friends and family members with the disorder.

You would not use the word ‘retarded’ to describe something slow or the word ‘molest’ to describe annoying someone, so why use the word ‘bipolar’ when there are so many other ways to describe the erratic weather on the Palouse?

Sincerely,

Amanda “Ami” Ostman