Friday, January 18 will mark the deadline for all StudentCam entries. If you haven't assigned it as a project, perhaps mention it to any students that may be so inclined to participate. This year's theme is a "Message to the President." Students are asked to create a 5-8 minute documentary about the most important issue that they believe the President should address in 2013. With $50,000 in cash prizes and the chance to be interviewed and featured on national television, this is a rewarding, project-based learning experience for students. More information can be found here: www.studentcam.org

A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible.