Students gathered last night in an Emerson lecture hall to hear the stories of students who have suffered from eating disorders, at an event sponsored by Eating Concern Hotline Outreach (ECHO).

The four-person panel of three students and the mother of a eating disorder sufferer maintained an upbeat tone while sharing their emotionally charged experiences.

"It's such a gift to be offered these stories," said Sheila Reindl, a Bureau of Study Counsel moderator and ECHO advisor, as one panelist paused to regain composure. "These are fresh stories. They're not canned."

The panelists spoke on similar themes relating to eating disorders, such as how important it was to talk with loved ones.

"What really helped me was talking to people," said panelist Valerie E. Charat '02. "I stopped being ashamed because I realized that people could help."

All three student panelists spoke of their initial disrespect for people with eating disorders. "I had to get over my stereotype of 'Why can't these people just get it together and eat?' Which I, of course, couldn't do," said Kate Taylor '01.

The panelists spoke about how their eating disorders seemed to develop in correlation with changes in school, a shift from a known environment to the unknown.

"I wanted to be perfect at my new school," said Uyen Khanh Quang-Dang '02 of her first year at Harvard.

"[Aneorexia] made things make sense. It gave me a sense of individuality and control," Taylor said