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What's on the Off Campus Syllabus (Besides Hockey and Romance)?
This is only the second post in this series, and I am already going off course, but I feel like it would be a serious miss to not talk about what everyone* was talking about over the summer.
*And, by "everyone," I mean me. I am everyone, along with a handful of friends and the accounts that now fill my Instagram feed (thank you, algorithm) that spent the summer obsessed with Amazon Prime's hit series "Off Campus."
For those whose social media feeds are not filled with Garrett Graham, Hannah Wells, Briar University, and the Briar Hawks hockey team, Off Campus is the buzz-worthy, easy to binge, steamy, 8-episode series based on Elle Kennedy's romance novel series of the same name. (See, there is a book connection).
The first season of the show (and the first book in the series) focuses on the relationship between main characters music major, Hannah Wells, and hockey captain, Garrett Graham. After failing his midterm in their Philosophical Ethics class, Garrett and Hannah strike a mutually beneficial deal - Hannah agrees to tutor Garrett to help him raise his grade and maintain his hockey eligibility, while Garrett agrees to pretend date Hannah to help her gain the attention of her crush. But, beyond the fake dating, slow-burn chemistry, and killer playlist, Off Campus is doing something more serious beneath the surface.**
**Some would argue it is doing many somethings beneath the surface, and there are a number of great analyses as to why this show is resonating with so many, and, in particular, so many women (and, it isn't just the obvious).
Season one sheds light on several very real, very common, and very under-addressed public health issues, but below are the three that stand out to me as they arc across multiple episodes.
NOTE: I tried to avoid spoilers, but you may want to pause here (I'll wait) and come back after you have binged the first season.
"Childhood Trauma" is a Misnomer
Phil Graham, Garrett's father, is more than just a beloved (in the public eye anyway) hockey legend, but not in a good way. It becomes evident a few episodes into the series that Garrett witnessed and experienced abuse - at the literal hands of his father - during his childhood. During Thanksgiving dinner, Garrett sees evidence that Phil is abusing his new partner, and it triggers Garrett's unresolved trauma (which then leads to a storyline spoiler that I won't discuss nor is it necessary for purposes of this post).
Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES, are defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (ages 0-17). ACES events include experiencing violence or abuse like what is reflected in Garrett's storyline but can also include aspects of a child's environment that impact their sense of safety and stability (e.g., substance abuse or mental health problems). While ACES are defined as occurring during childhood, the impact of such events is much more long-lasting, even lifelong.
See below for more information about ACES:
Scholarships can open doors; keeping them open can be challenging
Music major Hannah has been the recipient of a much-needed scholarship to pay for Briar U tuition ... until she isn't. In episode one, Hannah learns from her advisor that the funding for her scholarship was cut, which suddenly puts her returning for second semester junior year at risk. She already works multiple jobs, her parents are financially strapped for reasons we learn more about in later episodes, and her optional participation in the "Pop Showcase" for which there is a $5,000 scholarship prize becomes, well, non-optional.
Recent data reflects that for the 2025-26 school year, more than 60% of students received some sort of scholarship, and that scholarships covered approximately 15% of college expenses. But, what happens when a scholarship is no longer available? Financial instability, including the loss of a scholarship or constant concerns about maintaining scholarship eligibility, can have a significant impact on a student's physical and mental health not to mention broader downstream effects on educational status and food and housing security. A 2024 report by Ellucian reflects:
Nearly 20% of students surveyed in the report cited financial instability as the reason for dropping out of college;
Nearly 60% of students surveyed considered dropping out due to financial stress; and
Nearly 80% stated there mental health has suffered due to financial stress.
Hannah's plight may be a subplot in the series, but it isn't a work of fiction for many of today's college students. It also highlights that while scholarships can provide access to educational opportunities, remaining and thriving in college is another story entirely.
When speaking up makes everything worse instead of better
A key plot point that serves as the basis for a deeper and, frankly, more vulnerable connection between Hannah and Garrett is Hannah's history of sexual assault. We learn early in the series that during high school, Hannah was the victim of sexual assault. While entire blog posts, articles, and books can (and have) be written about sexual assault itself, what Off Campus sheds a light on is the impact of reporting and, ultimately, why so many survivors are silenced.
Following Hannah's reporting of her sexual assault, both she and her family find themselves in financial dire straits - having spent significant sums on legal fees - as well as paying a significant social price. It becomes evident that the town rallied around her perpetrator, the town hockey star and mayor's son, leaving Hannah and her family virtual pariahs. What this reflects is the significant price - beyond the physical - that survivors pay for speaking up.
Despite how unfortunately prevalent rape and sexual assault are, relatively recent data reflects that anywhere from 80 to 95% of rape and sexual assault incidents are unreported. And, what is one of the main reasons for lack of reporting? Fear of retaliation - not just from the perpetrator but from society itself.
Once again, while Hannah and her family are works of fiction, the reality of the structures meant to support reporting actually compounding the harm is all too real for many victims of rape and sexual assault.
Off Campus is wrapping Season Two filming with an anticipated mid-2027 release date. I am anxiously waiting to see if deeper themes persist in this next season, which focuses on Hannah and Garrett's besties, Dean and Allie. Stay tuned.
Public health is everywhere ... let's go find it on the pages!
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