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Printer-Friendly ModeStudy break offers students relief
December 12, 2005 —
With the semester coming to a close and papers, group projects, and comprehensive exams taking up the bulk of students' sanity and time, a chance for rest and relaxation is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Seeing the need to help students cope with the pressure of these last few weeks of the semester, the Student Counseling Center sponsored a "Study Break" event on Wednesday, Dec. 7 in collaboration with Health Services and Residential life.
"We thought it would be an excellent chance for students to relieve stress and relive their childhood," explains Jennifer Ordway, Assistant Director of the Student Counseling Center. "Students can come to our Stress Free Zone to enjoy free massages, get the chance to win gift certificates each hour, eat healthy snacks or their favorite childhood sweets, and leave their end-of-the-semester stress and worries at the door."
The event lasted from noon to 7 p.m. in the Multi-purpose room, offering an extensive assortment of games, refreshments, and activities to take students' minds off their stress and upcoming exams.
Themed "Enter Your Childhood," students could kick back and chat with fellow peers as they colored holiday worksheets, created their own Popsicle picture frames, listened to brave students sing karaoke, and generally took part in an atmosphere that didn't include reading, writing, or arithmetic.
Timing and accessibility were important concerns for those planning the event, student worker Kayla Warack explains.
"We wanted to make it open for the students so they could come and go whenever they please, whenever they had a break." The 22 year old senior from Sebawing says, "We knew location, timing, and a fun atmosphere were key to making this event a success."
21 year old junior Natasha Beyerlein appreciated the great timing and easy access of the event.
"I think this is a great stress reliever for anyone who's in the midst of exams this next week at school." The West Branch native adds, "It's fun, and in general it's cool because you can come in here whenever you get the chance for a little break."
In addition to refreshments, crafts, and karaoke, the event included three tables of board games, puzzles, Legos, and Tinker Toys. Students could play some of their favorite childhood games including Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Candy Land, Operation, Trouble, Chess, and Perfection.
It was also a chance for new experiences according to Sophomores Amanda Green of Milford and Megan Marx of Rogers City.
"I just learned my first Chess game," 19 year old Green said. "I did really well and was surprised at how fun it was."
Marx, 19, added, "I don't think I've ever played a full game of Jenga before. I probably should be studying."
The most popular activities of the study break event appeared to be the "Stress Free Zone" where students could receive free massages given by masseuses of Healthy Solutions of Saginaw and the Dance Dance Revolution game where students enjoyed competing with each other's dancing abilities. To top off the activities, free root beer floats were available throughout the event and a large blank poster titled "Join the Pity Party" was hung on one side of the Multi-purpose room for students to vent their complaints and experiences of exam week. Some of the comments posted to this wall included exclamations such as, "Papers are my nemesis!" and "Exams, exams go away!"
There was a large turn-out for the event, and most students admitted they were enjoying themselves, such as 19 year old Elkton native Vanessa LaFave.
"I think this is a really good idea. The massages are great!" The freshman added, "This is a really good way to get away from studying. They should do this every day of the week.
The event was also a success in the eyes of those who put much effort into its planning and execution and hope to continue providing similar events for SVSU students in the future.
"We put months of planning and hard work into this program," 21 year old senior Joe Richardson of Flint explains, "but it really paid off. We're happy with the turnout and look forward to putting on future programs like this one."