Relieving stress, one booth at a time

Event held to assist students before finals

Chatter surrounded the pavilion as students made their way around different tables, all in attendance of the annual Stress-Free Zone event hosted by Student Health and Wellness and Pep-Talk on April 25. 

     Every semester, organizations set up booths around the pavilion and have conversations with students regarding different topics. This month’s topic was stress management. With finals coming up, students may feel overwhelmed with the pressure to pass their exams. The Stress-Free Zone event was created to give students advice on how to relieve the pressure. 

     “This event is about learning how to be stress-free. It is very difficult when it comes to finals, so we just want to help as many students as we can,” freshman Eli Garces said. “This is the kind of event where we want to draw a lot of people in and let them become aware of all the resources available to them.”

     At the event, Garces oversaw assisting students with signing up and giving them directions. 

     Similar to Tropical Temptations Fair that was held last month, students who attended the Stress-Free Zone event were able go to the first booth and sign up to let the organizations know they attended. After signing up, each student received a slip that contained the names of the organizations that attended. Upon gaining information from members of the organizations, the students got their slips signed, took it to the last booth where they dropped off the slip and picked out a free prize in return. Besides the free prize, students received a free shirt and a bag filled with treats and informational brochures. 

     “It can get stressful around this time for students. All your schoolwork starts piling up and all that pressure can make you crumble,” junior Carolina Galaviz said. “Sometimes it is nice to hear someone tell you ‘Hey, everything is going to be fine, you are going to do great and this is how we can help you,’ that is the comfort we hope students who attend feel.”

     Along with Student Health and Wellness and Pep-Talk, resources like Counseling Services, Women’s and Men’s Health Service Clinic and CAB also set up booths around the pavilion, all prepared to inform students on ways to relieve stress and give them free prizes after. 

     “As a student, a lot of things are going on, [like] some things that we cannot share in public,” Mechanical Engineer student Akshay Thakur said. “These resources out here do a great job in making sure we get the help we need; all we have to do is reach out to them.”

     For more information on resources available for students, contact the Student Health and Wellness Center at (361) 593-2611 or visit their office located behind the Business Administration Building.