Wellness Center prepares students for finals week

Photo by Derek Liang

Students meditate on bean bags during a weekly class on Dec. 2.

With finals starting Dec. 20, the Wellness Center has been providing students with stress relieving activities, introducing weekly meditation classes every Friday during tutorial and peer to peer discussion groups on blue Thursdays.

“The Wellness Center is a really good place for students to go and take their mind off schoolwork or stress,” sophomore outreach commission member Justin Choi said. “Everyone working there is a professional and they treat students with a very caring attitude that just makes you feel at home and helps you calm down.”

Roughly a dozen people have been attending the center’s weekly meditation classes, led by senior Bryant Liu. Liu, whose family practices meditation, proposed the idea of hosting classes to Wellness Center staff.

He starts each  lesson with a video that teaches the viewers meditation techniques. After showing members, they practice said techniques together in the Wellness Center’s calm environment

Additionally, on Blue Day Thursdays, the center is holding Talkative Thursdays where any student is welcome to come and join peer to peer discussion groups revolving around a multitude of topics from schoolwork to  anything in their lives.

According to Wellness Center coordinator Grace Conley, roughly 20 students have been attending and have held private discussions together in groups. Due to positive student response, the Wellness Center plans to host it every Thursday going forward.

Conley said she hopes that these events will help create a safe space where students can leave their troubles at the door and be in the moment.

“Students are under a lot of academic stress and they should have a little balance in their lives,” Conley said. “The meditation classes and Talkative Thursdays are some wonderful self care activities that they can do for themselves and I think they are really beneficial for students.”