Follow Jani and Kena from the Bell Tower to Campus Health Services.
Niranjani Radhakrishnan received her BSPH from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill in 2013. She is currently a Program Assistant for Health Promotion and Prevention Initiatives at Student Wellness. She is also in graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill pursuing two masters degrees: Health Behavior and City and Regional Planning with an emphasis in environmental justice, health equity, and spatial analysis using GIS.
Kena Watson is Health Promotion and Prevention Initiatives at Student Wellness. She earned her Masters in Psychology from the North Carolina Central University.She is passionate about promoting healthy body image and self-esteem in women. While working in Student Wellness Kena serves as a BASICS facilitator; a program geared at providing a harm reduction approach to alcohol consumption among college students.
Studies show that students consistently rate stress as the most significant factor negatively impacting their academic performance. But the P.A.S.S. (Peak Academic Success and Satisfaction) Program is here to help! Find time to take care of yourself while you study at this even on December 3, 2015.
What is P.A.S.S.? P.A.S.S. is put together by UNC Student Wellness each year on Reading Day. It’s geared at providing a stress relief study break for students. Last year about 500 students got creative at the Joe and Van Gogh painting and coloring stations, crafted friendship bracelets, tapped into their inner yogi, made yummy parfaits, and much more! You can expect these same great activities this year along with many more. And there will be free catered food by local restaurants. Also, learn about self-care, time management and effective study strategies.
Location: Carolina Great Hall
When: December 3, 2015
Time: 6pm–9pm
Cost: FREE FREE FREE!
What will you find?
Food catered by Vimala’s Curryblossom Café, Jersey Mike’s, and Amante pizza
Coffee provided by Alpine and Daily Grind
Arts and crafts
Video games
Yoga and meditation
A space to take a breather with your friends!
This event is co-sponsored by Carolina Dining Services, Office of Student Conduct, UNC Campus Health Services, Campus Rec, I.T.C., Housing, LGBTQ Center, Office of the Dean of Students, Academic Advising, D.I.C.E, Carolina Women’s Center, New Student and Carolina Parents Programs.
Bring your friend and come to P.A.S.S. for a fun (and productive) time before finals!
Earlier this month, residents of Chapel Hill elected a mayor, four town council members, and four school board members. All three elections were close and contested. An incumbent mayor lost in Chapel Hill for the first time in five decades and a single percentage point decided many of the other races. In addition, voters approved bonds for over $40 million to be spent on parks, solid waste, streets, sidewalks, and storm water infrastructure. (1)
These local officials and policy decisions will have an impact on the entire Chapel Hill community, including students at UNC.
Participation in US presidential elections tends to hover around 50% voter turnout. In midterm years those numbers are smaller. In off years, where only local elections are on the ballot, the numbers are dismal. (2) The estimated voter turnout for our recent election was 16%. This means only one in six eligible voters in Chapel Hill went to the polls this year. (3)
Considering how close the recent elections were, these numbers are concerning and indicate that a fairly small minority of voters are making decisions for the vast majority of residents.
While efforts to increase voter participation need to continue, and conversations that question who is and who is not eligible to vote in the first place need to be considered; it’s also important to note that there are lots of other ways to engage with and influence our community throughout the year.
Student voices are an important part of Chapel Hill’s social and environmental wellness. Students have a lot to offer the community, and in turn, the students have a lot they could learn from our town.
“Chapel Hill NC 1969.” 2012 by davecito. Flickr.
Below are a few ways you can become more civically engaged in our town outside of Election Day.
Chapel Hill Town Council Meetings are held at Chapel Hill Town Hall on Monday nights at 7 pm. These meetings are open to the public and include time for residents to learn about town governance and policy as well as speak and contribute to the conversation. If you are curious about what issues are at play in Chapel Hill, this is a great place to start. (4)
Chapel Hill has around 20 resident advisory groups that help shape town policy on issues ranging from the environment to art, parking to human rights, and cemeteries to libraries. Resident advisory groups typically meet once a month and allow individuals to get hands-on experience with issues they care deeply about. Check the town website regularly for vacancies and consider applying. (5)
Perhaps the most important way to be civically engaged and contribute to the town environmental and social wellness is to explore, be present, and give back. Challenge yourself to check out all that Chapel Hill has to offer and figure out ways you can contribute to the collective community. Buses are always free and there are amazing resources around town that depict the history, culture, and vibrancy of this community.
For a deeper look and appreciation of the Northside and Pine Knolls, two of Chapel Hill’s most historic and important neighborhoods, go to the Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History. For a broader view of the many things Chapel Hill has to offer, check out the Visitors Center on Franklin Street. (6) (7)
Will McInerney is a Program Assistant at Student Wellness with the UNC Men’s Project. Will’s work focuses on engaging men in gender equity and violence prevention efforts at UNC Chapel Hill. Will is also a freelance writer and radio producer, a regular contributor to the Chapel Hill News, News and Observer, and North Carolina Public Radio, and has been featured on NPR, American Public Media, and Al Jazeera English.
When reviewing crime statistics, a simple truth becomes apparent; male-identified individuals commit the VAST majority of all acts of violence in our society.
Yet, another truth remains; the majority of men don’t commit or condone violence. And many men and boys are subjected to some form of violence at the hands of other men. (1)
How do we reconcile these ideas? How do we play a role in reducing violence on our campus and in our communities back home? What are we going to do about this fundamental “men’s issue” that affects us all?
At Carolina there are a TON of resources including staff, faculty, classes, and student groups working to create a safer campus. You can find many of them at the SAFE.UNC.EDU website. (2)
One of the resources available at UNC that is aimed directly at male-identified students is The UNC Men’s Project. The UNC Men’s Project is a new initiative started in 2013 that seeks to create opportunities for male-identified students to learn, listen, reflect, and work together to increase men’s involvement in gender equity and violence prevention efforts. The UNC Men’s project works to promote positive, healthy, inclusive, and non-violent masculinities.
The UNC Men’s Project recruits a core group of men on campus to participate in a 10-session program each semester that explores a spectrum of masculinities, examines how our own stories are shaped by masculinity, and gives participants the tools and knowledge to become peer allies, leaders, and educators in violence prevention and gender equity efforts at UNC.
Applications for the Fall Semester Men’s Project Cohort are Due September 22nd. Click here to APPLY.
You should consider applying if you are interested in:
joining a network of male-identified individuals interested in talking about masculinity and promoting positive masculinities;
gaining leadership skills;
learning about the impact of masculinity on ourselves and our society;
exploring your own story; and
becoming a trained ally and peer educator.
The UNC Men’s Project is committed to using an intersectional approach to discussing masculinity, and working with a diverse group of men who identify across the spectrum of sexuality and who come from different class, ability, racial, religious, and ethnic groups.
All currently enrolled male-identified UNC students (graduate and undergraduate) are welcome and encouraged to apply. (3)
To learn more about the UNC Men’s Project, check out their Website and consider applying today!
To learn more about all the other resources on campus that are working towards creating a safer and more equitable community, check out the Safe at UNC website.
With the leadership and support of a spectrum of groups, departments, and programs at UNC, let’s make this new school year a safer, more equitable, and inclusive experience for everyone.
UNC Student Wellness believes that student and community health choices involve the integration of eight dimensions of wellness. To illustrate these dimensions, the staff at Student Wellness looked to our pets to bring you examples of how they embody each dimension of wellness.
Cultural wellness. Pictured: Mary’s cats Buffy and Giles helping to create a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ beings of all species.
Emotional wellness. Pictured: Diana’s dog Bea liking (and licking) what she sees in the mirror, demonstrating her fabulous body image and self-acceptance.
Physical wellness. Pictured: Kate’s dog CJ getting her jump/fly/swim on at Uwharrie National Forest. Pictured: two litters of puppies napping together for their physical wellness.
Environmental wellness. Pictured: Diana’s dog Bea out for a fun day of sailing on Jordan Lake. Here, she’s taking in the splendor of the lake and thinking very thoughtfully about air quality. Pictured: Kelli’s former foster dog Kori rolling around in the grass to scratch her back.
Intellectual wellness. Pictured: Kate’s dog CJ demonstrating an important part of intellectual wellness: sometimes you need a study break! Pictured: Mary’s cat Giles learning how to play a new game and demonstrating that intellectual wellness can be fun and social! Pictured: Kate’s dog CJ catching up on this week’s biggest news stories.
Financial wellness. Pictured: Diana’s dog Bea managing her personal finances; setting finance goals for the upcoming year.
Social wellness. Pictured: Part of social wellness is also knowing when not to be social by finding time for yourself. Here is Brittany’s cat Noble in a box, finding some time and space to be alone. Or nap. Both are important for maintaining social wellness. Pictured: Mary’s cats Buffy and Giles spending time together and bonding over looking at some birds outside. Pictured: Natalie’s adopted kittens demonstrating some solid peer support — an essential component of social wellness.
Spiritual wellness. Pictured: This is Brittany’s cat Barnes. He like to take time for self reflection every day. Usually while using his tail as a pillow. Pictured: Pedro, a recently adopted dog with Triangle Beagle Rescue, looks up at the heavens and smiles.
This blog was originally posted on November 18, 2014, and was written by the Student Wellness staff!
Now that the move-in, orientation, and FallFest dust has (somewhat) settled, you may be asking yourself some questions: What the heck is Sakai? Did I just subscribe to more listservs than any human person should ever subscribe to? Why do we already have homework? And perhaps, more broadly: how will I spend my remaining years at UNC and make my mark on this campus?
If you’ve been asking yourself this last question — and are interested in the health and wellness of yourself and your fellow students — Student Wellness offers several opportunities for you to get involved in the work that we do!
Diversity & Inclusiveness in a College Environment (DICE):
DICE aims to create greater diversity awareness and programming around inclusiveness for students at UNC.
Join if you want to…
Create a strong media campaign for diversity and inclusiveness
Engage students’ awareness of issues such as race, class, ability, privilege, etc.
Integrate various campus departments and offices to identify student perspectives on diversity and promote involvement in diversity issues on campus
Support and encourage diversity and effect a more inclusive environment
For more information, e-mail studentwellness@unc.edu
Healthy Heels Ambassadors
HHA is a group of peer educators that raise awareness, educate, and offer supportive resources to empower students to make healthier choices that improves the collective health of the UNC-CH community.
Join if you want to…
Gain leadership experience
Make a meaningful difference on campus
Possibility of opportunities to visit professional conferences
Develop an area of expertise
Become a mentor
HAVE FUN!
For more information, e-mail studentwellness@unc.edu
Interactive Theatre Carolina (ITC)
ITC uses the tools of theatre to talk about difficult issues around health, wellness, and equity.
Join if you want to…
Learn about and engage in conversations about JUSTICE and HEALTH!
Perform and EDUCATE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS annually!
BUILD YOUR ACTING RESUME with new theatre trainings (Theatre of the Oppressed, Forum Theatre, Image Theatre), character work, and improv)!
For more information, e-mail ITC@unc.edu
One Act
One Act’s student organization seeks to further the mission of One Act skills trainings through encouraging bystander intervention to prevent violence. One Act and One Act for Greeks skills trainings teach Carolina students the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognize the early warning signs of violence and take preventive action in your everyday life.
Join if you want to…
Plan violence prevention events throughout the year
Connect with other students invested in violence prevention
Discuss ways to safely intervene in problematic situations
Gain knowledge of campus prevention and response resources
Contribute to a safer campus environment
For more information, e-mail OneAct@unc.edu
Carolina Recovery Community
Our goal is to enable our students to enjoy a normal substance-free collegiate experience while excelling at UNC-CH.
Join if you want to…
Do fun stuff– like ropes courses, hiking, sober tailgates, and more
Gain recovery, academic resources, and other support services
Develop a sense of community with other students in recovery
Find a Mentor
Get involved with the Carolina Recovery Group
For more information, e-mail carolinarecovery@unc.edu
Sister Talk
Sister Talk is a group for women of color who would like to discuss any relational, transitional change that is impacting their ability to successfully be the best they can be.
Join if…
You are a woman of color
You are interested in discussing relationships, self-care, work/life balance, academic success, managing stress, and self-image, among other topics!
For more information, e-mail studentwellness@unc.edu
UNC Men’s Project
We seek to create opportunities for male-identified students to increase men’s involvement in gender equity and violence prevention efforts.
Consider applying if you want to…
Connect with a network of male-identified individuals interested in talking about masculinity and promoting positive masculinities
Gain leadership skills
Learn about the impact of masculinity on ourselves and our society
Explore your own story
Become a trained ally and peer educator
Use social media to help create awareness on campus
For more information, e-mail UNCMensProject@gmail.com
Stay tuned for more ways you can get involved with Student Wellness this year, including attending a training and making an appointment!
“You can do it…push yourself…keep going…DIG DEEP!” says the super pumped professional fitness class instructor, as I vigorously take breaths to sooth the discomfort that my chest is in from working out. I hear him telling me to ‘keep going’, even though my legs are ready to buckle from exhaustion and constant beads of sweat find their way into my eyeballs causing more discomfort. I am fatigued and my body is aching and all I can think to myself is, “No, Super-Pumped-Professional-Fitness-Class-Instructor—I cannot keep going…aaaand because you are going to keep my $10 for this class, I am just going to leave now.”
This, my friends, is a prime example of me listening to my body. I could have ‘dug deep’ and continue to push my body, but it was clear that my body was telling me to stop. Listening to your body, pretty much means being aware and in tune with how your body is feeling and reacting (usually physical, but not all the time). How did I know my body was screaming at me to stop? Or that doing an extra rep could cause me injury? Welp, not being able to breathe was one sign.
Joe Vennare, from Greatist.com , lists some common warning signs to ‘listen’ for to prevent three problematic conditions that occur often while working out:
Overtraining: Take time for your body to rest and recover!
Injury: Be sure to stretch, take breaks, and get doctor check-ups often!
Disordered sleep: There is nothing wrong with an ‘adult bedtime’. Good sleep is needed to function!
Yes, physical wellness is important to consider when thinking about positive health and wellness. Yes, we know that there are things in life that have to be done like….right now, but just pause for a second! Let your body in on the conversation and listen to what it is saying to you.
I am a crafter. I craft any and all things because it is a great way for me to relieve stress, plus I am intuitively good at it. I usually give gifts and crafts all year long, but this past holiday season, I hand sewed 32 scarves from fabric that I handpicked myself (If I could have made the fabric myself, believe me, I would have). Granted, I spent about $300 on all of the supplies needed, which was a grip! But if you really think about it, I spent less than $10 per person, which is a preeeeeetty good.
As I finished the last scarf, I began to think to myself, “Why am I doing this?” Welp! The answer is simple—I love the gift of giving. Not only does it give me satisfaction to know that I am giving, but it makes it even MORE special that the item is personalized and specific for that individual. It truly does put me in great spirit.
Giving makes us feel happy. Research shows that when someone gives something that is nice for someone else, it activates parts of the brain that is associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust. Endorphins are also released in the brain that creates an overall positive feeling.
Giving is good for our health. Research has connected different forms of giving to having better health. Researchers think this is due to the act of giving, which decreases stress.
Giving promotes cooperation and social connection. Several studies suggest that people who give are more likely to be rewarded by others and sometimes by the person you gave to. This helps create trust and a higher sense of interdependence.
Giving evokes gratitude. ‘Counting your blessings’ can illicit feelings of gratitude, which research shows, is essential to health, happiness, and social connections.
Giving is contagious. Giving inspires others to want to give. A study showed that when one person gives, it inspires observers to want to give later and to different people.
So, considering all of the health benefits and how easy it is to give—big or small—try to give often!
UNC Student Wellness believes that student and community health choices involve the integration of eight dimensions of wellness. To illustrate these dimensions, the staff at Student Wellness looked to our pets to bring you examples of how they embody each dimension of wellness.
Cultural wellness. Pictured: Mary’s cats Buffy and Giles helping to create a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ beings of all species.
Emotional wellness. Pictured: Diana’s dog Bea liking (and licking) what she sees in the mirror, demonstrating her fabulous body image and self-acceptance.
Physical wellness. Pictured: Kate’s dog CJ getting her jump/fly/swim on at Uwharrie National Forest. Pictured: two litters of puppies napping together for their physical wellness.
Environmental wellness. Pictured: Diana’s dog Bea out for a fun day of sailing on Jordan Lake. Here, she’s taking in the splendor of the lake and thinking very thoughtfully about air quality. Pictured: Kelli’s former foster dog Kori rolling around in the grass to scratch her back.
Intellectual wellness. Pictured: Kate’s dog CJ demonstrating an important part of intellectual wellness: sometimes you need a study break! Pictured: Mary’s cat Giles learning how to play a new game and demonstrating that intellectual wellness can be fun and social! Pictured: Kate’s dog CJ catching up on this week’s biggest news stories.
Financial wellness. Pictured: Diana’s dog Bea managing her personal finances; setting finance goals for the upcoming year.
Social wellness. Pictured: Part of social wellness is also knowing when not to be social by finding time for yourself. Here is Brittany’s cat Noble in a box, finding some time and space to be alone. Or nap. Both are important for maintaining social wellness. Pictured: Mary’s cats Buffy and Giles spending time together and bonding over looking at some birds outside. Pictured: Natalie’s adopted kittens demonstrating some solid peer support — an essential component of social wellness.
Spiritual wellness. Pictured: This is Brittany’s cat Barnes. He like to take time for self reflection every day. Usually while using his tail as a pillow. Pictured: Pedro, a recently adopted dog with Triangle Beagle Rescue, looks up at the heavens and smiles.
Historically, many of us may have thought about health as the absence of disease. If you ask a 4-year-old if they are healthy, they would probably respond yes, as long as they did not have a cold, the flu, a broken arm, or are confined to a hospital bed. However, we now recognize that being healthy is more than just not being sick, and it is also more than having chiseled abs and eating spinach with every meal.
Photo (The Disappearing Intellectual) by (Truthout.org) , Flickr Creative Commons
This month we are focusing on intellectual health and it really got me to thinking: what the heck is intellectual health, and am I intellectually healthy? My initial reaction is, “Of course I am intellectually healthy. I am ‘open minded.’ I try to stay up to date on current affairs and think globally. I must be doing great, right?”
Well…not necessarily. These could be part of intellectual health, but it is more than this.
Intellectual health is not about “knowing lots,” or being able to quote Nietzsche and sound “wicked smart” (insert Boston accent). I looked up Intellectual Wellness on a number of different sites, including ours, and found one definition from The University of New Hampshire that I really liked (though I liked ours as well).
Intellectual wellness is being open to new ideas, thinking critically, and seeking out new challenges.
So what does this mean? When we say we are open-minded, are we really open to new ideas, or only things that we may not have known about or experienced but fit very nicely within our world view? Do we really think critically about our deep founded beliefs and question why we believe what we do? Do we challenge ourselves on a daily basis, and when I say challenge I don’t mean by overcoming our fear of heights or running a marathon, but I mean challenge ourselves intellectually and culturally?
I think a lot of us don’t, regardless of where we stand on the cultural or political spectrum. So as you begin this new school year, I challenge you, and I challenge myself to not only focus on our physical and emotional health but also on our intellectual health. Hang out with people who are different than you. Go someplace that you would not normally go where people think and act differently than you. Take a class that is totally outside of your comfort zone. You will be healthier for it.
UNC Healthy Heels 