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Fall ‘Wellness’ Series Offered for Campus, Community

08/25/2015 

In keeping with a College priority of wellbeing, each semester SUNY Cortland offers weekly encouragement to the campus and community to pursue a lifetime of good health.

The Fall 2015 “Wellness Wednesday Series” will feature events intended to encourage campus and community members to learn more about health and wellness.

Programs continue through the fall semester with topics including yoga for beginners; using social media to improve one’s future professional reputation; a discussion on sexuality; understanding the connection between alcohol abuse and mental illness; good academic planning for wellness’ sake; and talking about race.

Primarily sponsored by the Health Promotion Office and the Student Development Center, the series will take place on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Corey Union Exhibition Lounge, unless otherwise noted. The events are free and open to the public.

    • On Sept. 2, the College will offer two sessions of “An Intro to Yoga” at the Student Life Center. Leading the workshops are Jeannine Gettis, a yoga instructor who works in the Student Life Center, at 6 p.m. and Louise Mahar, the College’s assistant director of recreational sports for fitness, at 7 p.m. Participants will experience a beginner-level yoga class and should dress in loose, comfortable clothing and bring a mat or towel.
    • Mary Dykeman, public health educator at the Jacobus Center for Reproductive Health, will give a talk on “Ten Things Every College Student Should Know About Sex” on Sept. 9. Being educated about sexuality is a must, according to Dykeman. She invites students to join a frank, informative and entertaining discussion.
      rock climbing wall
      A SUNY Cortland student tackles the rock climbing wall inside the new Student Life Center.
    • Participants can “Walk the Walk of Student Services” at an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 16 in Van Hoesen Hall and Corey Union. Visitors will be able to meet the student services staff and view the facilities of the University Police Department, student health services, counseling, student disability services, health promotion, substance abuse prevention and education, career services, residence life and housing, Academic Support and Achievement Program (ASAP), Emergency Squad, as well as Auxiliary Services Corporation nutrition services. Staff from the Division of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Multicultural Life and Diversity Office, and Campus Activities Office will meet students in the Corey Union lobby. Refreshments will be served and prizes raffled.
    • On Sept. 23, Andrea Hart, a registered dietician who is employed with the SUNY Cortland Auxiliary Services Corporation, will present “How to Eat Well in College.” She will offer tips for making healthy choices on and off campus.
    • Ross Szabo, an award winning motivational speaker, writer and trainer about the importance of mental health, will present “Mixed Drinks, Mixed Emotions: Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health” on Sept. 30 in the Corey Union Function Room. The co-author of Behind Happy Faces; Taking Charge of Your Mental Health and a blogger for The Huffington Post, Szabo has spoken to more than 1 million students. The Student Conduct Office organized and co-sponsored this program.
    • Gettis, who also works as a massage therapist, will provide an “Intro to Meditation” on Oct. 7 in the Student Life Center Mind Body Room. Gettis will share her knowledge about a practice that helps the individual to deeply relax the body and unwind the mind for stress reduction and better health.
    • On Oct. 14, a panel of students, faculty, staff and alumni will present “National Coming Out Day: Then and Now.” Panelists will share historical perspective, on campus and nationally, about individuals of all sexualities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual.
      exercise class
      A multitude of different recreation-minded groups meet to exercise at the Student Life Center.
    • The Multicultural Life and Diversity Office will host “Let’s Talk About Race: How Race Translates Internationally” on Oct. 21. Noelle Chaddock, the College’s chief diversity officer, and AnnaMaria Cirrincione, assistant director of multicultural life and diversity, will discuss how the global community understands race and racial difference. “As we encourage our community to ‘grab the world’ we also must pay attention to the intersection of race and internationalization,” explained Chaddock, who holds a doctorate in philosophy, interpretation and culture from Binghamton University. “We will examine how, as students, faculty and staff travel abroad and as we welcome international students to our campus community, the global community understands and articulates race and racial difference.”
    • Carolyn Bershad, director of counseling and student development, will offer tips and tools for building healthy relationships in her Oct. 28 talk titled “Healthy Relationships: What Do They Look Like?” The event begins at 6 p.m.
    • Academics are an important piece of a student’s academic wellness. With that in mind, staff from the Academic Support and Achievement Program (ASAP) will work with those in Advisement and Transition to present “Being Academically Well — Strategies and Resources for Success” on Nov. 4. The program teaches strategies for enhancing success in the classroom, including how to maximize all the resources available and how to use online tools.
    • On Nov. 11, Michele Baran, the College’s assistant director of career services and online operations specialist, will offer pointers on how to maximize a positive professional brand on social media and minimize online regrets. Her presentation, “Like a Tattoo: Digital Dirt, Social Media and Your Brand,” shares ideas about creating a positive, professional reputation while a student that is essential to success after college.
    • On Nov. 18, the campus and community are invited to take part in the “Great American SmokeOut” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Life Center. Health promotion interns will be available to help individuals sign a pledge on Wednesday to quit tobacco use for the day on Thursday or help someone they know to quit.

For more information or accommodation to attend an event, contact Lauren Herman, the College’s health educator, in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1, or 607-753-2066.