As a mental health advocate, self-care is very important to me. One of my favorite things about my major, Behavioral Biology, is that we place such a strong focus on caring for ourselves and each other. This semester alone, my department has hosted numerous non-academic events including a beginning-of-the-year BBQ, Halloween party, and dedicated self-care night.
To coordinate these events, our teaching professors work with a steering committee made up of involved students who apply to be the ‘leaders’ of the major. They serve as contact points for fellow students, and since we are a smaller major with less than 200 students, the steering committee members get to know each of us quite well.
The first event my department hosted was the First Week of Classes BBQ. Our department head, Dr. Bohn, brought her dog, set up a grill, and spent a few hours of her evening chatting with us. The steering committee planned a few get-to-know-you games, and we all were able to hang out and make some new friends with those in our department, especially those who had just declared their major. At this event, I was able to talk to my primary investigator (PI), professor, and faculty mentor in a completely non-academic setting. Although the conversation did occasionally drift to the fascinating new research on primates, I got to know him on a much more personal level. It was the perfect way to kick-start the fall semester and reconnect (or connect!) with my peers before we began the academic year.
About halfway into the semester, the steering committee hosted a self-care night for students. We gathered one evening in our department’s conference room with beverages, snacks, face masks, and fidgets to just hang out and talk to each other. All of the Behavioral Biology students are so sweet, and I was able to recharge while enjoying an evening in their company. Although these photos won’t see the public eye for a long time, we have some silly snapshots of animal themed facemasks and headbands.
Not long after the self-care night, Halloween rolled around. Our department head, Dr. Bohn, adores Halloween and went all out for us. She decorated the hallway, had a photobooth set up, a conference room full of snacks and Halloween-themed trinkets, and even had fun facts about bats hidden around the building. Of course, she brought in her dog Doh and dressed up too. Although I was only able to stop by for 15 minutes, the event was ongoing for the whole day. Along with many other students, I was able to enjoy the Halloween festivities in the middle of a busy day and take a break from my regularly scheduled programming.
These three events were only the ones I was able to attend. The steering committee has hosted other events such as Bats and Baos for students to mingle with each other over free food, which is very valuable to college students. Through my department, I have been able to get so much self-care in and balance my academic focus with my health. Dr. Bohn and the steering committee are always looking out for us and finding creative ways to find breaks.
