Learning to Relax

By Rebecca Hugh

As it winds down to the end of the semester, students have papers due, assignments proliferating, finals approaching, and the need to still think about buying family members Christmas gifts. However, on Nov. 9, students had to the opportunity to destress from all those exhaustions.

CAB allowed students to pre-purchase tickets to the spa day and therapy dog session held in the SCC boardrooms. Between the hours of 1pm-5pm, students were able to get their nails done, play with adorable puppies, get a hand and back massage, and enjoy finger foods and coffee or fruit smoothies.

Tony Feiler, a senior majoring in criminal justice and a member of the CAB team, said “a lot of people had just got done with midterms and other exams are coming up as well. And, around this time is where research papers and a lot of other articles are due. So, it is a very stressful time right before the Thanksgiving break. Therefore, we wanted to help them get back to a realistic stress level. So, we decided to bring in manicurists, hand masseuses, and therapy puppies for them.”

Feiler went on to express how involving the local community businesses is not only beneficial for us, but for them as well.

All representatives were local; volunteers who brought the therapy dogs on campus were from Dade City, Masseuses were employees of Massage Envy from Wesley Chapel, and beverages were provided by A Cup of Organic Café just down the road from campus.

Local volunteers brought 8-10 dogs to campus. These dogs are therapy dogs who have had training and make frequent visits to hospitals, schools, nursing homes, colleges, hospice centers, and detention centers. Collectively the dogs and volunteers have traveled to Michigan, the Zion National Park, and Yellow Stone, just to name a few places.

“They just go to give a smile to those less fortunate and make them have a happy day,” said Rae Rice, a volunteer who works with therapy dogs. “The therapy dogs relax you, and if you have high blood pressure, it lowers it. Overall, snuggling with dogs is good for your general health because it relaxes and makes you feel really good.”

Light finger food and beverages were provided. To support the local community, CAB brought in Douglas Torres from the “A Cup of Organic” Café, a small café located on St. Rd. 52, where bagels, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, smoothies, hot/cold frappuccino’s and Americanos are sold. For the event, Torres brought coffee, delicious wild berry and mango smoothies to aid in setting the atmosphere of relaxation and destressing.

“I colored bags, drank coffee, signed up for nails, and pet the dogs. That was fun because we all miss our dogs, so that was nice. This should happen more often, once a month at least. Because it was very helpful in destressing me,” said Allison Cobb, a freshman majoring in global studies.

Through the Ministry Department, “A Cup of Organic” Café also hosts open-mic-night where students are allowed to perform or express themselves either through poetry, singing, or any other talent they may have.

The therapeutic event was a definite success. Students looked more relaxed upon leaving.

“I cried as I pet the therapy dogs! But, I signed up for nails and massages, and I cannot wait to get my nails done! I mainly hung out with the dogs, though. I think we should have that more often; it was a big help with relieve of stress from the first semester,” said Jessica Hertel, a freshman majoring in biomedical and health sciences.

If you missed this event, CAB will have this on-campus program again next semester around the same time; after midterms, before finals. As students prepare for the battle of doing finals, this event was a perfect way to de-stress and reenergize to take on what

has yet to come.

Social Media