As University students experienced the pressure of finals, the Honor Committee partnered with several wellness organizations on Grounds to provide opportunities to destress. From Dec. 6 to 15, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., students encountered new Well-Being Tables located in Clemons Library, Brown Library and the Music Library.
Resources, which ranged from pamphlets about wellness to mindfulness activities such as coloring pages, were included at the tables for students to utilize. These tables were not staffed at all times, relying on students’ honor to take the appropriate amount of resources they need.
Hamza Aziz, Honor Committee chair and fourth-year College student, said the Well-Being Tables consolidated already existing resources from different groups on Grounds.
“[The Honor Committee] thought tables in libraries could be a great avenue to just be there for students and provide an opportunity for them to take well-being or mindfulness breaks while they're studying during their time doing hard work there,” Aziz said. “We partnered with WahooWell to … be a presence in libraries for students to be able to take a break from studying.”
As the Committee planned the well-being events, they worked with Student Health and Wellness programs such as WahooWell and the Peer Health Educators. WahooWell is a program that offers a survey and follow-up appointments with a well-being facilitator to help students navigate their personal goals. The Peer Health Educators are a student group that promotes holistic well-being for students.
The Committee has been active during finals periods in past years, often providing snacks and energy drinks to fuel students. Nonetheless, previous years did not have a standing well-being initiative. Aziz said he hoped that this tradition will be one that continues throughout semesters in the future.
Danielle D’Andrea Black, the associate director of marketing and communications for SHW, said the collaboration with the Honor Committee was a great fit due to their shared goals to encourage resilience and stress management. Black said she and Aziz worked closely to select programs that would be most suitable for the tables.
“It is crucial to highlight the resources available at Student Health and Wellness during finals season since stress levels are higher during this period,” Black wrote in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. “This was the first year that Student Health and Wellness partnered with the Honor Committee for finals events, and we hope to continue this collaboration in the future.”
Well-Being tables are one of many ways SHW supported students during finals week. According to Black, the “Fuel for Finals” program provides similar resources, offering reflection rooms, coffee, snacks and mindfulness activities as part of an overarching goal to support students. The program is hosted on Wednesday mornings during finals season.
Similarly, the tables were part of a larger effort by the Honor Committee to have more established initiatives to support students throughout finals periods. Other components of their plan for finals periods included an open Grit Coffee tab for students as well as offering free calculators and blue books for one-time use.
The Well-Being tables’ lack of full-time staffing throughout the day specifically helps promote the community of trust and support that the Honor Committee hopes to encourage by allowing resources to stay open and accessible, according to Aziz. Aziz said he hopes students recognize that the Honor Committee is dedicated to them beyond just their academic integrity.
“We’re in a position to help our friends and peers, even if it's in a small way,” Aziz said. “I know a coloring page isn’t going to completely destress someone, but I think it’s just the notion of trying to help people and our friends and peers so I hope students see Honor as [wanting] to support them as we all navigate stressful periods.”
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