Nearly 600 Keuka College students took part in a daylong wellness program that included presentations on mental health, financial management and substance use, according to the college’s account of Passport to Wellness.
The college set aside classes for the event, a first for the program. Organizers recorded 3,694 check-ins from 593 individual students across activities designed to address eight dimensions of wellness.
The check-in total counts visits to activities, not separate attendees. The college said it offered about 60 presentations and activities, giving students several ways to participate during the day.
Program ranged from mental health to money
Sessions addressed suicide prevention, stress management, substance use, financial management and ways to reconnect with nature. Students could also join wellness walks, visit therapy dogs, make self-care crafts, play lawn games and attend workshops on communication skills.
The mix was intended to let students choose resources that fit their circumstances, said Carrie Roberts, the college’s associate vice president for experiential education and wellness and one of the organizers. Roberts said the range gave students options for movement, managing stress, connecting with peers and finding purpose.
Roberts described the 593-student turnout and thousands of check-ins as evidence of broad participation. The release did not provide a comparable attendance figure for an earlier event.
Keynote focused on self-awareness and relationships
RaKim “RahK” Lash, a former Keuka director of student leadership and engagement, spoke to about 70 students, faculty and staff at the Dahlstrom Student Center. His presentation, “The Most Important Relationship We’ll Ever Have,” connected relationships with others to how people view and care for themselves.
Lash urged students to examine their emotional, mental and spiritual well-being and to consider how their view of themselves may differ from how others see them. He also encouraged them to seek help from faculty and staff when facing challenges.
“The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important relationship we will ever have,” Lash told the audience, according to the college. He said that outlook shapes other relationships, including how people respond to insecurity and assumptions about themselves.
The event was part of Keuka’s continuing effort to offer students different forms of health and wellness support, the college said.
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