Unplug for the day

Earlier this year, an email sent by Academic Vice President Dr. Robert Young, informed Southern Adventist University students that the winter semester would start on January 19th, which was pushed back from the original start date, and that Southern would reduce spring break to a day on Thursday, March 18 in order to maintain the original end date for the winter semester. Although these decisions were made with the intention of protecting the physical well-being of the entire campus from traveling and potentially bringing the virus back to campus, the current program does not take into account the mental health needs of our campus.

 

In addition to this, the modification of the attendance policy reinforced the expectation of in-person class attendance, during a pandemic year. The current semester forces students and faculty to go for 104 days (January 19, 2021 – May 3, 2021) over the course of about 14 weeks with a one-day spring break. Students will be required to work nonstop, in a highly stressful environment for 14 straight weeks with no break to look forward to. Furthermore, after those weeks of class, students will then be expected to take and pass their finals. Having no days off, can not only negatively impact the wellbeing of students, but it affects the teaching capabilities, mental health, and emotional wellbeing of our professors and other faculty members.

 

I am proposing two days dedicated to wellness that would give students the opportunity to get some much-needed sleep, catch up on difficult classes, and do other activities that promote rest in order to perform their best. These days would be scattered between now and the end of the school semester, during which there would be no classes (in person or on zoom), assignments due or tests. Breaks from the intensity of the semester are important and this academic year presents a unique situation. It has shown us that we are able to come together as a school to make things happen. Covid fatigue, academic and physical burnout are real. The challenges related to mental health on our campus are real. All the policies set in place to protect us, like wearing masks and keeping our distance are beneficial but they cause students to feel lonely and trapped.

 

Although Administration is aware that the impact of Covid 19 has more than doubled cases of mental health issues among college students, no practical steps have been taken to implement changes and make adjustments that help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Southern would not be alone in instituting wellness days. The following universities Harvard University, Penn State, and Duke University are just some that have decided to add wellness days to their calendars. Other colleges in our area implementing Mental Health or Wellness breaks are:

Lee University:

https://www.leeuniversity.edu/event/personal-wellness-days-no-classes-2/

University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK): 

https://studentlife.utk.edu/wellness-wednesdays/

Penn State:

https://news.psu.edu/story/634794/2020/10/08/campus-life/penn-state-create-wellness-days-spring-2021-semester

Duke University:

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2020/11/duke-university-spring-2021-calendar-now-includes-two-day-break-wellness-day

Harvard:

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/10/30/fas-spring-2020-wellness-days/

Therefore, I ask that we prioritize our well-being by rallying together to create a period of relief.

 

Sheryl Kambuni

Southern Adventist University SA President 20-21