Rising stress from students is not exclusive to Fullerton College, as the overall mental health of students nationally has worsened in the past years. Studies done by the Healthy Minds Network have shown an increase of almost 5%, in depression rates, and a 7% increase in anxiety rates in the past three years.
Organized by President Cynthia Olivo, “Mellow into Midterms” took place in the heart of Fullerton College, the quad, to help students ease their stress as midterm exams approached from Monday, Oct. 2 to Thursday, Oct. 5.
Olivo said that students are more stressed at this point in the semester than any other. This information was gathered from faculty members speaking to the president at a meeting held in her office.“It was week six, you know, and I thought, wow, so the closer we get to midterms, I think the more stressed-out students are,” Olivo said.
Centered around a wall of festive well-wishes by students, the event offered a variety of activities for students to enjoy in-between their classes, or as a study break from the library.
“It was kind of out of nowhere, but like, it’s nice to see that they actually care,” said freshman Samantha Phomsopha.
Olivo said she was pleased upon the student response she observed. “I’ve seen one student… playing guitar by himself three weeks ago… and then last week he was out there with another electric guitar player and an acoustic guitar player, so three together, and there was a little crowd around him, ” said Olivo. “I really think it’s because we created this ambiance in the middle of the quad where people gather, and it’s like this point of activity.”
Some students enjoyed frisbee, others enjoyed table games such as Connect-Four, Jenga, Corn hole, and more. “I actually yelled out to one of the, I think, helpers, and then I asked him to toss a Frisbee towards us,” said sophomore Wesley Han. “It was really fun.”
Under the tents, rows of tables with not only FC programs for mental health, but blank coloring books, packs of crayons, and beads for bracelet creation greeted participants. These small gestures led to the sights and sounds in the quad consisting of smiles and laughter.
“If you can find a moment to laugh and find joy, and I think, especially a sense of community… that should be the takeaway,” said Mindful Growth Initiative Co-Coordinator Sarah Kaump.
The college also continues to offer a variety of services in connection with “mindfulness,” through clubs, activities, and even classes that fulfill the “E”, Life-Long Learning and Self-Development requirement to transfer.
President Olivo said that there are other impacts on mental health aside from school, and FC’s resources intend to combat those stressors. “If you’re going through stress and it feels overwhelming, we have our Wellness Center and our psychologists. If you’re experiencing homelessness, we have our food pantry that provides other resources and support, and we partnered with a group called Pathways of Hope to provide those resources,” said Olivo.
Other programs offered for mental health support are Rad Care Tuesdays, Mindful Mondays and free counseling.
“Our job is to help find you resources and to really partner with you as you navigate your undergraduate college experience,” said Olivo.
If you missed “Mellow into Midterms,” Olivo said it will be back when final exams approach, at the end of this semester.
