De-Stress Day at Prince William Campus

By Broadside Correspondent Rashad Mulla

An hour away from the George Mason University Fairfax campus, students started their semester with a snooze.

University Life services at Mason’s Prince William campus hosted the first De-Stress Day of the spring semester Thursday, Feb. 21. This marks the second year the campus will host the monthly program.

Starting at 10 a.m., students trickled in and out of Bull Run Hall’s atrium to pick up granola bars, water, Goldfish snack crackers and other healthy snacks and to listen to presentations from various Mason health and wellness services representers.

The event drew to a close at 2 p.m.

Those who were able to stick around for a few minutes between classes were treated to free massages courtesy of Mason’s Freedom Center on the Prince William campus. Students, staff and faculty all took advantage of this offer.

“I kind of zoned out in my massage world,” said Assistant Dean Charvis Campbell, one of the event’s organizers. It was hard for him to “get back to reality,” he said.

The same massage services are available for a fee regularly at the Freedom Center, but the day’s events were sponsored by University Life. Students just passing through took full advantage of the available massage services.

“Normally, there are wicked-long lines for the massages [at the Freedom Center],” said Tanya Ballestrini, special events coordinator for University Life at Prince William. “Here, [students] could come at their own leisure.”

The event drew around 50 people throughout the day, according to Ballestrini, a junior and a tourism and events management major.

The turnout was not quite what Ballestrini expected, but she felt the smaller crowd did have its benefits.
“It’s what the day is meant to be,” she said. “It’s easy coming and going [for the] students.”

Still, Ballestrini would like to see Prince William’s student population of above 2,000 attend more events.
Since the campus is smaller than the main Fairfax campus, University Life organizes more small events to help students get through the day.

“I feel it’s important that the students know we’re looking out for them,” Ballestrini said. “They take the time to travel here, so they might as well enjoy it.”

Compared to the Fairfax campus, the Prince William campus is much smaller, but more tight-knit and student-oriented, Ballestrini said. They will host another De-Stress day next month, as well as many other events.

They host a social networking event for graduate students, a family movie night and a concert series, called Randall’s Rhythms, all once a month.

Next month’s De-Stress Day, which will be held on March 27, promises to include even more specialized services, such as longer presentations from the health services.

“It’s exciting to know we’re connecting students,” Campbell said. “After they hop on the shuttle or drive for an hour, they’re still connected to the larger Mason.”