Welcome to Wellness

Tired of the same old, same old...

Here's 101 fun things to do at SHU and in the surrounding area brought to you by your s.w.e.e.t. peer educators...

1. Work up a sweat at the Pitt
2. Watch your favorite must-see TV shows with your roommates
3. Go ice skating at Wonderland of Ice or catch a hockey game!
4) Decorate your room for the holidays
5. Grab your friends and get a bite to eat at the diner on Main Street 
6. Go to the plays on Broadway in NYC – on your own or through Student Activities
7. Lace up your running shoes and go for a run
8. Laugh, cry or scream? Go to the movies and escape for a while. Fairfield Community Theatre is super cheap!
9. Hang out and relax with friends at Holy Grounds (first building of CWC)
10. Perfect your pool shark skills in Hawley Lounge
11. Go to the mall and window shop
12. Get a job so you don’t have to just window shop
13. Cool shoes. Go bowling at Nutmeg Bowl
14. Participate in a Habitat for Humanity Work Day – look for their e-mails
15) Rent some movies from Redbox and have a movie marathon, complete with popcorn
16. Expand your horizons – go to one of the many cultural and international events on campus
17. Check out a Sound Tigers or Bridgeport Bluefish game at Harbor yard in Bridgeport
18. Join a Club or Organization and meet people who share your interests 
19. Give that physics text book a break and read to little kids instead. Participate in a Read- A- Loud Day at a Bridgeport School with the Service Learning Office
20. Play cards or board games with friends
21. Go for a walk and kick through the fall leaves
22. Bring out your inner interior designer and rearrange your room

23. Pick up some new moves - go see a dance recital on campus
24. Bake something yummy
25. Go to Penfield Beach for an afternoon to take a break from the campus scene
26. Go to Bingo on campus – they have some seriously big prizes
27. Check out a theatrical or musical performance at the Edgerton. Most shows are free or totally affordable on a student budget 
28. Go pumpkin picking at Jones Farm in Shelton
29. Find a haunted hayride/corn maze/house in the month of October...just Google and pick the scariest one!
30. Missing your pet? Go see some other animals; the Beardsley Zoo is right in Bridgeport
31. Take a trip to New Haven, a great college town
32. Get out the plastic and hit the outlets in Clinton or Westbrook (buses through Student Activities will take you during the holiday season)
33. Go food shopping and stock up on some goodies
34. Take a study break and share a sundae at Friendly’s
35. Go for a hike and enjoy the amazing fall weather in New England 
36. Check out the new Starbucks Café at the library for a cup-a-joe and a little quiet conversation
37. Pamper yourself and go get your nails done
38. Work on your spike & hook shot - play beach volleyball or basketball outside the dorms
39. Nothing beats a good laugh. Check out one of the comedians sponsored by Student Activities...daily events! 
40. Hang out with Big Red - attend an athletic game and cheer on your Pioneers!
41. Be the Mickelson...go to the driving range and work on your swing...
42. Black Rock Turnpike: A really popular area with many restaurants and shops. Check the SHUttle schedule for info
43. Colony Grill: Share a pie or a pizza, depending on where you’re from
44. Discovery Museum: Less than a quarter of a mile from SHU down Park Avenue
45. Check out the concerts at Harbor Yard or Mohegan Sun 
46. Trip to Boston: Roughly 2 hours’ drive from SHU. Take the SHUttle to the transit system in downtown Bridgeport and plan your trip!
47. Mr. SHU (spring semester): Very popular event on campus. Get your guy friends to participate and go cheer them on (IT’S FREE FOR SHU STUDENTS!)
48. SHUidol: Try out for SHUidol yourself or support your friends week after week!
49) Grab some friends and play basketball behind Merton
50. Jennings Beach is a local favorite 
51. Head out to the quad or a local park to play Frisbee or football
52. Be adventurous - cook for your roommates
53. Play video games or enter a tournament at Hawley Lounge
54. Get your yogurt on: Head over to Pinkberry or Sixteen Handles
55. Take the shuttle to Main Street and head across the street from Stop n Shop to get some great Italian food at Mario the Baker
56. Go watch the Yankees, Red Sox, Pats, Jets or Giants & grab the best wings in town at Archie Moore’s
57. Take a ride over to Barnes and Noble in Westport to browse, read a book and grab a cup of coffee
58. Check out the waterfront atmosphere, great restaurants and shops of SoNo (South Norwalk)
59. Host a poker tournament with your friends 
60. Volunteer through the Service Learning Office and work in the local schools, soup kitchens, elderly homes, or through city clean-up programs. There are so many people who need your help! 
61. Looking for a thrill? Head out to an amusement park – Lake Compounce or Six Flags New England
62. Make a new playlist of your favorite songs
63. Check out the great vibe & live music at Las Vetas Lounge, 27 Unquowa Road in Fairfield
64. Go get a new hairstyle
65. Join a dance, exercise, yoga, or martial arts class
66. Be creative. Paint a picture or write a poem
67. Is your closet a scary place? Sort through your stuff and donate clothes to Goodwill
68. Participate in a benefit walk for your favorite cause
69. Plan this year’s Halloween costume
70. Talk to your RA! They are always busy planning programs for their residents
71. Larger than Life - check out the Imax Theater at the Norwalk Aquarium
72. Tie dye shirts – an old school college tradition
73. Have a water balloon fight while the weather is still warm
74. Invite a friend from home to come visit you at SHU for the weekend
75) create a scavenger hunt
76. Watch your favorite movie and quote your favorite lines
77. Make a memory book/scrap book of your favorite photos
78. Smoothie heaven – Robecks.
79. Get your groove on - attend a concert at SHU
80. Have a salon night in your suite – be brave & dye your hair!
81. Attend colloquia.
82. Check out some of the great guest speakers that come to SHU 
83. Put down the Ramen noodles & head out to the Chef’s Table – a SHU favorite.
84. Go bargain hunting at Marshall’s- on Main Street on the right past Stop and Shop 
85. The Big E – the biggest fair in the Northeast – is here until September 30^th!
86. Treat yourself to a massage – Massage Envy has some good deals!
87. Have a picnic- pack some sandwiches, drinks and a blanket and head out to your favorite patch of grass to enjoy a beautiful day 
88. Read the Spectrum (SHU newspaper)- found all over the academic building and in the library
89. Our all-time favorite - take a nap
100. Walk around downtown Westport, a gorgeous spot right on the water 
101. Is your room or apartment looking a little pathetic? Head to IKEA in New Haven to do a little redecorating. 

Sleep in College – A necessity or a luxury?

We all know about the crazy schedules of college students, all the demands on your time, and the pressure to occasionally pull an academic all-nighter. But the bottom line is: SLEEP IS NOT OPTIONAL!

Why is getting a decent amount (7-9 hours) so important?

- Sleep helps us think more clearly and helps consolidate memory…a slightly important fact when you are a student.

- Sleep helps our immune systems stay strong and healthy – very helpful as we head into cold & flu season.

- Sleep leads to a more stable and positive mood.

- Sleep helps us feel refreshed and alert, which leads to an improved ability to cope with everyday stress.

Even if you want to make sleep a priority, we know if can sometimes be a challenge in a campus environment. Here are some tips to getting better sleep:

- Keep your room dark, quiet, and cool. 68 degrees is the optimal temperature. Wear a sleep mask and/or earplugs if necessary.

- Regular exercise (but not right before bed) helps us regulate our sleep schedule.

- Avoid caffeine and nicotine in the evening – they are stimulants and will interfere with quality sleep.

- Although some students think that alcohol will help them fall asleep, it interrupts and fragments sleep during the night so you feel less rested the next day.

- Try to keep your sleep and wake times consistent throughout the week. We know it is tempting to sleep all day on the weekend, but you wind up paying the price in your sleep cycle later in the week. - Power naps can be great to increase alertness and re-energize – try to keep them short and sweet, 20-30 minutes is ideal.

Sleep disorders can have a real impact on your health, safety, performance, and quality of life. If you are struggling with an insomnia or anxiety that is preventing you from falling or staying asleep, please check in at the SHU Wellness Center for help. Wishing you all sweet dreams, SHU!

Molly! Molly! Have you seen Molly? Is she friend or is she folly?

“At first, Mark* said, “Molly made me feel incredibly euphoric. It was like chemical courage. I could talk to girls, be more social and introspective. “My real personality came out.  Steven* said “it helped me open up with my friends, dance and have a lot of fun. It seemed like a good choice of drug, because it is “pure”, and made with legal chemicals. I was told that it won’t show up on a drug test”. “I love techno music, said Diane*, I go to electronic music festivals like Ultrafest. I love DJ Afrojack and Skillex.  I only “roll” at concerts, it is pure and safe.

(*The names of these college students have been changed to protect their identity).

So, who is she?

Molly, a name that those in those in the business of marketing and selling this suburban street drug know will drum up images of the “girl next door”, innocent, wholesome, “pure” safe, is the street name for pure MDMA. Molly is different than ecstasy pills or “E” because it comes in powder form or in capsules that are commonly more “clean” or pure than the “E” pills. The term Molly was derived from the word molecule. Molly is an industrial chemical mixed with other chemicals,(sometimes plant fertilizer, meth amphetamine, etc.) Molly works by flooding users’ brains with excess serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with happiness.

After using molly 8 times over a two week period, Mark noticed that the euphoria was not as good, and that 2-3 days after using (“rolling”) he sunk in to a deep depression, marked by suicidal ideas and thoughts. Steven realized that, although he trusted the friend that supplied him Molly, he did not know where it came from, and what else might be mixed into this harmless looking powder. He noticed that some people at the festivals were being transported to the hospital for severe dehydration.  He got “busted”  and faced being expelled from school. At one concert a girl dancing on top of a tower fell and was seriously injured. He said he saw a girl making out with a tree.

Legal or pure doesn’t mean safe. Because the chemical makeup of molly is often altered, taking the drug is dangerous.

There are some immediate dangers to using the molly drug:

• Molly drug interferes with the brain’s essential chemical functions. Molly drug mixes up the temperature signals to the brain which can cause hypothermia, dehydration, or heat stroke.

Other dangers are also things such as:

• Blurred vision
• Faintness
• High blood pressure
• Muscle cramping
• Confusion
• Panic attacks
• Change in personality
• Severe depression
• Damage to the neurotransmitters in the brain, resulting in chronic, sometimes untreatable depression
• Blackouts
• Insomnia sometimes lasting for days

In some severe cases people have died from molly drug due to:

• Seizures
• Strokes
• Cardiovascular and kidney failure
• Dehydration Another danger to molly drug is that it has tons of interactions with other drugs, including alcohol. MDMA, even in its pure form, Molly can produce elevated heart rates and distortion of thought processes, causing users not to realize their rising body temperature or fading stamina as they continue to party. Combining MDMA with alcohol or other drugs can also be the cause of its more serious side effects, said Theodore Bania, a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York

For more information or to get help for yourself or someone you know with a substance abuse problem, please contact Janice Kessler LCSW, Alcohol and Other Drug intervention and Prevention specialist, at 203-371-7955

 

 

Homesick?

Feeling sad, lonely?  Missing the comfort and support of friends and family? 

Feeling homesick is a very common and normal response to the process of leaving home and starting life at college.  Adjustment to college life looks different for everyone and happens at an individual pace. 

In fact, in a recently survey, 58% of SHU students reported feeling homesick at some point since arriving at school.  Most homesick students coped with their feelings by

1)      Making an effort to meet new people

2)      Focusing on academics, and

3)      Getting involved on campus.

Also, plans are being made for an Adjustment to College support group that will meet weekly. If you are interested in connecting with other SHU students who feel like you do, please call the Counseling Center at 203-371-7955 or e-mail Jocelyn Novella at novellaj@sacredheart.edu.

In the meantime, here is what older SHU students have shared with us that helped them cure the homesick blues:

Get those feelings out! Talk to a trusted friend, family member, s.w.e.e.t. Peer Educator or your RSA. It's often beneficial to talk openly about your feelings instead of keeping them bottled up. If that feels too uncomfortable, make an appointment at the Counseling Center to talk with an experienced counselor.

Get involved! Volunteer or join a club or student organization. SHU offers many programs on campus that are an excellent way to meet other students and help you be a part of the SHU community. A busier schedule will also help you focus on the present instead of what or who you may be missing back home.

Make an effort! Attend student activities and events. Say hello to someone in your class, in your dorm or around campus. Chances are they will appreciate that you made an effort.

Get moving! Exercise generally helps to improve your well-being and reduces negative feelings relating to adjusting to your new life.

Think positive! Practice keeping a positive attitude. Focusing on the negative aspects of your new life will not do anything except bring you down.

Communicate in moderation to home! The more you call, facebook, or text your family and friends from home, may prolong your homesickness. Frequent contact can also distract you from building a new life at SHU.

Give it time! It is perfectly normal for anyone to adjust to a major life change and a new environment. For many of you, it is the first time that you ever lived apart from your family and close friends. Realize things are different now but that it is ok.