VOL. CXVIII, NO. 117
DAILYBAROMETER.COM
THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Managing spring stress
Services available to students, Craft Center has weekly free events By Ashley Yarborough Practicum Contributor
Only three weeks into the spring term and stress is already building for some students at Oregon State University. Stress is not an uncommon occurrence at college. According to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at OSU, stress is one of the top three reasons why students go to them for help. CAPS is located on the fifth floor of Snell Hall and provides a multitude of services for students who need help and support, according to CAPS. Because stress is so common there are many different ways to manage and eliminate it. In order to manage stress, one must first understand what stress is, representatives from CAPS said. “Stress is a very complicated concept,” says Bonnie Hemrick, a Mental Health Promotion Coordinator for CAPS. According to Hemrick, stress can mean a variety of different things to different people, but overall stress is seen as something that has a negative impact on health and wellness. According to Michele Ribeiro, a licensed psychologist for CAPS, one of the easiest stress management exercises for someone to do is to write down three things every day that went well and why. Doing this regularly will help to build up self-confidence and self-worth with an overall stress-reducing effect. The Mind Spa at CAPS is another stress reduction resource that’s free to all students, faculty, and staff. The Mind Spa features Day-Light Bright Light Therapy, Yoga and Meditation, Biofeedback programs, a Library of mindfulness resources, and even a full body massage chair. Appointments to use the Mind Spa can be made for up to an hour in length, and can be made by going directly to the CAPS office, or by calling their office at 541-737-2131. The Craft Center, located in the basement of the Student Experience Center, also provides stress relief activities. There are free activities available to all students, faculty, and staff to participate in. On Mondays, there is Mandala Monday, where anyone can go to hand color and create Mandala designs. Most Mandalas contain intricate shapes and patterns to fill in with color. Wednesday’s event is Watercolor Wellness, which uses watercolor as a stress relief and management tool. According to those at the center, all of the materials are provided for everyone at both events. If anyone is unable to attend these events, but still want to try watercolor painting or Mandala coloring, supplies can be purchased from almost any kind of store, including Oregon State’s own Beaver Store. Hemrick said other ways to manage stress are regular exercise, being out in nature, meditation, and sleeping. “Anything that brings out positivity in a person can be used to combat stress,” says Hemrick. On Friday, the “Stress Out Day,” will take place in the Memorial Union Quad starting at 11 a.m. The event will go until 5p.m. The CAPS office can be contacted for more information on the “Mindfulness Meditation in Corvallis” events being held throughout this term.
Pulitzer Prize winning poet coming to campus Rita Dove reading at CH2M Hill Center tonight
COURTESY OF TEAGAN LOCHNER
Kala Hill works on a collage project that was inspired by the work of Rita Dove in the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center. By Lauren Sluss News Reporter
Authoring over ten poetry collections, dramas and novels, Pulitzer Prize winner poet Rita Dove will be presented the Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the CH2M Hill Alumni Center, and will read her own poetry. Established by OSU alum Patrick F. Stone and his wife Vicki, the Stone Award honors an American author who has not only had an established writing career, but who has also been heavily involved in teaching and outreach. Dove, this year’s recipient, was not only the first African American US Poet Laureate from 1993 to 1995, but is also a professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia. Dove’s writing history and community involvement qualified her for the award, according to associate professor and director of Creative Writing Susan Rodgers. Dove’s work inspired outreach activities in the OSU community, such as sidewalk chalking events and art classes inspired by Dove’s poetry, two past public lectures on how to ready Doves work and OSU has even
had Major in Fine Arts students teaching classes in the Corvallis high schools about the writings of Dove. Snapshots from the community involvement will be appear in a professionally produced film, which will open tonight’s event. The Stone’s $600,000 commitment has granted OSU the ability to award prizes in 2012, 2014 and again this year. The honorarium for the award is $20,000, establishing the Stone Award as one of the most substantial awards an American author can receive, according to the Director of the School of Writing, Literature and Film Peter Betjemann. “It’s a very substantial award, and is one of the largest given by any university to a creative writer,” Betjemann said. “For all the winners we have had in the past, we have been very delighted that the person we are bringing to campus is a person who has connections to campus, to students in general and to the community.” The Stone Award was granted to writers Joyce Carol Oates in 2012 and Tobias Wolff in 2014. The recipients are decided by an advisory board of writers and publishers who convene and create a list of suggested
“She was chosen because of her national prominence as both a writer and a mentor to students, in keeping with the Stone Award mission,” Rodgers said. Dove’s poetry has had a large impact on the literary community, according to Betjemann. “The footprint of her poetry has been very large,” Betjemann said. “She has been continually active and writing about pressing political and cultural issues, and the fact that she is former US Poet Laureate is a huge part of her outreach component.” Students are encouraged to attend the event tonight in order to have the opportunity to hear from an internationally recognized poet, according to Director of University Events Shelly Signs. “Nothing beats hearing poetry from the author’s mouth and what they have to say about it and their own interpretations,” Signs said. “I watched a video of her reading her work, and by hearing the passion, story and emotion behind it, I think I got so much more out of it than I would have ever gotten by just reading the words on the page.” The past two Stone Award ceremonies have been attended by around 600 audience members, which will add to the uniqueness of tonight’s event, according to Betjemann. “There is a real excitement about hearing poetry read in that type of environment. You can go to her reading in the MU and it’s wonderful, but there’s a different kind of energy at a literary event with 600 people,” Betjemann said. “It’s a kind of literary rock concert.” The Stone Award acceptance ceremony is free and open to the public. More information regarding the event can be found in the School of Writing, Literature and Film.
baro.news@oregonstate.edu
Counseling and Pyschological Services 541-737-2131 5th floor Snell Hall
recipients. The OSU creative writing faculty then chooses from that list.
BRIAN NGUYEN | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Peter Betjemann, the director of the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, is part of the committee that selected Rita Dove as the recipient of the Stone Award.
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“Students often think of poetry as difficult to understand, but Rita Dove brings an amazing presence and energy to her readings, and her poems are sure to inspire and move you,” Rodgers said. baro.news@oregonstate.edu
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