As the library fills up and students’ sleep starts dwindling, one thing is certain: final exam season is approaching. To help relax students’ minds from the overwhelming projects, papers and exams, ’Gate Night, a committee of students that plan late night events, organized Destress Fest. This event occurred on December 6 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and was complete with breakfast for dinner, meditation sessions, massages, cookie decorating, hot cocoa, puzzles, origami, poetry reading and relaxing soundtracks. Destress Fest had everything needed to calm students down and prepare them for the intense weeks ahead.

The breakfast for dinner was definitely a favorite feature of the fest. Marsha Collett, the advisor of the Center for Leadership and Student Involvement (CLSI) explains that she made the breakfast for dinner event “family style” instead of a buffet so that people could feel more at home. This certainly worked, as students commiserated whilst enjoying the food in front of them, appreciating the change of scenery after months of eating at Frank Dining Hall.

This was ’Gate Night’s third annual Destress Fest, and it was a huge success. While it is normally held in the spring, the committee decided that having something during the cold months of winter would be beneficial for students.

Tabith Gomez, a member of ’Gate Night commented on the climate of campus at this time of year, saying “I feel like a lot of students are stressed at this time of year, and there is usually not a lot of motivation to go to destress things because you’re just so stressed,” she said.

The event was held in the Memorial Chapel basement, a venue chosen because it is frequently used as a community meeting point.

“When you put fun and good community in a relatively accessible area, people are less stressed,” Gomez said.

Ultimately, the Destress Fest accomplished its goal, with students walking away smiling and visibly less stressed.

Contact Jessica Argento at [email protected].