Not many but just enough students met in the Favrot Student Union Room 242 for a stress seminar put on by Iota Phi Theta’s Miss Gold De’Trice Gaines, a junior criminal justice major from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The seminar titled “Pulling Out My Hair” was lead by a member of the counseling center, Juanita Bobo know as “Ms. BoBo.”
She handed out pamphlets to the audience, that included a stress pamphlets with ways to deal with stress and numbers listed for students to call and get help if need be. Also it included a stress test, informing you of your level of stress.
KANESHA DOUGLAS/The Gramblinite
Participates close their eyes and meditate to relief stress.
Bobo moved on to tell the students ways to lessen their stress, such as time management saying by managing your time you will cause less stress to your life. She discussed signs of depression, some included; loneliness, sleeplessness, very emotional, weight loss, weight gain and withdrawals from friends and relationships.
Next the consoler did a stress body can with the audience teaching us one way to lessen the depression. She instructed the group to put their feet flat on the floor, hands on their knees and to inhale through nose and exhale through mouth three times. After doing that she instructed them to scan themselves starting with head, scalp, and face; then move on to neck shoulders and chest.
To focus on controlling our breathing and learning our mind so we can find out whats causing stress. Members of the audience expressed how good the exercise made them feel and helped clear their minds. One student Terry Bowman, a senior majoring in childhood development from Houston, Texas, felt he needed the exercise then and in the future.
“The body scan made me feel relaxed and comfortable,” he said. “After doing it I felt it was ready and I liked how short and simple it was.”
The program took a sift when Bobo asked everyone if they would be interested in playing a game. The game played was titled “Two truths and a lie.” Whoever is chosen has to tell two truths about themselves along with two lies, three people including Bobo played.
After playing the game the floor was open to ask questions about stress.
One student asked “What does heavy breathing indicate.” Bobo answered her by saying that it could be from stress if you are stressing about something at the moment. She informed her to pin point the stress, indicate the problem, and fix it.
Another student asked how can you calm yourself from stressing over finances, she suggested the student do the body scan test as well as face the issue, running from it only causing more problems.
“I do see this seminar as being helpful because it’s helpful to my current situation and now I have key points and direct ways to attack the problem before it turns into depression,” said senior Tangie Bell, a biology major from Shreveport, Louisiana.
Before ending the seminar a game was played where someone would start a story off with words and the audience had to finish it. She used it to show how easy it is to brighten the mood of others by doing simple things.
Miss Gold felt the event was beneficial. “It was very beneficial personally, I learned different ways to relax myself, and deal with everything in-front of mw. Plan on how to fix the problem, fix the problem and move forward – no stress.”