Campus organizations are collaborating to provide a variety of options for students to de-stress.
Highland Market will be providing food delivery services, some restaurants will be open later and the Student Recreation Center will be open 24/7, hosting pool parties and offering free classes and massages, among other promotions from May 1 to May 8.
In previous years, Arizona Student Unions offered food promotions during finals week, while the Rec Center offered free classes on its own. This year Arizona Student Unions, the Rec Center, Campus Health, Residence Life, the UofA Bookstore and the UA Main Library have all collaborated to create finals week promotions for students.
“[We are] all participating in this collectively so the students can feel safe walking from location to location, because we will have facilities open 24 hours a day, so there will be more activity at the locations,” said Todd Millay, marketing manager for Arizona Student Unions. “For the union, it’s part of our initiative to support the students during a very stressful time.”
Today, the “Stress Less for Finals” event is happening on the Highland Commons Green. Hosted by Campus Health Service, the event provides free swag bags containing healthy snacks and stress balls, information about how to study, free 5 minute chair massages from noon to 2 p.m., piñatas and therapy dogs to help students de-stress before finals week.
“We really want to provide an opportunity for students to get some stress reduction, relaxation, have some fun and eat some healthy snacks,” said Carrie Hardesty, a health educator with Campus Health. “We think that’s a great event to do that.”
Campus Health will also host a kickball game from 10 a.m. to noon at the Highland Green Commons on May 8.
Some students expressed gratitude for the promotions.
“I think that’s a great idea, especially when students are stressing about finals,” said Xia Sun, a molecular and cellular biology sophomore. “Definitely, I appreciate it.”
The Rec Center is also offering a chance for students to relax and socialize at the Splash into Summer pool party today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., as well as hosting pool parties from noon until 3 p.m. on May 2 and May 4. Free yoga classes and spinning classes will be offered for students, and the Rec Center will be open 24 hours during finals.
“We’ve shown that exercise helps with concentration, alertness, studying, sleep,” said Tara Watson, the assistant director for marketing and communications for the Rec Center, “so we figured it was a good combination.”
Students will also be able to book rooms in the student union to study in two hour blocks, Millay said. Pangea, Canyon Coffee and the Alumni Lounge will be open for 24 hours. Pangea will offer a breakfast buffet from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. Highland Market is delivering all week, but it is only accepting CatCard as payment, and students must make a $6 minimum purchase.
“We are not looking at it as a profit center,” Millay said. “You’re giving away tons of free food — free coffee, fountain drinks, breakfast burrito, toppings at Pinkberry. All of that is literally going to be for the students.”
