All posts by gmslucki

Events / Programs

What Makes You Prideful?

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On Friday October 12th, Millersville University hosted its annual LGBTQIA Pride Fest. Pride Fest is an event that promotes awareness for and instills pride in the LGBTQIA community and the campus community we have here at Millersville. During this event, many students show their pride and support by taking part in the festivities and many school organizations will have tables in support of the community.

This year, Housing and Residential Programs had a table to show our support of the LGBTQIA community. We take pride in our actions to support the community and the students who go to this university. In attempts to support the community, we do offer students gender inclusive housing. If you are unfamiliar with gender inclusive housing , it means that we allow suitemates/roommates of any gender combination to live within the same residential suite. Meaning, housing allows students to share a suite or room, with whomever they want regardless of a student’s sex or gender. We offer this to create an environment that is supportive and encourages diversity, along with making sure students feel comfortable in their own room. In addition to offering gender inclusive housing, we have also been using preferred names since 2014.

This year at Pride Fest , for our table activity  we asked students , “What makes you prideful?” This question did trip some students up  ,but overall many students knew exactly what they were prideful for. If you ask housing, we are very prideful of our gender inclusive housing options as well as the whole Millersville Community. Some of the things that make Millersville students prideful include their family, education, friends, partners, the Millersville community along with many others. Below we have inserted a chart to show you a calculation of what students said they were most prideful of. 54 students said their friends makes them prideful, while 42 said their family made them most prideful. These were the top two responses we received.

Millersville is a great community to be a part of and we were very happy to partake in such a wonderful event.

Lifestyle / Hall Life, Lists

How to Have a ‘Suite’ Halloween

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Since it is officially October, spooky season has begun. Halloween is a great holiday that many college students like to celebrate, but do not know how to while living in the residence halls. Although it seems like there are no ways to celebrate this fun holiday, I created a list of some ideas you and your friends can try out.

 

  1. Host a movie marathon.

One way to get in the Halloween spirit is to host a scary movie or Halloween themed movie marathon. You and all your closest ‘ghouls’ can watch Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus or Halloween in your residence hall common area where there is a lot of room to sit and enjoy these classic films. My favorite Halloween movie is Hocus Pocus, I can recite the whole movie from beginning to end.

 

  1. Have a door decoration contest with people who live in your hall.

Another option can be to ask your RA if you can have a door decoration contest for Halloween. Decorating your door can be fun and a great way to bond with your roommate while trying to beat the competition. If you need some ideas for door decorations, you can always check our Pinterest out , our username is @villehousing !

 

  1. Plan a small Halloween party.

Ask your RA if your floor can have a Halloween party or ‘trick or treating’. Having a floor Halloween party can be a fun reason to get dressed up , but it can also help you to meet more people who live on your floor. This is also a great excuse to eat a bunch of Halloween Oreos and piles of candy.

Photo courtesy of Canva.

 

  1. Bake themed treats with your friends.

For example, you and your friends can make Halloween cut-out cookies or the always delicious Pillsbury sugar cookies in the residence hall kitchens. These kitchens are a great resource that students can take advantage of especially when it comes to baking yummy treats.

 

  1. Carve or decorate pumpkins.

When I hear the word Halloween, the first thing I think about is pumpkins. Decorating pumpkins is a great way to be creative while being festive. This can also be a fun activity to do with your friends or roommates to take your minds off of schoolwork and tests!

 

Have a spooky and fun-filled Halloween! Also, if you live in West Village make sure to check out the pumpkin painiting, costume contest, food and crafts as well as a Halloween movie night that is happening on October 25th starting at 6:30 pm.

Lifestyle / Hall Life, Lists

Most Instagram-Worthy Places on Millersville’s Campus

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As Millennials and Gen Zs, we love to use social media and post pictures of everything.  I’m sure many of you want to post pictures of our beautiful school to show to your friends who attend other universities. I have the solution for you , I compiled a list of my favorite spots on campus to share on Instagram.

  1. Biemesderfer Center

Once upon a time, this was the old library. But now, it’s an administrative building. This stunning building and can be identified by its beautiful color and stained glass windows.

  1. University Pond.

Home to Miller and S’ville, the pond is one of the most recognizable parts of campus. This is great place to watch the ducks swim around.

  1. The Quad.

The Quad, located in the center of the residence halls,  is a great place to hangout with friends. You can often see a football or frisbee being thrown around.

  1. The Millersville University sign.                                                                          

This sign is located at the edge of campus and lets visitors or locals know that they are entering Marauder country.

5. Saxby’s

Located within Gordinier Hall, Saxby’s is a trendy and delicious cafe that is student-run. This is a great place to relax with friends or grab a bite to eat before class. It is also a great place to study.

  1. Chryst Field (Biemesderfer Stadium)

Home to our football, women’s field hockey, women’s outdoor track and field and women’s lacrosse teams , this is the place to cheer loud and proud for our Marauders.

These locations are great for showing your school spirit during your time here at Millersville.  If you take pictures at these locations, be sure to share them with us on Twitter or Instagram. Our username is @villehousing .

Health & Wellness, Lists

National Mental Health Awareness Week: Tips on How to De-stress

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October 7- 13, 2018 is National Mental Health Awareness Week (Also known as Mental Illness Awareness Week). This week is important because it brings awareness to the crucial topic of mental health and mental illnesses. In a recent study from spring 2017, researchers from the American College Health Association found that nearly 40% of college students said they felt so depressed it was difficult to function (Reilly, 2018). The researchers also found that 61% of college students said they had felt “overwhelming anxiety.”  Anxiety, depression, stress and sadness are all challenges that college students face , but there are many resources and ways to cope with these challenges.

To help you cope with stress and anxiety here is a list of tips and tricks on how to de-stress and relax.

  1. Make minor adjustments to your room.

A cluttered space can make you feel disorganized. One way to create a less stressful environment is to open your bedroom blinds to let natural light into your space. Students can also decorate their rooms in soothing colors such as light blue or grey. These colors may make you feel calm . Another option is to buy a small plant. Plants bring life to the room and give you a chance to take care of a living being.

  1. Take time to read a book.

One of the best things to do when stressed out is to engross yourself in a book. Some of the best books to read during stressful times are motivational or inspiring works. Examples of books that help you feel great again are Eat, Pray, Love, The 5 Second Rule, or Milk and Honey. 

  1. Write in a journal.

Putting pen to paper is one of the best ways to avoid stress. If you write out your troubles, it can help you express your worries and help you assess the situation with fresh eyes. Writing in a journal can also help you to recognize when you overcame obstacles and give you the confidence to overcome obstacles in the future.

  1. Plan and get work done ahead of time.

Personally, one of the best tips when it comes to lessening stress is to plan ahead to get work done. There are so many deadlines for assignments, and students tend to get overwhelmed and forget to do them. If students make the switch to writing out deadlines in the beginning of the semester and using free time to complete work, they can get ahead and alleviate the stress of completing the assignment on time.

  1. Turn off your phone.

Sometimes phones can do more harm than good. They can produce constant worry about likes, retweets or receiving messages back, that by the end of the day this adds stress. Turning phones off for a couple minutes a day can help to relieve stress and give more time to think or do other activities.

  1. Visit the University Counseling Center.

Millersville has  resources on campus such as the Center for Counseling and Human Development where students can set up counseling appointments to talk about their stress or anxiety. The Center for Counseling and Human Development will also be introducing light box therapy starting October 2nd, which can help students who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or depression during the winter months.

  1. Just breathe.

This may sound cheesy, but it can really help in any situation. If you take a deep breathe, it can slow thinking down and release built up tensions. It can also bring the realization that things will be okay and to just be patient.

 

Photos courtesy of Canva. 

Reilly, K. (2018, March 19). Anxiety and Depression: More College Students Seeking Help. Retrieved from http://time.com/5190291/anxiety-depression-college-university-students/