Final Stretch 2019
By: John Hearn, director of the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership (CSIL)
As the semester began winding down and classes transitioned to finals, the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership (CSIL) was busy gearing up for an end-of-semester MU tradition, Final Stretch. Final Stretch, championed by CSIL and supported by multiple collaborators across campus, is held at the end of each semester during finals week and is designed to provide students with healthy, fun, and active stress relieving events and programs to encourage a successful end to the semester. Hosting at least one staple program per day, the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership created an activities calendar that gave students the opportunity to engage and connect with others while enjoying free activities, programs, and even food.
With over 725 students in attendance, this year’s programs included the following activities: black-light mini golf in the Student Memorial Center, a Kwanza celebration sponsored by the Intercultural Center, a free dinner hosted by Student Services Inc., KPETS pet therapy sponsored by the Counseling Center, Cards and Coffee sponsored by PSECU and Campus Recreation, donuts and coloring sponsored by University Reformed Fellowship, and journals, crafts, and a football watch party with CSIL. With the inclusion of new and successful events this year, students still looked forward to the cornerstone of Final Stretch, an indoor roller-skating rink and burrito bar in the Reighard MPR. Students quickly made their way through 350 Moe’s burritos and over 100 pairs of skates to spend nearly four hours skating around a 60’x40’ mobile indoor roller-skating rink that included a DJ, lights, and electronic games. With over 350 students in attendance, roller-skating has become a Final Stretch favorite among students and is the most popular event of the week.
Plans are already underway preparing and planning for Final Stretch in spring 2020. If your office or department would like to host its own program or collaborate with another office during Final Stretch, please contact csil@millersville.edu. For a full-list of events and activities during Final Stretch, login to getinvolved.millersville.edu.