Amanda Templeton, of Pet Partners, a therapy animal organization, brought a German shepherd named Thorn to the City College campus recently. She did so because, she said, therapy dogs can help  reduce a person’s stress. 

“It’s been studied that therapy dogs lower people’s heart rate, blood pressure and just generally reduce stress,” Templeton said. 

This can be beneficial to students who might feel overwhelmed with the pressures of school and life. On Oct. 26, City College hosted its first Wellness Day to bring students and staff together — and Thorn was there too. Coordinators focused on wellness, self-care and mindfulness and other related practices. 

“We haven’t been on campus this fully since March of 2020. So we really want to get the energy going and flowing on campus again,” said Halsey Boyd, City College’s staff resource center coordinator.

It all started with live music performed by students, which is conducive to relaxation, said Josh Williams, one of the musicians. “Music helps the ambiance, even if people aren’t necessarily paying attention to us,” Williams said.

Nathan Hizon, second guitarist of the band Fair Enough Jazz Club, said, “we are here to start sharing what we do.” And Wellness Day was really a good opportunity for the students to practice, get performance experience and show their talents,,Williams added. 

Wellness Day offered many services provided by the campus art, oral, optical and nursing departments, as well as the library, counseling center and other programs outside of City College. Some of the services focused on relaxation such as pet therapy, yoga and free food. The event also included therapy dogs and free food provided by community partners.

According to Boyd, a big part of City College students experienced food scarcity due to rising prices. Coordinators of Wellness Day wanted to provide a good meal for those who needed it.

The City College library also participated in this event showcasing several of their services . The library is a place where students can get a lot of support. It is a relaxed place to go to for more than just studying and research, according to Rebecca Goodchild, a librarian. She said that in the library students can do their homework, use Wi-Fi, get on computers, print papers, charge their phones and also hang out with friends and eat their lunch. She described the library as an “everything place.”

During the event, the library passed out origami and coloring papers, provided chess boards and let students take some books for free. Apart from free services, other departments attended to publicize their majors and answer student questions.

“I was checking out the dental [department], and that was really helpful,” said one student who is undecided major who is now considering a dental major as a result of the event.

The dental department represents two different avenues: dental hygiene and dental assisting. The department also offers free clinics. Every student can ask for help with dental hygiene and take a free oral exam.

Harold Williams, administrative assistant from the nursing department, was at Wellness Day and presented the program to potential students. “Trying to find out who’s interested in nursing and hopefully entice them to apply,” Williams said. He helped students with the application process and provided information about program requirements.

In addition, the new optical department informed students about the launch of their certificate program in spring. 

Candy He, a staff member and part of the disability services and program for students, was also there to let students know their program helps people with any type of disability.

Boyd believes that there are a lot of things they can do for City College students and staff. He is planning to repeat such events where people can reconnect after returning to in-person. The next Wellness event is planned for Nov. 30th.  . “We show them that there are resources on campus and outside of campus. And if you need help, we can help you get it,” Boyd said.

Boyd and Leonard said they don’t want students to forget that the college has some organizations and a lot of support. “We have the events to bring faculty out, but also remind students and staff to take a minute to breathe, pet a dog, listen to some music,” Leonard said.