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In September, the Pet Perk Me Up program was held at UW Oshkosh residence halls as a way to help combat homesickness for students and encourage community-building.

Crunch time. ‘Tis the season.

As the Thanksgiving break nears, the semester transitions from midterms to finals, the days shorten and the weather transitions to winter, students sometimes struggle, said Abby Sylvia, coordinator for staff and student development for the department of residence life at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

“We know from our experience working with students in the residence hall environment that the time right before Thanksgiving is particularly stressful,” said Sylvia. “It’s crunch time before finals…some students may be stressed because they haven’t had a break yet during the academic year.”

With crunch time in mind, the folks from Residence Life and the UW Oshkosh Counseling Center are sponsoring “How the Well are you?” Nov. 10 from 6 until 7:30 p.m.

“How the Well are you?” is an on-campus, in-residence hall event that aims at giving students the tools they need to be well. From healthy eating tips, to information about classes at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and more, students will acquire the extra pieces of information they may need to stay healthy during this busy time of the academic year.

As part of the event, a pack of dogs will also make their way to many of the residence halls on campus to serve as a stress reliever. A similar event – Pet Perk Me Up — was held earlier this semester as a way to combat homesickness. The event attracted more than 400 students, who came out to see, pet and snuggle the dogs, which were scattered at five of the residence halls at UW Oshkosh.

“How the Well are you?” will feature one wellness topic at each of the participating residence halls. Students are encouraged to travel to each hall – North Scott, Donner, Webster and Taylor – to collect bookmarks, which include wellness tips. A healthy snack will also be provided in the lounge at South Scott Hall.

“The halls involved each have a topic that can help students connect with their overall wellness and expose them to ways to manage stress more effectively,” said Kim Charniak, clinical social worker at UW Oshkosh’s Counseling Center.

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