On Feb. 1, the college provided a range of self-care activities in the KCC, away from the future memorial site. “I think today holds a lot of significance for the Bridgewater community, and people process history in their own ways, so this activity is an alternative to the groundbreaking memorial happening,” said the Director of Counseling Services Courtney Zongrone. “Students can still have an opportunity for connection but maybe differently than a traditional memorial service.”
Due to the power outage that day, the Eagle’s Nest was consistently full of students. Many students, like sophomore Casey Beard, came to pet and interact with the therapy dogs that came to visit.
Numerous crafting supplies were set up on tables around the Eagle’s Nest, which were later moved upstairs to the lobby. “I appreciated having this event because it made me feel like the faculty and staff cared about our mental health today and were giving us a chance to express ourselves creatively and be together,” said senior Hannah Barnett.
The college provided materials such as coloring pages, pencils and watercolor paints, as well as string and beads for making bracelets. Several people stayed for most of the event, including first-year Dawn Patterson.
Sophomore Abby Nester used the beads while making slime, along with the other provided materials. The slime proved to be popular, and all the supplies were used up by the end of the event.
The slime making process required some trial and error on the part of students. Patterson and others carried their projects outside, finding that the cold made the material less likely to stick to their skin.
There were many options provided to students as a part of the alternate activities. “I liked how it was simple and just something to do and get your mind off of things, you know, just using the coloring books or any of the other activities they had,” said senior Dolan Nethercutt. Senior Maggie Hodnett also attended some provided events. “My favorite was that they gave away BC strong buttons and stickers because I feel like people from last year didn’t get a chance to grab some,” said Hodnett.
“Always reach out. We have walk-in sessions available all day today, and I know that the front office staff, Cassandra and I like to be available to students to just reach out to counseling directly if they need a more individual process, but also connect with people,” said Zongrone. “Don’t be alone.”
