With midterms quickly approaching and the spring semester now in full swing, Columbia’s ASL club hosted an “As Stressless As Possible” event to draw attention to student wellbeing as a part of De-Stress Fest.
Students had the opportunity to create their own DIY stress balls, discuss mental and physical stress in a safe space and take part in a free raffle. The event allowed students to have fun while also encouraging long-term self care habits by offering tools to help de-stress.
All students were welcome to join in on the activities, which had prizes highlighting hand health such as lotion, stress balls and athletic tape for wrist support.
Alice Jerome, a junior ASL-English interpretation major and social media manager for ASL club, emphasized the importance of this event for other students in her major because of the physical toll interpreting can have, explaining that some people can even develop tendinitis or wrist pain.
Jerome hopes students take away knowledge of how to navigate the physical and mental toll interpreting can take, though they said that this type of stress management also translates to many other majors who work with their hands often, especially at an art school.
“We just wanted to give back to our tiny community here,” they said. “I think it’s really important to show ways to ease the stress on your wrists”
Victoria Cornelson, a senior ASL-English interpretation major and secretary of ASL club, echoed this sentiment. She said that the ASL club wanted to recognize the stress that interpreters endure, as well as educate students on how to navigate different aspects of self care.
“Midterms are happening currently, and for ASL students a lot of their midterms look like major presentations or interpretations which requires a lot of practicing signing,” she said. “We wanted to open our space as a respite from that and alleviate some stress, whether that’s the physical stress on the hands or the mental stress of preparing for midterms.”
Riley Malcomson, a senior ASL-English interpretation major and ASL club member, was excited to attend the event for some extra community support during midterms.
“We’re all stressed, let’s just be stressed together,” she said.
She also brought up the importance of this event not just being helpful in destressing, but bringing attention to the ASL program.
“It’s a good thing to have the space to talk about being stressed, but I think this is also good for the ASL department to get our name out there,” Malcomson said.
Cornelson explained that right now, the ASL club is focusing on engagement after the college decided to “sunset” the ASL-English interpretation major in the fall of 2024 as a part of the college’s ongoing budget cuts. That means the major is closed to new students, but current students will be able to finish their degree.
“We do as much as we can to get out students here and just have a nice time,” Cornelson said. “They have a place to come here and chit chat, interact, talk about classes, practice language and seek comfort in their peers.”
Copy edited by Venus Tapang
