SNA Reclines, Unwinds, and Dines with Like-Minds

Students, professors, and faculty alike. Everyone hates finals week. On December 8^th, the Student Nursing Association (SNA) gathered for their biannual Stress Less event to combat their academic strain. All Neumann SNA members were invited to Community Hall in the Mirenda Center for music, Chick-Fil-A, massages, and just general relaxation.

SNA Board Members pose at Stress Less. From left are Co-president Jamie Kinky, Vice President Kendra Ruoff, Co-president Grace Buegel, Treasurer Ally Poppiti, and Faculty Advisor Professor Ranselle.

“It’s good to come together with the people going through this tough major together to try to destress from it all,” says Molly Esterling, about her Stress Less experiences.

SNA managed to gather two masseuses to help students release their tension with relaxing massages. Taking about 20 minutes per student, these experts aided the members in deep breathing before melting away the strain built in their bodies. Sara, one of the two masseuses, likes to start her massages by instructing the students to take a deep breath, then dropping their shoulders “letting all of the stress of the day fall with them.”

Two students sit for massages with Sara and Barb.

“Stress Less is always a highlight of the semester,” says one SNA member, Rebekka Christensen. “It allows for us to press pause on final studying for a few hours.”

The board members also managed to get their paws-on contact with a therapy dog. Jonathan Martin visited from Alliance of Therapy Dogs, along with his pup, Huey. Huey performed simple tricks such as giving a paw and spinning around, and students loved rewarding him with treats.

Students Rebekka Christensen and Rachel Kavanagh posing with Huey before giving him treats. (Huey was too focused on Jonathan readying his treats to pose as well.)

One SNA member who likely appreciated this Stress Less more than the others was Jamie Kinky, the SNA co-president. Kinky will be graduating with her nursing degree on December 21, making this her final Stress Less at Neumann University. “It’s great seeing everything come together after so much preparation,” she reported. “This provides nursing students of all levels the ability to connect outside of the classroom while also taking a break from studying.”

Although Stress Less is designed to be a total vacation from studying, there will always be a few students going over their notes while trying to relax. Not many students focused on their notes and once more started to arrive, the textbooks and computers all returned to their bags and the nursing majors switched their focus to joy and jest.

Overall, SNA’s 2022 Fall Stress Less allowed students the chance to wind down before finals and relax their minds away from professors, nursing, and grades.

Friends gather around the table to pose together before feasting on their Chick-Fil-A.