Fight On Through Finals With USC’s OWHP!

By Sydney Fishman ‘16

Hello fellow USC students!

My name is Sydney Fishman. I’m a senior majoring in Environmental Studies, and I am also a Student Worker at the Office for Wellness and Health Promotion. Whether you’re a freshman finishing up your first year of college, or a seasoned senior looking ahead toward your next steps, we all have finals season ahead of us. For many like myself, it’s challenging to stay well during the last few weeks of school—you stay up too late, don’t eat well, and feel generally “blah.” 

But after four years of volunteering and working for the Office for Wellness and Health Promotion (OWHP), I’ve learned some great—and easy!—ways to keep myself well when things gets tough, and I want to share these resources with the rest of the student body.  

Many students know our office as “the place to get condoms.” And while we certainly encourage everyone to pick up any safer sex resources they may need (condoms, lube, etc.), our office’s Wellness Lounge has even more goodies to offer. 

If you’ve come down with a cold or have been feeling generally under the weather, you can stop by to get a Cold Care Kit, which includes tissues, a reusable thermometer, Ibuprofen, and some information on staying well. And to keep germs at bay, we have hand sanitizer! 

If you want to study on McCarthy Quad and soak up some rays, we have mini bottles of sunscreen to protect your skin. We also have bike lights so you can stay safe on the road home from those late nights in Leavey. 

Beyond the goodies we offer, the OWHP Wellness Lounge is also a space where students are free to do homework, take a nap, or hang out with friends—whatever helps you relax and be well. Our office has two massage chairs, as well as comfy couches and chairs (and meditation cushions if you like to sit on the floor). We also have knitting supplies and coloring books, which I personally find to be incredibly helpful when I want to clear my mind and focus on something simple for an hour or so. 

If you’ve been running around campus all day and need to refuel, we have fresh organic fruit and hot coffee and tea. I’d personally recommend a cup of coffee + a massage chair for the ultimate study break. We have chocolate and candy, too (treat yourself!). And for dinners, breakfasts, or any other food at home, we have lots of cookbooks that address all sorts of interests and skill levels (some of our titles are “The College Student’s Cookbook” and “Cooking Outside the Pizza Box,” as well as books about vegetarian, gluten-free, and other diets).

OWHP has a wealth of educational materials on other topics as well. We have books about sex and sexuality, drugs and alcohol, identity…basically any topic you wouldn’t find in a usual college library. Students are welcome to read any of our books in the Wellness Lounge, or to check them out to read at home (which is especially great for trying out new recipes from our cookbooks!). 

Our office also has a few programs that are open to all students. The first are our BASICS and DEC programs, which address alcohol and drug use. Rather than blaming and shaming students for drinking or using drugs, these programs help students evaluate their substance use and determine whether they ultimately feel it’s healthy for them. If you have questions or concerns about your substance use, especially as the stress of finals ramps up, you are welcome to call us at 213-740-4777 or stop by our office to make an appointment.

Through our Happy Hour program we offer six FREE yoga classes throughout the week (https://engemannshc.usc.edu/wellness/happy-hour-with-owhp/ ). And, in my opinion the best thing ever, we have therapy dogs that visit campus every Thursday from 10am-2:30pm. They’re in a different spot every week, so follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/uscowhp) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/usc_owhp) to find out where they’ll be.

Our student volunteers, the Wellness Advocates, lead Mindfulness workshops in three areas: Movement, Meditation, and Sex. RAs, clubs, Greek houses, and other groups can request a workshop on our website. The Movement and Meditation workshops teach skills for stretching and meditating that you can do in your dorm room, while the Sex workshop discusses issues around sexual decision-making and communication that happen in college students’ lives.

And for FINALS WEEK, OWHP is excited to announce that we will be providing the following offerings during the week of 5/2-5/6; we hope to see you at one of the events!

5/2/16 (Monday)
• Kundalini Yoga, 5:15p- 6:30p at ESH 101

5/3/16 (Tuesday)
• Tai Chi, 12:00p-1:00p at ESH 101
• Vinyasa Yoga, 4:00p-5:15p at ESH 101
• Therapy Dogs, 10:00a – 4:00p outside Leavey Library

5/4/16 (Wednesday)
• Vinyasa Yoga, 4:00p-5:15p at ESH 101

5/5/16 (Thursday)
• Vinyasa Yoga, 4:00p-5:15p at ESH 101
• Therapy Dogs, 10:00a – 4:00p outside Leavey Library

All of these resources and programming are paid for by a portion of your student health fee that goes to OWHP (about $10). So whether you want a hot cup of coffee or a cuddle with a cute pup, we encourage every student to take advantage of the resources they’ve already paid for. 

The Office for Wellness and Health Promotion is located on the second floor of the Engemann Student Health Center, room 203. We are open 8:30am-5pm Monday-Friday during the regular school year and during the finals period, so please stop by and take a moment to be well! You can also check out our website: https://engemannshc.usc.edu/wellness/ 

Fight on and beat the finals!

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