Matt Aukamp, Senior Communitarian Report

Photo by: energepiccom

DCCC is holding its annual Destress Fest this week as classes wind down for the semester. The Athletics & Campus Engagement (ACE) office is sponsoring events at Marple campus all week for students.

The non-profit organization Paws for People visited the campus on Tuesday and Wednesday, where students interacted with therapy dogs. In past years, the organization came for only one day, but the school extended the visit due to its popularity Allyson Gleason, Director of the Office of Athletics and Campus Engagement, said, “Students love our therapy dogs, so this was the first semester we did it two days, because students were upset that they missed them, Therapy dogs are one of the most popular things that we do.”

For the first year, Phi Theta Kappa has even brought the events of the Destress fest to the Downingtown campus, allowing Chester County students access to the festivities. 

Destress Fest is also handing out “Stress-Free Kits” at DCCC’s ACE offices in each of the college’s branches for the rest of the week. The kits contain a checklist of activities students can do on their own to participate in the de-stressing spirt of the event, as well as stress balls, bubbles, candy, and soothing teas, all assembled by the Marple ACE staff.

Relieving stress is an important part of wellness for college students. A 2015 survey conducted by the American College Health Association found that 45% of post-secondary students in the US experienced “more than average stress,” and 12.7% described themselves as experiencing “tremendous stress.” The same study also found that final exams accounted for 31% of that stress. Because of this, the Destress Fest remains an important event for the ACE Office and DCCC students alike.

Gleason encourages attendance and participation from students. “If anyone has any ideas for things they want to see as a part of (future Destress Fests) or get involved with the planning of it, they can contact AG’s office,” she said.