The end of the 2022 Fall Semester is upon us, and as the holiday break approaches, many students are putting in long hours of studying, reading, and writing for their final exams and papers. As such, the end of the semester is typically a chaotic time for students, and it can be extremely overwhelming to have multiple projects, papers, and tests in the span of a couple weeks. To combat the stress of the end of the semester, the Peer Educators at the Wellness Center hosted a DeStress fest.  

The DeStress fest is meant to give students a break from their studies and a space to relax and do something fun during the last week of school. The DeStress fest took place on Tuesday, December 6th in the classroom area of the Wellness Center. Running from 3-5pm, the event included multiple small activities to help students take their minds off finals. Upon entering the event, students could grab some candy and learn more about services available to them from Student Health on campus. Students were then invited to make their own stress balls by filling small balloons with Orbeez and warm water and watching them expand over time into a colorful, functional stress ball.  

Next, students could try their hand at an old favorite of birthday parties, pin the tail on the donkey. Except this time, in the spirit of the holidays, it was pin the heart on the Grinch. Donning a blindfold, students were given a red paper heart and challenged to get it perfectly lined up with the empty space on the Grinch’s chest. If you were successful, you got to take your pick of a variety of goody bags. If you struggled, you were still given a bag, albeit without getting to pick out a specific one. The bags contained small, practical things, such as hand lotion, handwarmers, Kleenexes, sunglasses, and sunscreen.  

Moving out of the entryway and into the classroom, students were given DIY calendar sets. Sharpies and markers were scattered on the various tables in the room to allow students to get creative with decorating their calendars. If you were not interested in making a calendar, cookie decorating was another available option. Plain sugar cookies were available for students to decorate with either white, red, or green frosting. Sprinkles and mini chocolate chips were also available to increase design options and add flavor. 

An ongoing quiz, complete with prizes, was taking place in the background for students to participate in if they were not into decorating, and plenty of hot chocolate was available to keep everyone warm and cozy. Overall, the event was a great way for students to take a break from studying, be creative, enjoy some treats, and just relax before finishing their classes for the year.   

Gabrielle Bossart is a Dakota Student Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].