A full week at Chaminade University is set aside to help students rest, reflect, and recharge, priming them to finish the semester strong.
Wellness Week, which lasts through Friday, features a series of events focused on instilling better physical, mental, spiritual, and academic well-being within students. Chaminade’s leadership was inspired to organize and launch the university’s first Wellness Week to give students an opportunity to pause and consider where things stand in their lives and studies at this point in the semester.
To help students rest and rejuvenate, the university has set aside quiet spaces for silent reflection, meditation, and prayer. The Mystical Rose Oratory’s doors are open, with students invited to use the space for quiet contemplation, introspection, and seeking inner peace.
The week will feature guided meditation and yoga, along with fitness and nutrition demonstrations. Meanwhile, the Vi and Paul Loo Theatre in Clarence T.C. Ching Hall has been transformed into a “sound bath” for students to enjoy.
Each class is holding only one session this week, with faculty using the time to guide students through tailored Wellness Week activities they’ve arranged.
Chaminade University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Lance Askildson, Ph.D., said he initially conceived of Wellness Week after noticing how students could begin feeling a bit overwhelmed by early October.
“The idea was to intervene intentionally before relatively manageable challenges become much harder to reverse,” he said.
Planning for Wellness Week began back in February. The Office of the Provost, Academic Affairs, Student Success, Campus Ministry, and all four Colleges collaborated on planning and preparations. The concept was accepted unanimously by both the Academic Council and Senior Leadership Council.
Askildson said Wellness Week is organized with students’ academic wellness first and foremost in mind. “The overarching goal is to give students a chance to reset and reengage.”
“The week has been intentionally designed to focus on academic support, first and foremost, and alongside broader wellness activities and opportunities for reflection,” he added. “Basically, we want to give everyone a chance to catch their breath and take stock of where they are at in the semester.”
The week’s schedule is filled with activities organized to appeal to all tastes and desires.
Wellness Week kicked off with guided meditation at the Mystical Rose Oratory and on Zuberano Lawn. Aramark Dining Services hosted a demonstration on the art of crafting the perfect onigiri, or Japanese rice balls. Not to be outshone, the Marianist Center and College of Nursing & Health Professions invited students to its “Nacho Normal Taco Tuesday” event, where participants can learn how to master dorm cooking.
The Carlson Fitness Center will show students how to design a safe and satisfying workout routine through demonstrations happening there Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Therapy dogs are even returning to campus for Wellness Week. Students are invited to unwind with the pups and perhaps enjoy some rock painting with the Student Affairs office and Campus Ministry.
Wellness Week closes with a mid-day live concert featuring The Racket Brothers & The Rackettes. Friday also features a crochet workshop and a special discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on society, led by guest speakers Kyle Ballarta and Louis Kim.
Askildson said now is the perfect time to offer some space for students to unwind, rest, and have fun.
“We see this as a targeted and useful pause at the midpoint of the semester and an intentional time for academic and personal reflection,” he explained, adding that he hopes the very first Chaminade University Wellness Week will leave students “ready to be successful for the second half of the term.”
Wellness Week may be repeated next year, creating a new annual Chaminade tradition, based on receptions from students, faculty, and staff.