J. Willard Marriott Library will host Stress Busters week from April 20-23, an annual pre-finals tradition aimed at helping students destress during exams. This semester, a $10,000 class gift from ASUU has allowed the library to expand the event with more food options and programming than ever before.
The funding boost means students can expect free sandwiches, Starbucks drinks and a range of wellness resources — all part of a broader effort to ease the burden of finals week.
Marriott Library
Jordan Hanzon, PR and marketing supervisor at the Marriott Library, said the ASUU partnership opened new doors for the event. “We are excited to partner with ASUU … for Stress Busters Week. We’ve been able to plan events we wouldn’t usually have the funds for,” he said, describing the programming as “anything [the library] thought would be good for students to connect with during this stressful time.”
For this semester’s Reading Days, students can get free sandwiches from Jimmy John’s on Wednesday, April 22. On Thursday, April 23, students can receive a free grande drink from Starbucks beginning at 9:00 a.m.
In addition to assorted food and snacks, Stress Busters week also collaborates with the Counseling Center, Campus Wellness, Learning Center and Financial Wellness Center to provide more educational and healthful resources for students.
“One of the pillars of campus goals is student success,” said Hanzon. “We think that if students do not have to worry about things like food and having space to study and these kinds of resources to connect with, if they can just focus on studying and collaborating with friends, their finals will be more successful.”
ASUU involvement
Pamalatera Fenn, ASUU senate treasurer, said the class gift came after plans for a permanent gift fell through. “[ASUU] wanted to do a permanent gift, but there were a lot of logistical reasons that prevented them from doing so,” she said. “They decided to do a different gift, and it [has been] really well received.”
The alternate class gift initiative was led by the current executive board: President Alex Rose, Vice President of University Relations Maddie Dahl and Vice President of Student Relations Auzja Morse.
“The presidency went above and beyond to make sure that the Stress Busters week would be funded and make sure there were actual donations for students who feel insecure with their food,” Fenn said. “Who doesn’t want a snack when you’re in the middle of finals?”
The Marriott Library and ASUU’s Stress Busters Week will take place on the third floor of the library unless otherwise stated. “[ASUU is] here for the students,” said Fenn. “[The presidency] went all out and made sure that they could supplement Stress Busters to amplify the student experience even more.”
