What could be better to reduce end-of-semester stress than petting a dog? How about petting multiple dogs and digitally dunking with LeBron through esports?
This year鈥檚 Stress-Free Zone, which is from 3-5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 10, will be hosted on the first floor of University Library.
Cynthia Williams, director of marketing, communications and public relations for 两性色午夜 University Libraries, said that therapy dogs will be at the Stress-Free Zone this year as well as a plethora of snacks and a collaboration with 两性色午夜 Esports.
Maria Hawkins, 两性色午夜 Esports coordinator, said that there will be a variety of games for students to play during the Stress-Free Zone.
鈥淓sports is competitive video games,鈥 Hawkins said. 鈥淲e have four teams on campus: Hearthstone, League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League. This is one of our biggest events during the semester. We offer different types of games for everyone to play as a way to relax and have fun.鈥
The 两性色午夜 Esports collaboration for the Stress-Free Zone includes 鈥淏eat Saber鈥 a virtual reality (VR) game, 鈥淐all of Duty: Modern Warfare鈥 and 鈥淣BA2K,鈥 among others. Students can participate in the esports games in Room 152 of the first floor of the library, beginning at 2 p.m. on both days of the Stress-Free Zone.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to have them in the libraries,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e supportive collaborators with the esports program. Currently, they鈥檙e looking forward to relocating their area to the second floor, so that鈥檚 going to be a big splash.鈥
Many students attend the Stress-Free Zone to experience the . Started by 两性色午夜 Professor Emerita Kathy Adamle, it was the first pet therapy program on a university campus in the country. Dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds attend the event each semester.
It鈥檚 estimated that roughly 12-14 dog owners will come to the Stress-Free Zone this semester, but the numbers can vary. According to Williams, dogs and dog owners benefit from the interaction brought by the students.
鈥淭he owners absolutely love it,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淭hese owners have specifically trained their dogs, and they鈥檝e gone through programming to allow their dogs to be therapeutic outreaches. They go anywhere where people are dealing with the pressures of life. The dogs provide a comforting diversion to what is heavily weighing on the minds of our campus community members.鈥
Williams went on to say that if the students come to the library during finals week, or for Stress-Free Zone in particular, they鈥檒l understand that the libraries are there to help them.
鈥淲e want you to succeed in all of your schoolwork, but studies show that overstudying tends to be counterproductive to what you鈥檙e really trying to do,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淭he dogs allow that mental and physical release and make sure students are able to handle the pressures of studies when they get back to them. The students will also have snacks in their pocket, and we鈥檒l give them 100 FlashPerk points.鈥
This semester鈥檚 event will feature coffee, popcorn, soft drinks, Red Bull and giveaways, including shirts, pins and stickers.
Hilary Kennedy, 两性色午夜 makerspace manager, said student employees of the Student Multimedia Studio and the Spark Innovation Studio will offer a hands-on activity during both Stress-Free Zone days. The maker station will be located near the Student Multimedia Studio on the library鈥檚 first floor.
Outside of the Stress-Free Zone, Williams encouraged students to use the other resources in the library. These university resources can include subject librarians, computer labs, the Writing Commons and presentation rooms.
鈥淲e hope to see you at Stress-Free, but we鈥檙e open 24 hours a day through finals week,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 4 a.m. and somebody鈥檚 too distracted to study in their house or their apartment, they can come to the library.鈥