Aaron Berkowitz – General Assignment Reporter
They were running late, but it was worth the wait, said Kyle Thibodeau, senior video production major.
“It’s always nice to get away from the daily stresses that come along with classes,” said Thibodeau.
It’s safe to say this was the consensus for the students who attended the Counseling Services’ Annual Pet Therapy session. The 100 plus students who attended all cheered when they heard the first dog’s collar clanking around when they first entered into the Farnham Programming Space on Thursday night.
The night kicked off with six dogs and their handlers circulating around the programming space to give students a chance to get to pet each of them.
Dave Ostroff, junior journalism major, was there taking some photos for a class and said he thinks events like this are important for the underclassmen to take advantage of.
“Everyone looked happier when they were leaving, even the dogs,” said Ostroff. “It definitely is a great and different way to end the week. Midterms have had me stressed out unbelievably so this was the perfect thing to come and do.”
Ostroff said he remembers being a freshman and dealing with the stress of midterms for the first time, so it’s important to find ways to relax during the madness.
“It’s not only about taking time to distress though,” said Ostroff. “It’s also about taking the opportunity to bond with other people who are going through exactly what you are. “
Thibodeau agreed and said letting his mind relax for the hour-long event, helped his stresses to “melt” away for a while.
“I don’t think students want to sit in on forums that talk about 10 ways to deal with stress,” said Thibodeau. “Students just want to relax and have fun in their free time. We just want to have our stress managed through doing engaging stuff; like playing with dogs with friends.”
Diane Stanton-Holmes, coordinator of SEOP/EOP, said this is her second year organizing the event and there’s one concept she hopes everyone who attends the event experiences.
“I want them to feel joy,” said Stanton-Holmes. “This is a time to just relax, distress, and spend a few minutes with man’s best friend. ”
Stanton-Holmes said she has seen the sessions work wonders.
“Some students come here and might be feeling down or anxious, but when they leave they feel happier. Able to be more focused,” said Stanton-Holmes. “The smiles on everyone’s faces say it better than I can.”
Stefanie Carias, freshman biology major, said she saw the flier for the event while walking in the student center and had to stop by before going back to her dorm to do her homework.
“I love all the different kinds of dogs,” said Carias. “I’ve just been running up to all of them and petting them. This was a great way to just let my mind go for a while.”
According to a survey conducted by the Associated Press, over 80 percent of people say they experience stress daily. SCSU’s Counseling Services serves as a resource to students to help them cope with the different stresses they may experience over the course of a semester.
Lauren Besthoff, freshman elementary education major, said she had her first midterm this week and it was stressful to prepare for.
“It was stressful, but I got excited when I heard there would be dogs here,” said Besthoff. “I missed my two dogs back home so coming here was nice. Maybe they could bring kittens next time.”
Photo Credit: Derek Torrellas
