Wellness

It is a great place to go and relieve stress in a healthy way.

“I heard there were puppies, so I had to check it out!” says sophomore theatre arts major Kelly Kassir of the De-Stress Fest.

For nearly a decade, Chico State’s De-Stress Fest has helped students manage their pre-finals stress with tea, snacks, health education, music, relaxation training, massage, art—and yes, puppies, courtesy of Butte County Humane Society.

“I loved seeing how happy the puppies made the students,” says Kassir. “It was nice to forget about studying for an hour or so to play with them.”

Kassir says she stays healthy by taking advantage of nearby Bidwell Park. “It’s nice to ride your bike or take a walk and get some fresh air while enjoying the creek.”

“I also know that the WREC helps a lot of students,” adds the San Clemente native. “Having such a wonderful facility so close to home is so convenient. It is a great place to go and relieve stress in a healthy way.”

This year, the Campus Wellness Center teamed up with WRECfit at the Wildcat Recreation Center to put on the De-Stress Fest. WRECfit enriches student life with activities such as dance lessons and nutrition counseling and partners with other groups and departments that also promote healthy lifestyles.

“Chico State really does try to make a less stressful environment by providing us with these programs,” says Kassir. “It worked for me!”

Student wellness is a priority at Chico State. Other on-campus resources promoting healthy lifestyles include a Mindful Campus meditation group, online wellness forums through the Counseling Center, quality medical care at the Student Health Service, personalized nutrition and fitness plans and mentors in the FitU program.