Celebrating Cultural Identity

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by: Angelina Kam

Life moves at such a rapid pace, but we all need to take the time to look back, reflect, embrace and highlight cultural identity celebrations that we will continue to celebrate for generations to come. We all come from different backgrounds and walks of life and makes us all unique. For those of you who don’t know, AAPI Month (Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month), as well as Jewish American Heritage Month are celebrated in May and in the UML community, it’s celebrated in April with the spring semester coming to an end just before the beginning of May. As someone who is part of the AAPI community, AAPI Month is extremely important and has a very personal meaning to me and is the reason why I’m the person I am today. I also have so much love and respect for both Jewish Americans and the entire Jewish community as a whole and I stand with them.

Both groups have experienced so much hate and racism throughout history just because they’re different, they embrace who they truly are, and see things from a different light. According to the US Census from 2020, approximately 5.9% of people living in the United States are Asian, and 0.2% are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. In addition, Jewish Americans are part of the 57.8% Non-Hispanic White on this particular census, though they are traditionally part of the MENA category, which represents those from the Middle East and North Africa. Unfortunately, the MENA category wasn’t included so in a sense they weren’t represented properly in the 2020 census. It’s our responsibility to be inclusive, as well as support not only these minoritized identities but all groups equitably and ethically regardless of what group or groups we may be a part of. We cannot be by-standers anymore. If we see something, we have to say something.

We need to be mindful that any negative action toward minoritized groups can have detrimental consequences and worsen the problem.  Even if you aren’t contributing to the racism and hate of these groups, this topic is still relevant to you. Why? It’s because there’s so much that stems from racism and hate and we don’t always know or have the answer, and we can always learn something new.

For example, Cultural Wellness is an extremely important concept that isn’t considered before an action or decision surrounding racism or hate is made. It is applicable in all kinds of different settings and situations and you probably didn’t even know it or consider it. So, what is cultural wellness, you may ask? Cultural Wellness is the way you interact with others who are different from you whether it’s ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, customs. It’s accepting, valuing, and celebrating different cultural ways and how people interact in the world. It’s like “wellness” in general, incorporating your physical, social, and mental health together to ensure that you’re happy, healthy and balanced and it’s always made a priority. But if one aspect of your health is off-balance or out of sync, you’re not going to feel happy or healthy, though weirdly enough, Cultural Wellness is equally as important, but isn’t made a priority, and recommend it to be. If you’re stuck or don’t know how to start or have these types of conversations, the Office of Multicultural Affairs(OMA) at UMass Lowell is here for you. OMA is a safe space and support all students, regardless of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

We all have the power to break boundaries, come together and end racial stigma and hate that pulls people apart and creates division, chaos, and violence. It starts with all of us being more mindful of what we say to one another; things can get misinterpreted or blown out of proportion and can have ill-fated consequences that might not only hurt a single person, but rather an entire population. It starts with all of us rethinking racial stereotypes and actually giving each other a chance to show our colors. It starts with us accepting our differences and celebrating our various identities and heritages, not only during these special months, but in fact everyday. If you’re stuck or don’t know how to have these conversations, the Office of Multicultural Affairs(OMA) at UMass Lowell is here.

How do we celebrate? We participate in cultural traditions, like special holidays and meals, we share stories and listen to them, we watch movies, and we learn about historical pioneers and trailblazers who defied racism and hate, rewrote stereotypes, chased their dreams, and the paved the way for all of us to do the same!! It’s truly a celebration like no other and you’re all cordially invited. Finally, be proud of your heritage and who you are…there’s only one version of you and you shouldn’t let anyone or anything change that.

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/13/1014710483/2020-census-data-us-race-ethnicity-diversity

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/4/1/why-is-there-no-mena-category-on-the-2020-us-census

https://www.jewishheritagemonth.gov

https://asianpacificheritage.gov

https://nativenewsonline.net/advertise/branded-voices/how-to-reclaim-and-celebrate-your-cultural-identity#:~:text=How%20to%20Reclaim%20and%20Celebrate%20Your%20Cultural%20Identity.,Learn%20History.%204%20Embrace%20Your%20Cultural%20Traditions.%20

Race and Mental Health

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by Alexandra Kam

The Office of Multicultural Affairs supports and makes an impact on many lives and believes in and stands for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders(AAPI) Awareness Month is typically celebrated in May but this community should be recognized and respected for their efforts and contributions each and every day all around the world. It is important to appreciate and respect this group of people for their culture. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continue to face racism. This community was blamed for the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The pandemic has affected many lives, resulting in mental health problems and being excluded. With the support of those outside the AAPI Community, the AAPI has been able to get back on their feet, feel included and be confident

According to Medical News Today, as racism and mental health are closely linked, that can cause or worsen mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to name a few. A review that was conducted in 2015 concluded that racism is twice as likely to affect a person’s mental health than their physical health. Mental health is such an important aspect for a balanced life. It gives us the time to reflect and realize the important and positive things that bring us joy rather than the negativity and toxic behaviors from unkind people.

The discrimination of any race, specifically Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, can affect the accessibility that this group of people have to basic necessities, such as health insurance, let alone receive help. The criticism and negativity that is received takes a toll on one’s mental health and can have a negative impact on their wellbeing as a whole. Individuals who identify within the AAPI community or any other minoritized race will feel anxiety and will not feel safe, because they won’t know who to trust or who will help them through these setbacks. Each individual should be proud of who they are, where they are from, having a unique background and take a different journey to be successful. The race they identify as shouldn’t affect what a person can or can’t do.

The life of each person is precious, as the news about hate crimes towards Asian American and Pacific Islander community is not acceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated. According to NBC News, a report came out about a California church shooting at a Taiwanese church where there have been disputes between China and Taiwan for several years, but also addresses the issues that are in the United States where gun violence continues to be an issue. The issues that are going on between the two countries shouldn’t be solved by harming innocent people, and continues to bring fear and stress to this community which brings instability to the mind.

Mental health shouldn’t be conquered alone, and should be found by getting help from a support group that consists of friends, family, teammates, teachers, coaches, and some individuals that we may not expect support from. The issues that the individual faced will be able to make them seem not confident to overcome the struggles they may be dealing with now, but with some encouragement and guidance they will be able to eventually realize that there are things to look forward to knowing that things will get better. I’m proud to represent the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and appreciate the culture in my life.

If you’re someone who is discriminated, there is someone always here for you who is willing to listen and will try to help you solve your problem. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.  Be compassionate towards those who do discriminate; no one is perfect and everyone has problems whether we are aware of it or not. It’s important to inform them of their mistakes and let them know that they’re discriminating. Discrimination shouldn’t hold someone back from what they want to accomplish because in this world, you can do anything! Focus on the controllable, not the uncontrollable; how you treat your friends, family, the next person you meet or see, or even how you address an issue are examples of some of these controllable factors. Remember, you are important and UMatter!

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/calif-church-shooting-raises-questions-nationality-based-potential-hat-rcna29604

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/racism-and-mental-health#allyship

UML’s Strive to Improving Food Insecurity on Campus

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Final Capstone project by Diana Morillo and Jade L. Caldwell

Reflection by Diana Morillo

The desire to help people and leave an impact was a strong motivator for me to intern for Student Life and Wellbeing on campus, as their mission and values are in line with mine. During this time, I had the opportunity to not only collaborate with the Student Life and Wellbeing on campus but also the UML strive pantry to fight against food insecurity on campus. The program aims to provide students with the resources and support they need to succeed at college through a holistic approach that integrates several components to maximize a person’s wellbeing (UML Wellbeing, 2022). The office of Student Life and Wellbeing has identified these components as emotional health, financial health, intellectual health, spiritual health, physical health, occupational health, environmental health, and social health. These are all important components of health in order to effectively address the needs of students who are experiencing a level of financial distress or have been unable to meet their basic needs, such as food security.

As an intern, my responsibility began with conducting research that would gather relevant data to translate into actionable insights with the purpose of improving food insecurity on campus. After a great deal of research and attending the National Anti-Hunger Conference, I became more aware of the need to improve the understanding of food insecurity to reduce the stigma, but also understand its effect on students not only outside the campus but also on campus. The research began with food insecurity, but it ultimately evolved into bridging the financial gap to access food through financial literacy. The reason is, that financial literacy is a critical component in food security, yet, 40 percent of four-year students reported struggling with basic financial literacy (NASFAA, 2018). This lack of financial literacy can be attributed to the fact that schools do not provide adequate financial education for students, so it is imperative for colleges to take on the initiative of implementing a financial literacy program to help students become financially literate (Financial Educators Council, 2022). With that being said, students could benefit from a financial literacy program to help reduce the risk of food insecurity.  

References:

NASFAA

uml.edu/wellbeing

Why Isn’t Personal Finance Taught in School?

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Make Your Own Bouquet Bar 5/3/22

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Senior Melodie Armand building a beautiful bouquet of flowers!

On May 3rd, 2022, our office collaborated with the Office of Sustainability on a “Build Your Own Bouquet Bar” event.

Research has demonstrated that flowers help to relieve stress, boost mood, and improve focus. The added benefit of making your own bouquet is practicing mindfulness and connecting with others.

The flowers we used were locally sourced from The Flower Mill, which not only allowed us to support a local business, but had a low carbon footprint, making it a more sustainable practice.

Flowers sourced from The Flower Mill!

Students swarmed the University Crossing Atrium as soon as the flowers were put out. We ran out of flowers within 20 minutes!

The students appreciated being able to take some time away from finals to de-stress and create a beautiful bouquet of flowers for themselves.

Chancellor Moloney stopped by and thanked us for brightening the students’ days!

Given all of the positive feedback from students, we will definitely be hosting this event again in the future.

Self-Care Celebration 4/29/22

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Boogie & Oakley- Therapy Dogs at the Fox Common!

On Friday, April 29th, 2022, Cheyenne Bryan, Graduate Fellow in the Office of Student Activities and Leadership, hosted the first annual Self-Care Celebration in Fox Common- and the Office of Student Life and Well-being wasn’t going to miss it!

Cheyenne had a section blocked off for therapy dogs, Boogie and Oakley to relax and cuddle with students (and they were the stars of the show). Being around therapy dogs helps to improve one’s mental health and boost self-esteem and communication. Thanks Boogie and Oakley for doing that for our students!

University Dining provided a healthy meal of chicken, rice, and sweet potatoes, and Student Activities had “DIY Zen Gardens” for students to take!

Our office had knitting materials, DIY Essential Oil Blends, and Green Tea samples for students, all things that help to induce relaxation and support mental health.

There was peaceful music playing in the background and students were all smiles as they circled through the event. It was so relaxing and fun for the students, staff (and dogs) who attended.

We will definitely be collaborating on this event again in the future.

Thanks so much Cheyenne!

The Importance of Sleep

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#PhysicalWellness

As UMass Lowell enters its spring 2022 finals, it is important for students to remember how essential sleep is to academic success. Getting a good night’s sleep every night can dramatically improve test scores.

According to a study posted in the nbj Science of Learning journal, getting a good night’s sleep regularly, not just the night before an exam, is linked to better overall academic performance, including on exams. Regularly getting longer sleep, higher quality sleep, and consistent sleep account for 25% of the determining factor in overall grades.

Longer sleep was the first factor analyzed. Getting enough sleep is the most known element of being rested enough for strong academic performance, but it is still often under-looked on college campuses. In general, getting more sleep is better than getting less, however, everyone should strive to get around 8 hours of sleep a night.

Higher sleep quality is also important to feeling rested every day. Sometimes factors outside of anyone’s control can make sleep more challenging, but there are controllable elements in ensuring higher quality sleep. Reducing use of technology before bedtime, taking less naps, exercising throughout the day, and not eating too close to bedtime can all assist in getting the best sleep possible.

One of the most under-looked parts of sleep health is sleep consistency. People who go to bed around the same time every night and wake up around the same time every morning typically feel more well-rested than people who fall asleep and wake up at different times each day, even if they get the same amount of sleep. Setting personal bedtimes and wake-up times every day can not only lead to feeling more well-rested but can also improve nightly quality of sleep.

Sleep is crucial to academic performance because, when people are not well-rested, it can be more challenging to think clearly. The time people sleep recharges their brains and ensures that they can perform as strongly as possible the next day. More sleep, and better sleep, each night gives the brain more time to recharge and be ready for the next day.

Consistency in personal sleep schedules also helps the brain in this recharging process because it teaches the brain when it should sleep and when it should be awake every day. If someone were to fall asleep at 10 pm every night and wake up at 6 am every morning, the brain and body gets used to this pattern, and the brain ensures that the body is ready to function by 6 am every morning. With inconsistent sleep schedules, the brain cannot learn when it is time to rest and when it is time to be active, which can lead to feeling tired during the day and energetic at night.

Memory is highly important to academic success, which is reliant on having a well-functioning brain. When people get a good night of sleep every night, it allows the brain to retain more information both in the short-term and the long-term. Adopting these healthy sleeping habits can lead to stronger academic success in college students.

UMass Lowell introduces Office of Student Life and Well-being

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(Photo courtesy of Hannah Monbleau/UMass Lowell) On March 22, The Office of Student Life and Well-being hosted a trivia night dedicated to sleep, which was well received by students.

Lillie Zate
Connector Staff

Recently, UMass Lowell has introduced the Office of Student Life and Well-being, with a focus on educating students on the eight dimensions of well-being and incorporating health-promoting actions across campus culture, improving the lives of students and helping them in every aspect of their lives.

The eight dimensions of well-being that the office focuses on are emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual well-being.

“We are aiming to create a hub for all of the different wellness efforts in every dimension of wellness,” said Hannah Monbleau, assistant director of the Office of Student Life and Well-being. The office is trying to use holistic approaches to improve how students feel on campus in a way that can help them in the long run.

Across campus, many areas already have health initiatives going on, such as UMatter2. The Office of Student Health and Well-being wants to bring everything together and gather resources that can provide for students. As a result, students will be able to learn healthy habits and take away small changes that can improve and help them live healthy lives, in a more proactive and holistic way.

The Office of Student Life and Well-being hopes to reach their goals in several ways such as publishing resources, hosting seminars, lectures and workshops, partnering with other offices and programs on campus, having workshops during orientation for incoming freshmen.

UMass Lowell is not the first university to start something such as this – this is a part of a network of about 70 institutions across the country that promote health and well-being, which is continuing to grow every day, focusing on a well-being model to support students.

The office wants to break down barriers for students that might be preventing them from getting help and gaining the skills they need to meet all the eight dimensions of well-being.

“Other institutions are trying to find better ways to help their students; our office aims to find better strategies that are more proactive so students can have the tools they need to cope with the challenges they have…”

The Office of Student Life and Well-being is still a new organization and is growing every day, and they have UMass Lowell students’ interests as a top priority.

“We’re seeing that students have so many things they need help with, and we want to have all their resources for them, in one place,” Monbleau said. “We hope students can gain an understanding that the university cares for them, and we are here for them in all aspects of their lives.”

The Office is trying to find ways to track what students are struggling with and gather data to fine-tune the programs and resources they can offer students. They also want to become a place where students feel comfortable providing them with feedback.

“We’re hoping to make the lives of students a little easier and their experiences at UMass Lowell a lot better,” said Monbleau.

The office hopes to improve academic performance and the overall campus atmosphere by partnering up with other organizations on campus and providing resources.

Ruben Sanca, director of Student Life and Well-being added, “It’s important that once we can address the student body and get them the help they need, we can also help our staff and faculty. The more we help them, the better we can help our students,” he said.

The Office of Student Life and Well-being believes that the university needs to find ways where we can all work together.

“I think that in doing this and educating students, we will be learning more things ourselves,” said Monbleau.

Story appeared in The Connector student newspaper on March 29, 2022.

Don’t Sleep on Trivia Night 3/22/22

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On March 22nd, 2022, The Office of Student Life and Well-being hosted their first event, Don’t Sleep on Trivia. Students are constantly reporting that they don’t get enough sleep, and March is Sleep Awareness Month, which made it the perfect time for an event related to sleep.

Students were able to attend both in person and virtually. The event was also a “Destination UML” event, meaning that prospective students considering attending UML were able to attend as well.

The room filled up with students eager to learn about healthy sleep habits, so much so that we ran out of chairs! Students enjoyed whole wheat zucchini muffins and yogurt parfaits, which both contain a healthy balance of carbohydrates and dairy, making them the perfect snack for a good night’s sleep.

The event kicked off with a presentation about the science of sleep by Diana Walker-Moyer, Director of Health Services. She explained that sleep is a time for the body to restore, and not the brain. She spoke of the hormones that affect our sleep, emphasizing the importance of getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night and waking up at the same time each day. She explained that healthy sleep improves our physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being.

After Diana’s great presentation, Assistant Director of Student Life and Well-being, Hannah Monbleau hosted Round 1 of Trivia. Students answered questions about the science of sleep [which were informed by Professor Zhang from the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences] from their phones (how convenient!). The top 3 winners were announced on the leader board and a sleep mask, essential oil diffuser, and Tempurpedic pillow were claimed by the winners!

Up next, University Dining’s Dietitian provided nutrition tips for healthy sleep. She broke them into her “Sleep Do’s” and “Sleep Don’ts”

According to Melissa, to achieve healthy sleep you should:

  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet
  • Limit highly processed foods
  • Have a carbohydrate containing snack 1 hour before bed combined with a dairy product

To achieve healthy sleep, you should NOT:

  • Deprive yourself of sleep- you will be hungrier and prefer high fat and high sugar foods
  • Have caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime
  • Eat highlight processed foods before bed, and avoid being energy depleted, as it will be harder to fall asleep.

Next, the Office of Student Life and Well-being shared some tips from Jon Bragg, Associate Director of Residential Education, including respecting quiet and courtesy hours, and requesting support from an RA if someone is being too loud, making your room as comfortable as possible, having a blanket for the winter and a fan for the summer, creating a sleep schedule for your roommate and always using headphones when watching TV or listening to music.

After Melissa and Res Life’s great tips, Hannah Monbleau hosted a 2nd round of trivia. This time, the 10 questions were related to sleep dos and don’ts. Students answered on their phones and the top 3 winners won! The prizes were a lavender sleep spray, a sound machine, and a weighted blanket.

The event concluded with Diana Walker-Moyer providing attendees with the following take-aways:

  • Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep at night
  • Create a sleep-friendly environment
  • If you lose sleep, catch up by going to bed 1-2 hours earlier the next night
  • Avoid daytime naps if you can, but if you must nap, limit it to 20-30 minutes
  • Put the lid on the caffeine, the nicotine, and the alcohol too close to bedtime
  • Use your bed for sleep and sex only.
  • Exercise to move your body! But don’t exercise 3-4 hours before bedtime.
  • Finish regular meals 2-3 hours before bed, but don’t go to sleep hungry! Have a healthy bedtime snack such as yogurt with granola or cheese and crackers.

Students and staff that attended hopefully left feeling full of both yummy food and great sleep knowledge and were ready to have the best night’s sleep of their lives!

Welcome!

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The mission of the Office of Student Life & Well-being is to advance the Division of Academic and Student Affairs holistic concept for student success by infusing health promoting actions and collaborations into campus culture.

This blog will be used to publish student stories on how they are incorporating the 8 dimensions of wellness into their daily life on campus.