The first week of class, I wasn’t able to go to my building meeting because I had a night class, so instead I met with GRF Sara over lunch a few weeks later. During this lunch meeting, we discussed hobbies and interests and I mentioned that I carve pumpkins every year during October. I then asked Sara if we could possibly make the pumpkin carving an activity for the Rose Scholar’s program and she said she would work on making it happen. Next thing I knew, I got an email saying it had been approved!

Thank you so much to Sara, Sara, and Esmeralda for making this happen. This weekend was definitely one that I needed a break from the work. I’ve been trying to make a conscious effort this year to manage my stress better, especially after last year in which I clearly did not manage stress well. I am so glad we were able to have the pumpkin carving event. In addition to Sara from CAPs giving some great tips on how to manage stress, the vibe of the room was very calming and pleasant.

This session was a good reminder that sometimes it’s stress-relieving to do something very mechanical that doesn’t require a lot of thought, such as carving a pumpkin or coloring. I don’t have that much to say about this event except that I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it for future Rose Scholars years because it was fun and extremely successful for relieving stress.