This past Saturday, I attended the Self-Care workshop in the Rose library. This was one of the most interesting events I have participated in Rose. Not only did I learn how to carve a pumpkin, but I also learned more about the health resources available at Cornell. I am very glad I spent my Saturday afternoon to get in the Halloween spirit.

I had a good time carving the pumpkin and taking out the flesh. It helped me reconnect with nature, and I found the physical act cathartic. I liked that I could create any design I wished, and the freedom was indeed an effective stress reliever.

During the event, I gained more insight into limiting stress by taking advantage of resources such as CAPS and EARS. Especially because many students have prelims at this time of year, the workshop was helpful! I also got to meet a lot of Rose scholars, which was fun! I realized that Cornell’s environment is stressful for everyone and that we need to care for ourselves and each other. One notion that Sarah, a CAPS counselor, shared that resonated with me was that we are not robots. We are human, and we need to time away from academics to recharge.