All posts by alyssamcollier

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Hilbert Hosts Fresh Check Day

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At a time when college students nationwide are struggling with mental health, Hilbert College hosted a proactive, positive event to provide students with coping tools in an interactive environment. This event, commonly known as Fresh Check Day, included interactive booths, educational sessions, entertainment, refreshments, and prizes and took place on Tuesday, March 21st. Fresh Check Days are hosted at colleges across the country as an educational and interactive event to check-in with students.

Fresh Check Day is a signature program of the nonprofit Jordan Porco Foundation, which is based out of Hartford, Connecticut. Their website explains that this foundation was formed by Ernie and Marisa Porco in 2011 after they lost their son, Jordan, to suicide when he was only a freshman in college. Since then, Fresh Check has been implemented at 175 colleges and universities in 42 states.

In their mission statement, the Jordan Porco Foundation says the mission of Fresh Check Day is to “prevent suicide, promote mental health, and create a message of hope for young adults. We provide engaging and uplifting programming emphasizing peer-to-peer messaging promoting help seeking behavior, self-care, and coping skills”.

By participating in many different interactive activities, students were reminded that they are not alone and that their mental health is just as important as their physical health or academic standing. Students participated in balloon art and punch paining through WAHI Studio, and other activities including raffles, photo booths, self-reflective games, and a giant ball pit.

Kristine Twoguns, a senior at Hilbert College, worked and attended Fresh Check Day last year and is very eager to attend again this year. “This event is a great way to come together and celebrate life. After Covid, mental health challenges have increased dramatically, and having Fresh Check Day implemented may help relieve the stress and insecurities of many students”.

Fresh Check Day helped encourage dialogue about mental health and build a bridge between students and mental health resources that are available on campus, in the community, and nationally.

The day was full of smiles and laughter. Grace Adams, head of Hilbert Res Life, says Fresh Check Day was a great success. “Attendance nearly doubled compared to last year, and there were a lot more student volunteers helping to set up this event”. Grace also says that the free food could have had an influence on attendance, so more food trucks could be a possibility for next year’s Fresh Check Day.

Fresh Check Day was a great way to spread awareness and let students be open with themselves. It is important for students to know what kind of resources are available to them, so if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

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Hilbert to Host Matball Game

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On Wednesday, April 26th, Alyssa Collier and Faith Dyet will be hosting a Mat Ball tournament program as a way for students to be physically active with fellow peers and enjoy the final weeks of the spring semester.

Sporting events allow student athletes and non-athletes to engage in and play sports, while also having fun with friends. Exercise is also an excellent method to de-stress from the demanding college experience of schoolwork, exams, among many others. 

For those who are not familiar with mat ball, it is similar to kickball. It is an indoor team game where players try to score runs by going around the bases after kicking a ball. Unlike kickball, the bases are large floor mats, and any number of players can stay on them at the same time before running to the next one. Players on defense can tag runners out by catching the ball, throwing it at the runner, or touching the players with it. Once you split up into teams and set up the field, you’re ready to compete.

This event will be taking place in the Hilbert Hafner Center at 8 p.m. There will be a QR code to sign in and sign a waiver once students arrive at the gym.

Scott Caracci, the Management Coordinator for the Hilbert College Athletics department, says this is a great way for students to get involved.

“I think that it is great that you girls are holding a mat ball game in the Hafner Center,” he said. “It will give students on campus a new opportunity to meet new people while also being active. Safety during these types of events is paramount. Having campus safety looped in and having students sign a waiver are good steps to ensuring safety for this activity”.

At the end of this event, each student that has been signed in through the QR Code will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win Hilbert Hawks apparel and accessories. Collier and Dyet are hoping that this event will not only allow students to build connections with fellow peers, but also will build individual skills such as leadership, discipline, and confidence.

Dyet, one of the students who is running this event, said that she is very excited to be hosting mat ball.

“I am grateful to anyone who decides to participate,” Dyet said. “This has taken a lot of time and planning to ensure that students are receiving interactive programs that they enjoy.”

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Hilbert holds Night Event at 78 West

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Music and laughter filled the air on Monday after Hilbert College hosted a musical concert performed by artist Phillip Jackson, also known as Eems. The concert took place in the 78 West Café.

In an interview, Eems explains that he is from Kansas City, Missouri, and has been playing music his whole life. He started off playing the drums and worked his way to the piano, then later started open mic. He has always written music and fell in love with the idea of performing. His mom was a choir director for the church, so music has always been a way to get together and show love. “I love performing in front of people, being on stage”, he says. Now, Eems travels on tour to different colleges to perform songs and bring people together with the art of music.

Hilbert was the second to last school for the tour and aside from good snacks and beverages, students were given the opportunity to come on stage and perform with musical artist, Eems. Alexis Kelson was one student in particular who stood out. After pushing herself out of her comfort zone, Alexis performed a freestyle on stage with Eems. This concert helped improve the confidence of many students by allowing them to perform and be a part of such a unique experience. Many college students are not given the opportunity to relax and have fun during a busy time of the semester, so it’s heartwarming to see people come together and enjoy music.  

Hilbert Involvement ran this event and was very happy with how this event turned out. Alex Gill, head of student involvement says that this was a time for students to relax. Life can get hectic, so this concert gave students the opportunity to escape everyday life and enjoy the comfort that music brings to life.

“This crowd was perfect. Hilbert Involvement knows how to throw a show! Thanks for having me and I can’t wait to see you all again soon”, writes Eems in a recent Instagram post.