Culture of Care: How Honors Students Survive Finals
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When Dean Mari Castañeda welcomed Honors students back to campus this fall, she asked them to uphold what she called a “culture of care.” What does this mean? The expression evokes a familiar feeling, one of autumn afternoons in the grassy lawns outside of Elm and winter nights huddled with friends working through impossible math problems. Honors students have always cared deeply about their schoolwork and social lives, but according to Dean Castañeda’s description of the culture of care, this year’s philosophy poses a new opportunity for the Commonwealth Honors College.
Dean Castañeda says there are three tenets of the culture of care:
- Being flexible and compassionate when challenging situations arise
- Being vigilant with how we extend kindness and care to others and to ourselves
- Intentionally working toward justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to create places of belonging
In the midst of final exams, we’re focusing on the second theme—active kindness towards ourselves and others. How do Honors students take care of one another to combat stress?
Raymond Li, a junior computer science major, turns to exercise. “I’ll go and play basketball whenever I don’t have a busy week,” he says. “It’s good to get exercise because I don’t get as much in college.” Sophomore biology major Nathan LaPointe agrees. “[Going to the gym] really helps me take my stress away and gives myself something else to think about.”
While LaPointe appreciates how close the Recreation Center is to the Honors dorms, senior biology major Alexander Allison enjoys taking hikes. “I’m going to go with a group of eight people today,” he tells me, “Which will be great.”
Even when studying, students find a way to make work enjoyable. “My favorite spot is studying outside,” says freshman psychology major Sierra Curro. “That’s good for my mental health.” Sophomore chemical engineering major Aron Korsunsky prioritizes balance. “I’ve been trying to make sure that I’m focusing on myself and my studies, and then also on friends, and making sure I’m being balanced with that and not just focusing too much on one or the other.”
During moments of imbalance, community outreach helps students stay afloat. “I know that when I’m in that bad place, I need someone to be thinking of me,” says sophomore computer science major Jasmine Horburapa. “I like to think of all of my friends when they’re having good times and also bad times. When I know someone’s having a bad time, I want to send them that positive vibe.”
Sam Palczewski, a senior biomedical engineering major and RA in Linden, goes out of his way to engage with building residents. “Usually when I’m on-duty, I come up here with the chess board and play some nice relaxing lofi [music],” he says. “Residents will sometimes come up and be like, ‘Oh, you’re on-duty, let’s play chess!’”
On the night I visited them, senior computer science major Herlin Rijo played opposite Palczewski. “[Chess] brings a sense of warmth in the community,” he said in between moves. “School can be very overwhelming, but this is a chance to just sit back, relax, talk to your friends, and really decompress, even without you knowing.”
Palczewski agreed. “When you’re sitting there, one v. one in front of the board, it’s a very much cognitively stimulating game… It sets you in a sort of mind state where you can have more serious, deep conversations.”
Upholding a culture of care is not a new expectation for Honors students—the values Dean Castañeda described are an extension of students’ existing self-care and outreach routines. With every hike, outdoor study session, or game of chess, students reinforce the Honors principle that self and interpersonal care make for a better community.
There is an undeniable culture of care in the Honors College. With every moment we set aside for ourselves or others, the benefits of this intentional kindness come to light.
We’ll be highlighting this theme in our social media for the rest of the year: keep an eye out for #CultureOfCare on our channels, and for more ideas of how we can all contribute—and please share your ideas with us.