The Cornell Quaranzine

4/13/2021

Dear community,

For many of us, our hearts are heavy after learning we lost a member of our Cornell community this past weekend. As we continue to process and grieve the passing of Shawn West, ‘24, we encourage all students to lean on their support systems during this time. Let us all be intentional about checking in on each other and asking for help when we need it. Now more than ever, we must remind each other that we are not alone. See: https://caringcommunity.cornell.edu/get-help/

This edition of the Quaranzine offers suggestions for how to connect with others safely, and how to prevent or overcome burnout as we near the semester's end.

Wishing you wellness,

The Skorton Center for Health Initiatives

*If you were forwarded this newsletter and would like to receive the weekly Quaranzine in your inbox, sign up using this link.

Sometimes, it seems the word "stressful" doesn't fully encompass our experience during this pandemic. Just when it seems we’ve found a moment to catch our breath, life taps us on the shoulder to hand us “one more thing” to contend with. We may find ourselves feeling discomfort- a discomfort that David Kessler, author, public speaker and expert on grief and loss describes as grief:

“Grief is the normal and natural emotional reaction to loss or change of any kind. Of itself, grief is neither a pathological condition nor a personality disorder.”

In addition to grief, many of us may be experiencing burnout, which is a state of mental and physical exhaustion that can zap the energy out of you. Continual exposure to stressful situations, like working long hours on course work, managing a chronic health condition or witnessing upsetting news related to bias or hate, politics or school safety can lead to feelings of burnout.

It's important to remember that we may be facing challenges right now, some of them unique to us, some shared by others but the fact is we do not have to face them alone. Reach out, reach in to others and notice the positive difference it can make.

“The stress itself will kill you faster than the stressor will, unless you do something to complete the stress response cycle. While you’re managing the day’s stressor, your body is managing the day’s stress, and it’s also absolutely essential to your well-being, the way sleeping and eating are essential, that you give your body the resources it needs to complete the stress response cycle that has been activated.” - On Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle

It's important to develop and maintain habits that support your mental and physical well being especially during times when stress levels are high. Watch this Life Hacks video to learn how to manage your invisible backpack of stress for the remainder of the semester.

What: Chat That - An Introduction to Verbal Self Defense and Discussion on Inclusivity in Grappling Sports

When: Tuesday, 4/13 from 7-8 pm ET

Where: Register for this event through the link in their bio @wrc.cornell or linktr.ee/CornellWRC.

Join the WRC for a workshop, in collaboration with the Cornell Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club, where we'll learn to take charge of a self-defense scenario before it gets physical, followed by a discussion on how to build inclusive spaces in grappling sports by challenging toxic masculinity and girlboss feminism.

Tatkon student staff host these chats to informally advise and share their knowledge to make your first year the best it can be.
Log in here to their Zoom Room to join the chat!
https://cornell.zoom.us/j/98855703800?pwd=TTlLRlo4a2ZMRWUwL0ZDb1NkSDR2UT09

Let’s talk about Minors!
Tu, Apr 13, 7:30-8:30pm
Thinking of pursuing a minor that may be unconventional for your major? Just want to talk through deciding on minors to pursue? Come chat with Avery, an ILR Junior (alp237), about her minors and share your interests! We can explore the minors Cornell offers together!

Double Major Dilemma
Wed, Apr 14, 2-3pm
Planning or aspiring to double major? It can be difficult but definitely rewarding. With the right schedule, you can find time for both of your interests and distribution requirements. Talk to Abby, a senior History and Economics double major (amc453), about scheduling your sophomore year.

The Dreaded Internship Search
Th, Apr 15, 3-4pm
Finding a summer internship can be an exhausting process. Zoom in to get some job search tips, learn about opportunities, or just rant about the process with Ashni, senior ILR student (amv84).

When: Wed April 14 at 12pm

The Asian American Studies Program and the Asian and Asian American Center present the becoming lunch series, a space for people from Cornell and beyond to speak about their lived experiences and growth as individuals in relation to their own identity and social formations. Join us virtually, enjoy your lunch, and learn from and with the speakers. Free and open to all!

Pre-registration via Zoom required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vcuCgqTMtHdP68R-9fAd2KIWKWuVYSGpx

For accommodation requests and information, please contact aasp@cornell.edu or aaac@cornell.edu.

Wednesday April 14 at 4:30pm
Click here to register for event.

When you are searching for a job or internship, how can you tell whether an employer truly means what they say about valuing diversity and inclusion? During this session, you'll hear from alumni and career advisors about how to: analyze mission statements, ask equity-related questions during interviews and networking, and assess employers’ identity-focused practices. Conversation will focus on supporting students with marginalized identities. Allies and students exploring management roles are also welcome to attend. Sponsored by Cornell Career Services and ILR Career Services.

What: Film screening of Booksmart

When: Thursday, 4/15 from 7 to 9 pm ET

Where: Register for this event through the link in their bio @wrc.cornell or linktr.ee/CornellWRC.

Beyond the Bechdel - Booksmart

Join the WRC and LGBTRC on Thursday evening for a screening of Booksmart! In this film, on the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.

The Asian & Asian American Center (A3C) invites you to relax between prelims with a (free!) virtual escape room! The theme of the escape room is Sherlock Holmes: Detective Story. Every person who signs up to play will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of five $25 gift cards!

You can sign up individually or with a group. Feel free to invite your friends and hang out together! Up to 6 people can be in one room, and only one person needs to sign up per group. The deadline to sign up is April 11th at 11:59pm EDT.

Date: April 15, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
Location: Zoom

SIGN UP LINK:
https://forms.gle/yiqgaeVMJHBRp2Qr9

What: Movie Night on the Quad

When: Thursday 4/15; seating opens at 7:30pm

Where: Arts Quad

For more info/ to register: http://cglink.me/2ee/r1069553 and https://scl.cornell.edu/motaq

Invite your small group of friends to attend together, and keep in mind that COVID-related safety is the top priority for all in-person events hosted by the Campus Activities office. They will be carefully designating space on the arts quad for students to enjoy the film, and watching attendance numbers to make sure that screening is not over-populated. Attendees can sit with a group. Staff and student volunteers will be working the event to enforce health and safety measures.

What: CUeLINKS and Networking Overview: Connect with your Cornell Community

When: Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 7:00pm to 8:00pm

As a member of the Cornell community, it’s time for you to join CUeLINKS! During this time of social distancing, it's important to connect, and CUeLINKS is an easy tool to build connections with Cornell University alumni and peers. In this session, you will learn how to use CUeLINKS, explore the system, and search for and connect with alumni and peers.

To request accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility contact Heather Fortenberry, hao3@cornell.edu, 607-255-9046. We ask that requests be made at least 3 days in advance to help ensure they can be met.

Streaming site: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsdeGqqzooGtdgoC_LCESygJQeZPEe_NqB

Asiamnesia, written by Sun Mee Chomet, directed by Sara Pistono '21 and Duoer Jia '21, is an exploration of the stereotypes that plague Asian/Asian American actresses throughout their careers, as well as a celebration of their versatility and endurance. Through the inclusion of various historical figures and a look into contemporary shows and casting processes, Asiamnesia discusses the politics behind Asian/Asian American representation in the American entertainment industry. Scenes shift from realistic to conceptual, metaphorical to literal, classical to postmodern. It is a show sure to leave audience members thinking deeply about the challenges faced by Asian women, not only in entertainment but in society as well. Poster design by Arin Sheehan '22.

Reserve your free ticket at schwartztickets.com. A link will be emailed to you prior to showtime. (Based on your personal email settings, if you do not receive this email in your inbox, please be sure to check your spam/junk folder.)

April 15, 7:30 p.m. EDT
April 16, 5:00 p.m. EDT
April 17, 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. EDT

Healthy Queer Relationships

Friday April 16th, 3pm EST

The QSWARE series is a group of workshops intended to help LGBTQ+ students learn the healthy foundations of queer sex, relationships, and community while also providing preventative information around sexual and relationship violence. This series is presented through an asset-based lens to aid LGBTQ+ students in forming and maintaining healthy relationships and communities.

Contact LGBT Resource Center to Register for event: lgbtrc@cornell.edu

Friday April 16 at 4pm
Click here to register for event or
Click here to join event. Meeting ID: 980 3130 7701 Passcode: TGIF

Join this fun filled, beginner friendly Origami Workshop! You will learn how to fold exquisite Pinwheel Flower Bowls along with your friends. All you need is 1 Large Square piece of paper. Any size is okay, but larger than 21cm x 21 cm preferred. Any paper cut into a square will work! This event is a part of Student Union Board and Welcome Weekend's Thank Goodness It's Friday! series.

Theme: Decolonizing Mental Health

When: April 16-17
Registration Link: Click HERE

The Mental Health Summit is an annual event hosted by Building Ourselves through Sisterhood and Service (B.O.S.S.), a student-run organization dedicated to aiding womxn and gender non-conforming students of color in their transition to college through peer mentorship and service. This year's theme, "Decolonizing Mental Health," focuses on how we can seek healing through practices that acknowledge our identities and the realities that we are faced with as a result including the oppression that we as self-identifying BIPOC womxn deal with and how it affects our mental health.

This year’s keynote speaker is Melody Li, a self-identified therapist of color who focuses on inclusivity in therapy and mental health. Register for this year’s Summit and read more about Melody Li here. We hope to see you there! For more information visit this link to our website home page

What: Cornell COVID-19 Service of Remembrance

When: April 19 from 12 - 12:45 pm | Prelude begins at 11:50 am

Where: Participate via Zoom (no pre-registration required)

Over the past year, close to 550,000 people in the U.S. and 2.8 million worldwide have lost their lives due to COVID-19. Restrictions on gathering have deprived countless survivors of chances to mourn, heal and grieve losses, whether from COVID-19 or unrelated causes, with family and friends.

To honor these losses and provide opportunity to mourn as a community, the university is hosting this virtual event which is open to all students, faculty, staff, and retirees.

The service is intended to bring Cornellians together in community, in an inclusive, comforting and hopeful atmosphere. The event is nonsectarian and nonpartisan, and will be hosted by Oliver Goodrich, associate dean of students for spirituality and meaning making, and Catherine Thrasher-Carroll, mental health promotion program director.

Mental health resources and other grief supports will be provided at the end of the event. A recording of the service will be shared publicly.

Event Calendar

Contact:

wellbeing@cornell.edu

Monday April 19th @ 4:30PM EST

Ty Defoe of the Oneida and Ojibwe Nations is an Indigi-Queer shape shifting artist who interweaves contemporary oratory storytelling traditions and multimedia performance. Using song, design, dance, and environmentalism. Ty shares, celebrates, and amplifies Native/Indigenous worldview on Turtle Island with messages of inclusivity, hope, and justice.

Register here: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S7rNmKpYSZypz_Jm4iX8Ag

What: Grad Writing Group

When: April 14 and 15 9:00 am

Where: Sign up HERE!

Are you missing the in-person Grad Write-In at the Barn? Want to be part of a supportive writing community, virtually, until we can all meet up again? Do these questions make us sound like a 3:00am ad about hearing aids on Comedy Central? Pls say no. Join the Virtual Writing Group with the Big Red Barn!

From April 16-18, the Cornell community is invited to screen the award-winning documentary film, Picture a Scientist, chronicling the groundswell of researchers writing a new chapter for women scientists. Biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories to spectacular field stations, we encounter scientific luminaries – including social scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists – who provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all.

The film is available for virtual screening from April 16-18. On Monday, April 19, 2021 from 3:30-5:00pm ET, a related panel discussion will be held featuring faculty and staff who will discuss navigating bias and harassment in academic environments, approaches for practicing critical forms of allyship, and strategies for driving positive systemic and structural change within and beyond Cornell.

Register for access to the film and for April 19 panel discussion

This public event is open to all and registration is required. Real-time captioning will be provided for the panel discussion. To request accommodations or more information about the event, contact: cvm-dei@cornell.edu

Wednesday, April 14:

• Self-Care: How are you Taking Care of Yourself as This Pandemic Continues?
  2:00-3:00 pm
  Facilitator: Karen Williams, PhD
  Register for the April 14 Self-Care workshop
  This workshop is intended to promote self-care routines that can help participants find ways to become and stay healthy during this pandemic. Topics include managing your emotional tank, spending time engaging with pleasurable activities and ways to connect with others who share your ideals for self-care.

Thursday, April 15:

• Min / Maxing Video Gaming: Maximizing Gaming Enjoyment and Minimizing Gaming Pitfalls During Strange Times
  3:00-4:00 pm
  Facilitator: Thaddeus Bates, LMSW
  Register for the April 15 Video Gaming workshop
  Digital gaming is one of the tools we can use to stay connected and have fun while also social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. But can we have too much of a good thing? During this workshop we'll learn to identify problematic gaming patterns. We'll also learn strategies to help make gaming feel healthy and enjoyable.

Monday, April 19:

• Mindfulness for Managing Anxiety
  3:30-4:30 pm
  Facilitator: Joy Mushabac, LCSW-R
  Register for the April 19 Anxiety Management workshop
  Regular mindfulness practice and mindful meditation has been proven to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression while improving attention, clarity, concentration, and calm. Instead of being on “autopilot,” the skill of mindfulness is characterized by openness, attentiveness, and receptivity. This workshop will give you a taste of both mindfulness and meditation practice.

Tuesday, April 20:

• Go Easy on Yourself to Get Hard Things Done: A Workshop on Self-Compassion
  3:30-4:30 pm
  Facilitator: Sheila Singh, PhD
  Register for the April 20 Self-Compassion workshop
  In this workshop, we will discuss why we are self-critical, why that approach often backfires, and how to be kinder and more compassionate with yourself in order to do better and feel better.

If you find yourself struggling or in need of someone to talk to, know that you are not alone. The following resources are here to support you:

Cornell Resources

• Cornell Health phone consultation (24/7): 607-255-5155

Ithaca Resources (24/7)

• Ithaca Crisisline: 607-272-1616
  

• Advocacy Center (sexual/domestic violence): 607-277-5000

National Talk-Lines (24/7)

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

• Trevor Project hotline (LGBTQ+): 866-488-7386

• LGBT+ National Hotline: 888-843-4564

• TransLifeline: 877-565-8860

National Text/Chat Services

• National Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741

• Steve Fund crisis text line: Text STEVE to 741741 (connects you to a counselor of color)

• Trevor Project text line (LGBTQ+): Text START to 678678

National Suicide Prevention "Lifeline CHAT" service: suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat

• Contact Catherine Thrasher-Carroll, Mental Health Promotion Program Director, at ct265@cornell.edu.

• Contact Johan Kjorven or Adaeze Okorie, Public Health Fellows, at jk988@cornell.edu and aio22@cornell.edu
  

• Medical and Telehealth Services for Students in Ithaca

• Medical and Telehealth Services for Students Outside Ithaca
  

Website: health.cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-5155
Twitter: @CornellHealth