Dear community,
Congratulations! You have conquered the first month of the Fall 2023 semester! As you reflect on these last four weeks, what stands out to you? What has been one challenge you've faced, and overcome? What is one thing you’re proud of? Who have you supported? Who have you reached out to for help? What is one thing you have learned about yourself? Take a moment to answer one or more of these questions. Then, think about one thing you’re looking forward to, in this next month.
As we move through September, we have a lot to look forward to personally, professionally, and as a community. We’ve officially begun Hispanic Heritage Month, and will be closing out September with National Hazing Prevention Week and Homecoming Weekend at the end of the month! Check out the events and resources highlighted below to support student health and well-being.
In community,
The Skorton Center for Health Initiatives at Cornell Health
part of Student and Campus Life at Cornell University
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Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo_hó:no' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo_hó:no' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo_hó:no' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo_hó:no' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.
Every Tuesday from 6:45-7:45pm, study-skills tutors from the Learning Strategies Center (LSC) host open drop-in hours at the Tatkon Center (RPCC-101). All Cornell students are welcome to stop by with a quick question or for a more in-depth consult.
Study skills tutors can help with:
- Figuring out a plan to study for your upcoming prelim or to complete your class project
- Helping you and your classmates organize your groupwork and manage partner-based projects
- Managing your schedule and making plans that will help you stay (or get) on track to finish your semester successfully
- Learning about evidence-based methods for studying, note-taking, and time management & figuring out which of these strategies will work best for you
- Discovering the best methods for learning from your digital course materials
- Pointing you toward the best resources and support services at the LSC and throughout Cornell
Click here to Learn More about the Learning Strategies Center.
Upcoming Campus Events - We Hope to CU There!
This week, we're sending a special shout out to the Cornell Big Red Football team as they get ready for their Homecoming game vs. Colgate. Go Big Red!
Botanic Gardens Highlights Tour
- When: Saturday, September 23, from 11:00am to 12:00pm
- What: Take a relaxing stroll with a Garden Guide through the gardens around the Nevin Welcome Center and discover the beauty and diversity of our cultivated plant collections. Visit the Robison Herb Garden, Young Flower Garden, Bowers Rhododendron Collection, Shady Groundcover Collection, tropical container display, and more. Each tour will be a unique experience, as we observe the gardens’ progression throughout the growing season.
- Where: Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center - 124 Comstock Knoll Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
- Fee: Free; donations welcome
- When: Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 9:00am to 10:00pm
- What: Join guides from the Botanic Gardens and the Lab of Ornithology for combined bird walk and plant walks this summer. We’ll alternate between tours of Sapsucker Woods and the F.R. Newman Arboretum in search of summer birds, and enjoy the trees and other plants we find along the way.
- Where: Lab of Ornithology - 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850
- Fee: Walks are $12 per person general admission, or FREE for Members of either the Lab or Botanic Gardens, Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
Cornell Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra: CU Music
- When: Saturday, September 23, at 3:00pm
- What: Cornell Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Gabriela Gómez Estévez, conductor. The Chamber Orchestra performs Montgomery’s Starburst, Walker’s Lyric for Strings, and Janáček’s Suite for Strings. The Symphony Orchestra performs Moncayo’s Huapango and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major.
- Where: Bailey Hall - 230 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850
- Fee: Free and open to the public; no tickets required
Body Positive Cornell (BPC) Registration is Open!
BPC promotes holistic wellness practices that increase physical, mental, and emotional health using a weight-neutral, self-empowerment model built upon the following five core competencies:
- Reclaiming health
- Practicing intuitive self-care
- Cultivating self-love
- Declaring your own authentic beauty
- Building community
For the fall 2023 semester, BPC groups will be held in person on Wednesdays from 5-6 pm ET, starting the first week of October, and lasting seven weeks. As we get closer to the start of groups, more information will be shared with participants.
If you have questions about BPC group sessions after reading the sections below or need accommodation for this experience, please do not hesitate to reach out to the BPC Program Coordinator Antonia Pellegrini at aep88@cornell.edu.
Refresh: Cornell's Sleep Program
Are you tired? Having trouble getting enough sleep? Nearly 25% of Cornell students report that lack of sleep impedes their academic performance. Refresh: Cornell's Sleep Program is here to help! Refresh is an 8-week, evidence-based self-help program proven to help improve college students' sleep. From learning about the physiology of sleep to practicing relaxation strategies, this program delivers valuable skills and strategies in just 10-20 minutes of content per week. Fall 2023 Refresh program begins on Sunday, October 1st! Although, students can begin the 8-week program any time during the semester.
Fall 2023 Nutrition Workshops
Our nutrition workshops are FREE and open to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Meal Planning Made Easy!
Facilitated by Cornell Health Nutritionists Christina Figueroa, MS, RDN, CDN, Lauren Nickerson, MS, RDN, and Cindy Milner, MSEd, RDN, CSSD
Join Cornell Health Dietitians for this in-person workshop! Come learn simple strategies for generating meal ideas that are balanced and tailored to your unique preferences and living situation. As we work collaboratively during this workshop, you will learn how to plan for meals whether you live in the dorm, are new to cooking, or are a gourmet cook! You will leave the workshop with meal and snack ideas, a grocery list, and new tips and tricks. Please register in advance; registration is capped.
Held in person on the following dates:
- Thursday, September 21, 3:00-4:00 pm at Cornell Health, 1st-floor Tang Conference Room 127 D (Registration capped at 15; register here)
- Wednesday, October 25, 3:00-4:00 pm at Cornell Health, Room 502 (Registration capped at 12; register here)
- Wednesday, November 15, 3:00-4:00 pm at Cornell Health, 1st-floor Tang Conference Room 127 C (Registration capped at 15; register here)
Fall 2023 Flu Vaccine Clinic
Each fall, Cornell Health partners with Wegmans Pharmacy to provide our annual on-campus flu vaccination clinics. Clinics are ...
- Open to all – students, staff, faculty, retirees, student spouses/partners, and other community and family members (age 3+)
- FREE for all students, staff, faculty, & retirees (other community members: the cost will depend on your insurance; most plans cover flu vaccination)
- Offering 3 vaccine types: Regular dose, senior dose (for age 65+), and thimerosal-free flu shots (learn more about flu vaccine types)
PLEASE NOTE: Sign-ups for each site below become available starting 30 days before the clinic date.
Click here for the Fall 2023 flu clinic schedule, and more information on how to register.
CAPS Workshop - The Perfection of Imperfection: Why and How to Lean In to Chilling Out
In this workshop, we will focus on what perfectionism is, how it may show up in your life, the damage it can do, and some strategies for keeping it in check.
When: Tuesdays: 9/12, 10/10, 11/7, 12/5, 3:30-4:30 pm
Cornell Health counselors facilitate psycho-educational drop-in workshops focused on helping students develop skills to thrive. Workshops are:
- Led by Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) counselors and psychologists
- Designed for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students; open to all Cornell community members
- Offered on a drop-in basis by Zoom
- Free!
Workshops are designed to provide skills to assist with coping. Workshops do not provide mental health treatment. If you would like to speak with a counselor, please call us (24/7) at 607-255-5155.
Let's Meditate
Let’s Meditate is a free, guided, mindfulness meditation series sponsored by Cornell Health, in collaboration with numerous campus partners.
- Everyone is welcome! Let’s Meditate is open to all members of the Cornell community, including students, faculty, and staff of all ages, genders, sizes, shapes, and abilities.
- Participation is FREE. You are welcome to come to as many sessions as you wish.
- Sessions are offered Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
Cornell Community Members Observing Yom Kippur
If you're observing Yom Kippur this year, chances are you’re fasting from sundown on September 24 through nightfall on September 25.
Fasting is an important part of many religious traditions, and can usually be accomplished safely. However, if you have any health conditions — including pregnancy, breast-feeding, or diabetes or another illness — it’s best to consult with your religious leader and/or your doctor first.
And if you are taking any medications, be sure to ask your health care provider if you can safely skip them or whether they can be taken without food and fluids. If you feel unwell during a fast, rest, consider sipping some juice, and consult a clinician if your symptoms do not improve.
Some say a fast shouldn’t be easy. But, neither should fasting be so difficult that one can’t concentrate on prayer. Click here for additional tips on Yom Kippur fasting, from Cornell Health.
Additionally, Cornell Hillel has a full schedule of Yom Kippur Services and Break the Fast Options. Click here to learn more.
Graduate Students - Graduate Diversity & Inclusion Welcome Reception
When: Thursday, September 21, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm; Priority registration ends on Sept 14th
What: Kick off the new academic year with graduate and professional students, postdocs, faculty, staff and other community members to celebrate and develop connections. Finger foods and drinks will be provided. This event is co-hosted by the Graduate School Office of Inclusion & Student Engagement (OISE) and graduate student organizations represented on the Graduate & Professional Student Diversity Council: Black Graduate & Professional Student Association (BGPSA), First Generation and Low Income Graduate Student Association (FiGLI), Graduate Womxn in Science (GWiS), Indigenous Graduate Student Association (IGSA), Latinx Graduate Student Coalition (LGSC), Multicultural Academic Council (MAC), QGrads (LGBTQ+ Graduate Student Association), the Society for Asian American Graduate Affairs (SAAGA), and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).
Where: G10 Biotech
Graduate Students - Graduate Writing Service (GWS)
Cornell postgraduates (graduate students, professional students, postdocs, and faculty) can work with Graduate Writing Service tutors to develop and refine strategies for drafting and revising writing projects and teaching materials:
- Dissertation Chapters
- Seminar Papers
- Research Proposals
- Conference Presentations
- Journal Articles
- White Papers
- Literature Reviews
- Dossiers
- Job Letters
- Grant Applications
- Teaching Statements
- Teaching Philosophies
- Syllabi
- Lesson Plans
- Writing Assignment Handouts
- Strategies for Responding to and Grading Student Writing.
Click here to learn more about Graduate Writing Service, and schedule an appointment.
