May just might be the time of the year where summer is right around the corner, but it’s also Mental Wellness Month!

To ensure students focus on their wellbeing in the midst of midterms and finals, Cal Poly is putting on its annual 31 Days of Wellness. The event was planned since January by Kathryn Villareal, the coordinator of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, along with student Gabby Rolph, the Co-Coordinator of the Wellness Ambassador Program.  For the next 31 days, they hope to raise awareness about health resources on campus for students.

The event

The kickoff to the series of events started Monday, April 29th on Dexter Lawn. Clubs and organizations such as Poly Fit, Men & Masculinity, PULSE, Health Services, FNL, SLO Food Bank, and more set up booths to inform students about how they can reach their needs and the activities they will be putting on.

At one booth, there were “quit kits” for smoking being offered to students. The kits contained pamphlets on methods to quit smoking, a card with the phone number for the California Smokers’ Helpline, along with breath mints and gum. Students could pick one up for themselves or for the friends.

“I hope to connect students to resources for their needs to quit smoking, but especially vaping,” said Nasseem Rouhani, a Health Education Specialist who works with the Tobacco Control Program and was running the booth.

Also in attendance, the Cal Poly PD was on Dexter Lawn and for the first time ever, is teaming up with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety for the 31 Days of Wellness event.

The reason behind the collaboration

Their biggest goal: “We’re trying to educate students to be more consciousness when crossing streets and biking,” said Frankie Herrera, a police officer for SLO PD.

Along with mental wellness, it is also national bike to work month, which promotes health living and a clear mind through increased exercise. However, students biking on campus often present danger to those who are walking.

According to SLO PD, most tickets given out on campus are written due to student bikers who are distracted on their cell phones, not adhering to stop signs or cars, not following the walk zone on Polyview, and those who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Awareness methods and prizes

Several actions will be taken to promote bicycle safety as well as the wellbeing of students who walk on campus.

“Students will be wearing sandwich boards with the tagline ‘why take a chance, stop, take a glance,'” said Kathryn Villarreal, who is leading the Department of Environmental Health and Safety in its collaboration with SLO PD.

Dum dum lollipops will also be handed out to bikers who are seen not following regulations- students should be alert or they will be called out!

Along with these lollipops being handed out, free prizes and gifts will be handed out throughout May.

There will be a raffle at the end of the month where students can win gift cards for a massage, Woodstocks pizza, Doc Burnstein’s, and more.   The grand prize of the rifle: a brand new bike and helmet! Tickets to submit for the raffle will be awarded to students by SLO PD and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety who are following safety regulations on campus to promote health and wellness. Students can also visit the office of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety to receive a ticket for the raffle.

“As a reminder, staff and faculty should also look for free lab safety glasses on Thursday at Building 180,” said Villarreal.

According to student Gabby Rolph, the Co-Coordinator of the Wellness Ambassador Program, Cal Poly Students should follow @myCPwealth on Instagram for more updates on events for the 31 Days of Wellness and how to get involved.

Next year, I will be a freshman at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo! While it is bittersweet to move away, I’m really looking forward to the new year and I feel more than ready for the change. emilydalybl

My close friends and family (and now you after reading this) know that before I chose Cal Poly, I was committed to play softball at a private university in Washington. It was a really brutal decision, but I decided I no longer wanted to devote my time at college to the sport I love and instead, explore other interests of mine- such as music, writing, and public speaking. Still, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to play softball at the collegiate level and I learned so much from the recruiting process. Actually, I will probably write an article in the future for advice on how to get recruited if you do want to be an athlete in college.

Anyways, I applied to Cal Poly SLO last year and if I am being honest, I didn’t think much of the school at first. I had driven by the school a few years prior and it looked nice but being an English major and all, the whole “tech” vibe of the school threw me off. I still thought playing softball in college was the path I would be taking and so I didn’t bother to actually stop and walk onto the campus.

Flash forward to the college acceptance (and rejection) letters! I soon had it narrowed down to four colleges- my top two being the school I had my softball scholarship at and Cal Poly. I then went to the Cal Poly Open House weekend for admitted freshman and it really opened my eyes to how the school would be a great fit for me!

First of all, Cal Poly SLO’s teaching method is “learn by doing.” I’m really drawn to this because I want to go into the fields of either law or journalism in my future and experience/internships will help me gain insight on what career I could have in the future. In terms of campus size, the school is pretty big but class numbers are small to average so you are really getting the best of both worlds. Also, despite the school being known for Engineering and Agriculture, the English department is a hidden gem and has some of the best teachers on campus that have won several standout awards.

Another plus of Cal Poly SLO is that there’s an endless amount of activities at and around the college. It has an amazing choir and well put together newspaper which I am hoping to join in the fall, as well as ASI (the student body/council) that interests me. There is Morro bay, Pismo beach, and Avila beach to explore and endless amounts of hiking trails in the area. There’s a bubblegum wall, the SLO-DO-CO donut shop, and a really cute downtown. It has a college town feel and all the students that I have met so far are friendly and have made SLO already feel like my new home.

I can’t wait to make the move in September and I’ll keep you all posted when I do! I’ll soon be able to share my new life and all its adventures with you. I wish you luck if you are going to college next year as well and feel free to ask me any questions you may have about SLO, college, or really anything else. In the meantime… go mustangs! : )

On the left is me and I’m next to my best friends, Sebastian (middle), and Grace (right)

As a senior in high school, it seems like the only conversations I have with friends and family members these days is about college. They ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

When I was little, I always had an answer to that question. Some years it was an author, others it was a teacher, for a year I wanted be Nancy Drew, and for a few months after an interesting appointment, I found myself wanting to be a dentist. However, things change. Now, I feel stuck. As high school comes to a close, how is one supposed to suddenly figure their life out?

My hardest decision at the moment is deciding on what colleges I want to apply to and attend. There are so many different colleges- large or small, private or public- in so many different places. I don’t know whether or not I want to continue playing sports in college. Do I want to pursue a sport I’ve played since I was four years old or branch out and cater to other activities I am passionate about? So many choices, with so little time, and with such a great cost. Deciding on a college could decide my fate in terms of who I become friends with, how happy I am, where I may live in the future, and what my future job may be.

From deciding on what college I go to all the way to figuring out a major for a potential future career, I keep telling myself that everything happens for a reason and I need to just make a decision that feels right in my heart. I need to let be what may be and everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to in my life. At the end of the day, I will be right where I belong. If you are feeling down because you are indecisive about something or scared of choosing the wrong path for your future, the key is to remember that “everything happens for a reason.” So smile, breathe, and listen to your heart.