With finals bearing down, students turned to a low-stakes antidote this week: Unwind Your Mind, a campus wellness effort highlighted by a slime-making workshop designed to encourage hands-on focus and a moment to breathe.
The event — revived after a successful run last year — invited students to “be a kid again,” get messy and take a break, according to Mia Ramirez, a third-year textile fashion, merchandising and design major.
“We had a good turnout last year,” Ramirez said. “It’s just a really fun event.”
That simplicity is the point, according to Ramirez. The appeal of easy, repeatable routines that get students talking and laughing together offers a breather from the chaos that comes with finals week.
Organizers positioned the slime table as both an icebreaker and an outlet, according to Ramirez. The pitch resonated with students feeling the strain of the season.
“The core purpose of Unwind Your Mind Week would definitely be to kind of take a step away from your finals and from studying,” Ramirez said. “I know I should maybe be studying right now, but it’s doing me a better service to kind of relax.”
The workshop worked because it required just enough attention to pull students out of their academic tunnel without adding another task, according to Ramirez. Some chatted with friends; others worked quietly, mixing and kneading their slime until the texture felt right.
“Just needing to kind of recharge and chat with your friends while you do a craft, or just come on your own and take the time for yourself,” Ramirez said about the draw for those caught in the churn of deadlines.
For seniors, the need for a pause feels sharper. Fourth-year communication studies, public relations and writing major Andrew D’Aiello said he came in search of exactly that.
“Going into senior year, I thought things were going to slow down a little bit, and they just kind of have not at all,” D’Aiello said.
Between schoolwork, job applications and the stress of graduate school deadlines, he said Unwind Your Mind offered rare permission to disengage for an hour and “use a different part of the brain.”
D’Aiello heard about the event through Student Senate ambassadors and framed it as a necessary reset.
“I’m just glad that people are passionate about giving students wellness,” D’Aiello said. “I’m glad that we have these opportunities to engage.”
Unwind Your Mind Week stretches beyond slime. Students were encouraged to follow Student Involvement’s Instagram account for a full list of activities scheduled throughout the week. Ramirez said she hopes more students take advantage of the programming, especially as pressure mounts.
The next event of Unwind Your Mind Week was “Sugar Rush.” It took place on Wednesday and offered another drop-in opportunity for stress relief. But the purpose stayed the same: give students space to step back and recalibrate.
While exact attendance numbers were not available, both Ramirez and D’Aiello said it was a good turnout for the event and a good atmosphere.
As finals stretch on, the event’s message lingers: take a minute, slow down and let your hands lead your head back to center.
