ECC lounge a Stress-Free Zone ahead of final exams
By Emily McFarlan emcfarlan@stmedianetwork.com December 7, 2011 8:54PM
Massage therapist Joyce Kosin (left) gives student Jim Kolofer of Lake in the Hills a massage Wednesday at the Stress-Free Zone in the Jobe Lounge at Elgin Community College. | Michael Smart~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: January 9, 2012 9:23AM
ELGIN — Holly Grimm of South Elgin said she only was stressed “a little” about her final exams coming up next week at Elgin Community College.
But then, Grimm already has a few early finals behind her, she said.
She also was sitting back in a cushioned seat massaging her legs and back, her hands wrapped in moisturizing paraffin wax, with a steady stream of cheery citrus-scented oxygen directed at her nose.
“I’m going to be so relaxed, I’m not going to be ready for class!” Grimm said.
The spa treatments were just one of many stress relievers in the Stress-Free Zone marked off Wednesday in the Jobe Lounge at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive.
The Stress-Free Zone also included back massages, cotton candy and popcorn, tea and hot chocolate, a coloring corner and a Play-Doh table.
It’s a free event that the College Programming Board organizes every year just before finals, according to board adviser Gabe Lara.
“Finals are next week, so we wanted to give students the chance to relax,” he said.
Students stress so much over finals, the adviser said, the school won’t host any events or club meetings next week. And they may be stressing more than ever, he added, because — in the current economy — “they’ve got a lot going on.”
“A lot of my students have full-time jobs, they go to school, they’re doing other things,” Lara said.
The spa treatments came from Tennessee-based Campus Spa, and the massages were by students in Elgin Community College’s massage therapy program. The rest of the snacks and activities were provided by the College Programming Board, such as the make-your-own-stress-ball station.
That was Melliza Malabanan’s first stop. The Carpentersville resident said her stress level around finals time depends on the course: anatomy and physiology drove her to filling a green and white polka-dotted balloon with sand.
Next up was the Play-Doh station, she said.
“You’re never too old for Play-Doh,” Malabanan said.
Meantime, Lexi Aguinaga passed out sheets of bubble wrap to students passing through the Student Resource Center. The bubble wrap is the best part of any gift — and an unexpected stress reliever, Aguinaga said.
A member of the College Programming Board, the second-year student hasn’t yet gotten to take advantage of the Stress-Free Zone, she said. But even just handing out the bubble wrap gave her a boost, she said with a bright smile on her face.
“It’s absolutely fun,” she said. “Just to help somebody out, see them smile — it de-stresses, too.”
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