Students for Violence Prevention (SVP) teamed up with Prevention & Wellness to host an event called “Thank You, Next.” SVP and Prevention & Wellness each set up a table in the U-club of the Overman Student Center. The purpose of the event was to teach students about how to deal with breakups with topics such as healthy relationships, the best way to break up with a partner, and self-care methods. Information sheets, bullet journals, and stress balls were handed out to students.
“Definitely our main objectives would be how to safely break up with someone, having a definite plan and a way of action,” event organizer and junior in pre-pharmacy, Kristen Horyna said.
Horyna said SVP wanted those who attended to explore the different options for self-care.
“Being able to see there’s certain steps to follow within it, as well as teaching on self-care and the different components of self-care, because there’s not just one type,” Hornya said.
The event was called “Thank You, Next,” after the popular Ariana Grande song by the same name.
“I think it’s pretty empowering to be like ‘okay, I’m moving on, I’m onto bigger and better things, and obviously that doesn’t have to do like thank you, next person in line, but it can be like thank you, now I’m going to work on myself,’” Hornya said.
While SVP focused on healthy break ups, Prevention & Wellness focused on selfcare.
“The main thing that we’re emphasizing is a plan to starting self-care,” member of Prevention & Wellness, freshman in nursing, Kaitlyn Schneider said. “We have a five-step process that we listed on a handout. The most important thing (is) assessing areas of your life where you feel you need improvement and addressing them by setting one specific goal that you feel will help improve those areas. Also, keeping a system for checking in with your self-care process as far as keeping tracking of what you like, what you enjoy, maybe what things you feel like aren’t working for you and keeping track of your goals.”
SVP also handed out information on healthy relationships.
“I think it’s beneficial for college campuses just because college students are more likely to be in relationships when they’re in college, so they need to know what’s considered healthy and what’s not, if they need to get out, there are ways to do that,” senior in family and consumer sciences Lauren Davis said. “Also, it’s really important to have self-care in college, so I think it’s really beneficial for them to have that here, for them to learn more about it.”
Wellness & Prevention gave students self-care guides and a bullet journal for self-care.
“We really wanted to emphasize it as a lifestyle because if you work on different aspects of your health like emotional, physical, mental, all of that, then it will help you through events like breakups and relationships like what SVP’s emphasizing, but it will also help you through everything in your life,” Schneider said. “I would say that your most important relationship is with yourself. So really focusing on every aspect of your life, living a balanced life, and trying to help yourself in the most ways you can will not only increase your happiness, but will also help you with others as well.”