Thrive @ Cornell
Health & Wellbeing Newsletter January 30, 2023
Welcome Back Dear Community!
Did you know that you were born to thrive? Yes! You, me, everyone. In the lyrics of the Sweet Honey In The Rock song, "Your children are not your children. They are the sons and the daughters of life longing for itself." She, he, they, them, zi, zir - we are all meant to thrive, we are each "life longing for itself".
As we begin this new calendar and academic year, let's each take a moment to pause and ask ourselves, what am I longing for at this time? How might I thrive and not just survive?
And, as we begin Black History Month, let us take a moment to remember the Black ancestors who did survive so that we, all of us, have the opportunity to thrive.
In this newsletter you will find information on ways to thrive through connection and community that supports discovering your own version of "life longing for itself" through you.
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 Health - Tips for thriving, free workshops and group counseling
Start Your Semester Strong with Connection
LSC Study Partner Matching is HERE for Spring 2023!
Why do so many students sign up for a study partner? Because they know that studying with peers is an effective way to learn complex and challenging material and helps them connect with each other. They are also really helpful if you need to miss class! Are you ready to sign up for a study partner? **Click here to visit our “Find Study Partners” page.**
Do study partners and study groups work? YES! Take a look at what your peers had to say about…
… connecting with other students:
- “I was so grateful to actually meet someone in my asynchronous class! Now more than ever, this one personal connection to the school was so important to keep me motivated and present.”
- “The LSC study partner matching is very helpful especially if you are more introverted during this period where classes are mostly online.”
- “It was helpful to just have a support system with another student especially in a course with such limited student interaction by default.”
… learning complex and challenging material:
- “I learned a lot from just talking, seeing a different perspective in the class and building my own understanding on the topics.”
- “It helped me gauge how in depth I was supposed to know the material for my class, and it helps a lot to work together when you get stuck.”
Office of Spirituality & Meaning-Making Opportunities
Are you looking for spiritual connection or religious community? Interested in interfaith and meeting students from different backgrounds?
The Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making (OSMM) supports the spiritual and ethical lives of religious and nonreligious students.
Find us in Anabel Taylor Hall. Questions? Contact Joel Harter or osmm@cornell.edu.
New Student Programs Offers Touchdown's Guide to Thrive
This series is intended to support new students in making connections to resources across campus. Workshops for this semester include Getting Involved with Undergraduate Research, Connecting to Your Cornell Community, and a Housing Selection Demo. This program series runs every other Thursday from 7-8pm in RPCC 101 beginning Thursday, February 9th.
Sign up here:
February 9th | Housing Selection Demo https://cglink.me/2ee/r1949878
This program will be hosted in collaboration with Housing and Residential Life
February 23rd | Getting into Undergraduate Research https://cglink.me/2ee/r1951051
This program will be hosted in collaboration with faculty representing numerous Colleges.
Sororities & Fraternities: Sense of Community & Belonging
These social and professional organizations aim to provide community, connection and a sense of belonging for their members. It is important to remember however, that joining a group, team, or organization should never jeopardize one's physical or mental health. Most groups at Cornell don’t haze – and
91% of Cornell students say it's never okay to humiliate or intimidate new group members – but whenever new members join, there is the potential for hazing.
Visit hazing.cornell.edu to see how Cornell defines hazing, review campus hazing violations, and learn how to report hazing online or get support for related concerns.
Especially for Graduate & Professional Students
Special Invite to Join EMPOWER!
Wednesday, February 1, 12:30-1:30 p.m. (lunch served at 12 p.m.) MVR 1219— February's topic is work/life balance in graduate school. RSVP by January 31 at 12 p.m.
EMPOWER! creates space for graduate students who identify as social scientists, humanists, and artists to come together in community across graduate fields to share their experiences. Topics are student-led and based around themes that may be especially of concern and interest to those from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academia.
Contact Angela Yantorno, graduate student life advisor, at ajy45@cornell.edu with questions.
Big Red Barn
Portrait Painting for Black History Month Thursday, February 2, 6 p.m.—RSVP
Note that this event does not require you to be adept at drawing - the rationale behind this is that you may bring in a photo and we will give you the means to transfer it onto a canvas and paint it from there. We can also give you a traceable lineart template of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
*Info Session: Graduate Fulbright Opportunities*
Tuesday February 7 from 4:45-5:45pm, virtual
Learn more about Fulbright opportunities for graduate students that fund your international research or teaching from a Fulbright advisor at Cornell. Fulbright at Cornell is administered by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. The Einaudi Center's Fulbright advisor works with you to create and submit a competitive application for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program or the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad program.
Nature Up - Even in Winter!
Spruce Up Your Conifer Knowledge
Saturday, February 4, 2023; 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Please dress appropriately for the weather.
Free and open to all Cornell Students
Meet at the Nevin Welcome Center
Join horticulturist, Phil Syphrit for a walk through Cornell Botanic Gardens’ conifer collection and Winter Garden to learn the basics of conifer identification and their natural history.
The tour will highlight plants native and non-native to the Ithaca area their unique features. We’ll also look at some dwarf varieties in the Winter Garden. The walk will last approximately 90 minutes.
Looking for a Warmer Experience of Nature?
Head over to the Liberty Hyde Baily Plant Conservatory on Tower Road. Enjoy the warmth, visual beauty of the greenery and the short walk through what feels like a tropic forest.
For more info and directions: https://conservatory.cals.cornell.edu/
From Surviving to Thriving
Save The Date: Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture with Richard T. Ford
The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration at Cornell aspires to be a cross-campus and community partnership that makes accessible the life and legacy of Dr. King for contemporary times. Read more about this year's speaker and remember to save the date: Feb. 13 at 7 PM Sage Chapel
Help is available any time day or night by connecting with the following resources. You don't have to be in crisis to take advantage of these free opportunities to speak or chat with a trained professional or volunteer who can listen to your concerns, and offer insight and advice.
Cornell (24/7):
Ithaca hotlines (24/7):
National hotlines (24/7):
National text / chat services (24/7):
International services:
