Through the development of the CHOICES campaign, several projects have been launched as a means to enhance our message and spread the word about the strength within all of us to choose our own values and actions. We invite students and student groups to get involved in these programs and explore the power of choice.
“Through training we can change; we can transform ourselves.”
- Dalai Lama
Young adults face many new pressures when they go away to college. Dealing with new situations can be a major source of stress. It is important to take time for yourself and find ways to deal with these issues in a healthy way.
The Relaxation Station is a safe place to explore topics that cause stress in the lives young adults in the college setting. This program provides information and resources on specific topics including – but not limited to – body image, stress management, time management, diversity, healthy relationships, substance abuse, and depression to help students who are dealing with these difficult issues. Relaxation Station is designed to help students learn how to successfully navigate through these tougher aspects of college life. In addition, students will also be able to participate in art activities that are designed to be vehicles to facilitate a discussion on the requested topic.
“Relaxation Station” programs can be planned for student groups or residence hall areas at the request of any student leader or resident assistant. As this program increases in popularity, it is our goal to offer it on a weekly or bi-weekly basis in a central location on campus. We welcome any feedback, ideas, or suggestions that can make this program a success and add to the general health of our student body. To obtain a Relaxation Station information packet and request form, click here.
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Every registered student organization (RSO) on campus has a mission. These missions can be centered on topics involving raising awareness, personal choices, recreation, diversity, health, and many others. One thing that every RSO has in common is the element of choice. Members choose to be a part of the group. They choose to uphold the group’s mission and recruit new members. They choose to get involved in their campus and their community. They choose to get their issues heard.
As a part of our CHOICES campaign we are offering RSO’s another choice – the choice to share your mission on a larger scale. We want you to think about the choices that are involved in embracing your mission. We want to help you share those choices and motivate others to get involved.
We plan to accomplish this task in several ways. First, we will feature your group’s members on a poster with a personalized statement that reflects a common value for which you stand. We will send you a free 8 x 10 print out of the photo as well as an electronic copy to share with your group. We will also retain a copy of your photo to display in the Student Services Building and possibly other locations on campus.
For information on the CHOICES program please contact at 438-2907 or at 438-8947.
“Values that we fail to reflect in our behavior are ultimately empty. To be meaningful, a value must influence the choices that we make in our everyday lives.”
- Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz
We make hundreds, if not thousands, of choices everyday. Though these are mostly minor decisions (i.e., in order to walk, I need to put one foot in front of the other) that are made largely outside of our consciousness, but what guides our more conscious decisions, such as how to organize one’s schedule, what to do Friday night, and how to contribute to the world in a way that no one else has? To answer these questions, it can be helpful to identify and explore our values. By understanding what we care most about, we become more mindful in our decision-making processes and experience the internal rewards that result from incorporating these values into our daily life. Click here to learn more and view the Choices & Values webshop.
“It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
- J. K. Rowling
We all have at least one experience that stands out as a defining moments in our lives. Maybe your story is one of glory and triumph. Maybe it is one of pain and anguish. Maybe it is somewhere in between. Whatever the case, there is always a lesson to be learned, a hope for the future, and a choice to be made. ISU Voices provides a platform for ISU students, faculty, and staff to share their personal experiences and those moments that have been our greatest teachers, helped us reach where we are today, and provided inspiration to our dreams for tomorrow. Click here to read Voices articles written by members of the ISU community.
