ResEd Hosts Friend Fest on Stine Lake
By Vincent DiFonzo, Staff Writer
Students play games at Friend Fest, hosted by Residential Education, on Sept. 22, 2022 (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian).
On Thursday, Sept. 22, kites soared over Stine Lake as the Office of Residential Education (ResEd) kicked off the school year with Friend Fest. Students enjoyed activities, games, snacks, and raffles at this event, giving students time to relax and have a fun time with the opportunity to meet other students.
As the new academic year begins, ResEd aims to get students, especially first-years, acquainted with campus life.
Friend Fest marks the first event of September’s Wellness Week, a ResEd program with the goal of helping students adjust to college life and become successful in various aspects of their college careers. This week’s event connected students socially through music and activities, enabling them to get to know each other.
Students enjoyed lawn games and activities, such as a bean bag toss, jenga, and the opportunity to draw on and fly a kite. Students seemed particularly excited about the kites. Many tables were set up with art supplies to meet the large demand for making the kites. The day’s strong winds made flying the kites a more challenging endeavor, but many students still successfully got their kites in the air.
Students hang out at Friend Fest, hosted by Residential Education, on Sept. 22, 2022 (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian).
ResEd recognizes that when students move into college, it can be a difficult experience for many. The stress of adjusting to a new environment, classes, and social life is potentially overwhelming. For many, it can also be lonely. That’s why this month’s Wellness Week focused on social wellness, according to Assistant Director of Residential Education Brooke Gutschick ‘17.
“We want to ensure students are doing well in every aspect, and social wellness is especially important as new students arrive on campus,” said Gutschick.
Additionally, Gutschick explained ResEd’s year-long commitment to wellness. There will be a wellness week every month throughout the school year, with October focusing on spiritual wellness, and November emphasizing mental wellness.
During future wellness weeks, ResEd will host similar events focused on specific areas of student wellness.
