College can be stressful and the start of a new semester can bring with it a lot of unknowns both for students and faculty/staff. This combined with the current pandemic and other world issues may lead to negative feelings and stress. To bring a little positivity to campus an internal campaign, Something to Celebrate, was developed to encourage everyone on campus to focus on the positive.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include… better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.
“This semester has been stressful for both students and staff,” said Kristi Harris, Chief of Staff. “We wanted to give an encouragement that although this semester has been tough, we continue to do amazing things.” When asked how the process works she stated, “Individuals email me the awesome things they are doing to be featured and then it goes campus-wide.”
This semester Something to Celebrate has featured:
- the completion and submission of materials for the CNEA accreditation site visit by the Nursing Department.
- the Nerds Guild, a new student social organization to help students to “unwind and hang out with friendly nerds”.
- Upward Bound’s Extreme Saturday, a monthly event where UB students get to participate in a variety of events.
- the decision of the Student Senate to hold virtual meetings via Microsoft Teams in an effort “to keep things moving” and everyone safe.
- the support and friendship the staff at the Cross Coffee Shop give and have for our students.
- cheers to Beth Crawford, Nursing Faculty/Bethany Site Coordinator; Dr. Susan Stull, Life Sciences Instructor; and Linda Crooks, mayor of Trenton and alumna, for being recognized by the Missouri Community College Association.
By adding the art of staying positive to our skill set the students, faculty and staff of NCMC are doing our best to keep each other safe and healthy.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress.”, Healthy Lifestyle, 21 Jan. 2020, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950, 2 Dec. 2020.
SMALL CHANGES CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
During the spring and summer small changes were made around the North Central Missouri College campus and those small changes have done big things to unite all parts of campus and helped to make the start of the fall semester a success!
The new NCMC Pirate mascot was introduced in early 2017 and now he has a prominent presence on campus. New vinyl wall graphics and window clings can be found in the Ketcham Community Center and in Ellsworth and Selby residence halls. The Russ Derry In-Door Practice facility is also sporting new wall graphics and a new outdoor sign. New all-weather rugs, new score table and team chairs all with the Pirate welcome visitors to the Jeanette Hoffman Robison auditorium inside the Ketcham Community Center. Need to stretch your legs? Follow the Pirate mile markers around campus to get your steps in and stop at the selfie spots for a quick pic.
Two bigger changes to campus included some muscle and heavy machinery. The unstained fence between the Frey Administration Center and the Alexander Student Center was cleaned, stained and a new 7’x18’ banner attached for students, visitors and friends to capture a pic in front of for their time on campus. An additional parking lot on main street south of Geyer Hall was recently constructed and has room for 32 vehicles. Parking on campus is free, so no excuse if you are in the area to stop by.
We thank NCMC Maintenance and Custodial staff for all of their extra work to ensure student, faculty and staff safety. There are some new health safety additions around campus to ensure students have the safest learning environment possible. Health safety additions include; wall-mounted non-contact digital thermometers, hand held digital thermometers, hand sanitizer dispensers, disinfectant fogger, air purifiers, Pirate branded face masks, disposable face masks and anchor down stickers to mark spacing in classrooms.
Additional enhancements and upgrades are being planned over the next several months. So be sure to stop by campus often. Don’t forget to pose in front of the new outdoor photo banner, check out the changes to the Ketcham Community Center or get your Pirate mile in! No matter how you visit campus, in-person, on-line campus tour or through social media we hope you enjoy the changes. #pirateforlife