The middle of the semester can be stressful for busy students. Still, at the Stapleton Library, students find the spaces, services, and equipment they need to do well, as well as activities specially designed by other students to help them stress less. For almost a decade, the IUP Libraries have invited dog therapy handlers and dogs to offer sessions to help students calm and focus at busy times of the semester. More recently, crafts and other activities have been added.
Some of these activities are developed for students by other students and built upon what students learn in their classes. For some time, IUP student Aleaha Snyder has been developing calming craft activities for students during dog therapy visits or at home with the to-go kits she prepares. For Halloween, student Hayden Moyer created 60 Halloween pumpkin planter kits for students to take to their rooms to bring a healthy green ambiance to their otherwise stressful lives, which disappeared almost by magic in no time at all.
Snyder draws upon her psychological studies to prepare crafts. She explained, “I love my job; I love seeing students’ faces light up when getting to do a craft or different crafts. Many students have to go from class to class or have a lot of work. This helps them take time out of their busy day to do something fun for themselves and destress. Even getting to talk to students, getting to know them better, and helping them learn about the campus and other events is nice. With my major being psychology, I think it’s essential to take time out of your day to do something fun, and that’s what we do here with crafts, talking to each other, and therapy dogs.“
Moyer wrote of her plant project, “There’s something gratifying about nurturing life, especially when things feel stagnant or weighed down by stress. Growing plants brings a refreshing sense of purpose. I plan to continue cultivating this green joy throughout the winter, sharing it with others to brighten our days. This is a unique opportunity for clubs and organizations to unite and collaborate to bring more greenery—and perhaps a little calm—into our lives. I hope that, over time, these plants will take root not just in soil, but in the hearts of IUP students.”
A special thanks to student photographer Tristen Landsberg for capturing a Halloween craft during the last therapy dog visit.