SGA reveals theme of this year’s Casino Night
February 21, 2019
Filed under Commentary, Forum
On Feb. 5, 2019, the Johnson SGA hosted the Reveal party for the theme of the 42nd annual Casino Night. This year’s theme is A Royal Affair. Every year the SGA’s Casino Night Committee picks a theme for the event in the fall and it is kept secret from everyone else on campus until the reveal party...
Build your mental health toolkit
February 21, 2019
Filed under Commentary, Forum, Words of Wellness
In the last issue I wrote about the campus Wellness Center and suggested taking advantage of their free counseling and walk-in hours along with their self-guided relaxation, light therapy and biofeedback spaces. There may be times, though, when someone needs a listening ear in the middle of the night,...
Welcome to the Wellness Center
February 8, 2019
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
The first thing I’ve noticed each time I’ve stepped into the Wellness Center on the NVU-Johnson campus is the quiet, an intentional hush offset only by the white noise of the sound machines which line the halls and protect the privacy of students meeting with counselors behind closed doors. The second...
Legislators: stop this travesty
February 8, 2019
Filed under Commentary, Forum
My name is Adriana, and I’m a first-generation college student from a low-income household. Because of this I was not only encouraged to go to college, I was expected to. My parents had seen the struggles associated with not having a degree first-hand. They taught me that through hard work and dedication,...
SGA’s new project
February 8, 2019
Filed under Commentary, Forum
The SGA has been working diligently this semester to listen and to meet the needs of our students and staff. One of the projects taken on by one of our Senators, Haley Frechette, was to replace the old, outdated water fountain inside of Dewey Hall. This water fountain did not have one of the filtered...
Words of wellness: adventures in sobriety
April 26, 2018
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Shannon is a sophomore at JSC and is a founder and active member of Northern Vermont Recovery Program (NVRP). Hi, my name is Shannon and I am an alcoholic. By the grace of my higher power, I have not had a mind-altering substance since March 20th, 2013. At a young age I was diagnosed with post-tra...
Words of Wellness: seasonal affective disorder…SAD
March 15, 2018
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Winter depression (or winter blues) is a common affliction for those who live in our northern climate. Its clinical name is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and up to 5 percent of the population (especially in northern states) may suffer from it. Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by feelings...
Words of Wellness: outdoor therapy, nature’s cure
February 20, 2018
Filed under Commentary, Forum, Opinion, Words of Wellness
Recent studies show that being outside has both positive psychological and physiological benefits. Ecotherapy (also known as green therapy, nature therapy, and earth-centered therapy) is contact with nature and is a powerful new kind of therapy. It has been found to be just as effective against depression...
Vermont State Colleges System Delivering Entrepreneurs and Workers
Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System Jeb Spaulding
February 8, 2018
Filed under Commentary, Forum
The Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) is a major workforce pipeline delivering entrepreneurs and workers to power our state’s economy. As a system, Castleton University, Community College of Vermont, Northern Vermont University – Johnson and Lyndon, and Vermont Technical College annually confer...
Words of Wellness: the connection between trauma and addiction
February 8, 2018
Filed under Commentary, Forum
Addiction is a disease with several causal factors – genetics, environment, personal behavior, and experience, in the form of trauma. The relationship between trauma and substance abuse is complicated and closely intertwined. In other words, the road between the two goes both ways, and the negative...
Strategic Plan must address IT deficiencies
Thomas O'Leary, -Editor-in-Chief
February 8, 2018
Filed under Commentary, Editorials, Forum
With the spring 2018 semester officially in session, we are now a mere four months away from Johnson State College (JSC) and Lyndon State College (LSC) officially merging under the umbrella of Northern Vermont University (NVU). Regardless of whether you are students, faculty, staff, or administrators,...
A message from Student Trustee Benjamin Simone
February 4, 2016
Filed under Commentary, Forum
Hi, how’s it going? I’d like to introduce myself to you readers today, my name is Benjamin Simone, and in a few weeks, myself and 12 other members of the VSC Board of Trustees are going to decide on whether or not to raise your tuition. Now that I’ve got your attention, let me properly introduce mys...
Tolerance is not enough: addressing LGBT life on campus
February 4, 2016
Filed under Commentary, Forum
Certainly, Johnson State has made some progress as far as the state of life for the LGBT community goes. There is now an LGBT oriented club on campus; a discussion was raised a year ago about how essential it is to keep the current gender neutral bathrooms on campus—as well as adding a few if poss...
10 tips for a healthy relationship
Joyce Woodford and Cynthia Hennard
February 18, 2015
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Healthy relationships bring happiness and health to our lives. Studies show that people with healthy relationships really do have more happiness and less stress. There are basic ways to make relationships healthy, even though each one is different… parents, siblings, friends, lovers, partners, roomm...
Mindfulness
February 10, 2015
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Do you know about mindfulness? One of the best definitions of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, who says that Mindfulness is “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to...
Words of Wellness: Biofeedback
December 4, 2014
Filed under Words of Wellness
Enjoy video games? Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Then check out this brand new JSC service, which is offered through collaboration between the Health Center and the Behavioral Medicine Research Lab! It has been sweeping the country and is being used by several universities and colleges and is...
Words of Wellness: Gratitude, kindness and saving your soul
November 12, 2014
Filed under Words of Wellness
When this column comes out we’ll be two weeks away from Thanksgiving. A holiday with both light and shadow in the United States, given our history – a past that is what it is. We can, however, as enlightened beings, make better of our present and thus our recent past as we go forward. Whether overcoming...
Words of Wellness: The Fall of Autumn
October 30, 2014
Filed under Words of Wellness
“In the beginning there was nothing. God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.” - Ellen DeGeneres “An age is called ‘dark’ not because the light fails to shine but because people refuse to see it.” - James...
Words of Wellness: Why Is Alcohol Binging Such A Big Deal?
October 19, 2014
Filed under Words of Wellness
In honor of Alcohol Awareness week and inspired by the Vermont Conference on Addictive Disorders that I recently attended, I thought I’d take a closer look at Alcohol Issues, particularly for those typical of College and High School Students who are under 25 and for those who drink heavily, when they...
Words of Wellness: Procrastination
September 24, 2014
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Procrastination is one of the most stressful maladaptive strategies in life. Yes, we need to stay on top of our readings and assignments, work, friends, families, laundry and lives, but sometimes it all just can’t get done. If we “all or nothing” ourselves into dysfunction, we procrastinate on...
Thank you, Kind Sir
May 8, 2014
Filed under Commentary
I fell into love with a man a few nights ago and got a chocolate bar out of it –53% cocoa with pistachios and hot peppers, wrapped with a picture of Grace Potter. While I am neither a fan of chocolate nor the singer, the bar, more than half eaten, lays on the front passenger seat in my car as though...
A Band-Aid on a gaping wound
February 6, 2014
Filed under Commentary, Forum
Editor’s note: The following commentary was originally published in Vt. Digger on Jan. 21. It’s been reprinted here due to its relevance, despite the protests of its author, stemming from his active involvement with Basement Medicine. Relevance is relevance. Gov. Shumlin’s latest budget is by ma...
Words of Wellness: If your body could talk…
December 10, 2013
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
We’ve all heard the old adage ‘you are what you eat’, but have you ever stopped to think exactly how true that is? Put simply, healthy eating is the key to wellbeing. We all have up to 100 trillion cells in our bodies, each one demanding a constant supply of daily nutrients in order to function...
Words of Wellness: Focusing on the body to manage stress
Cynthia Hennard, Counseling Center Director
November 14, 2013
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Most of you probably already know that some stress is good. We need to activate some alertness and vigilance to function at our best. Stress activates the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). What we want is a nice fluctuation between sympathetic and par...
Words of Wellness: Constructive living
Cynthia Hennard, Counseling Center Director
October 17, 2013
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
Constructive Living Quotes: You don't need to fight your fears or discover hidden ones. Fear of flying is no reason to avoid air travel. For all your dreams you are what you do. Feelings fade over time unless re-stimulated by complaining or other circumstances. You can't build a life on ...
Stay Healthy as the Weather Changes
September 25, 2013
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
In Vermont, we are so lucky to have extremely vibrant seasons. Fall turns out to be one of my favorites. I love all the beautiful harvest colors and the specific fragrant smells that it brings. Fall, of course, is really like an appetizer to the longer main course of the Vermont winter, which typica...
Words of Wellness
Cynthia Hennard, JSC counseling center director
September 11, 2013
Filed under Forum, Words of Wellness
These first few weeks on campus are sure to be interesting times. They might be the best ever or just OK or no big deal. Other weeks maybe unsettling, daunting or just feel like a big adjustment to deal with. All of which is normal. So we wanted to share some ideas and resources about making the best of thi...
You have the right to remain silent – right?
May 3, 2013
Filed under Commentary
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at the government’s expense. Boston...
Yoga: Fight stress and find serenity
April 18, 2013
Filed under Words of Wellness
Your mobile phone is ringing, you have a paper due and a test to study for, you feel deprived of sleep, your neck and back are aching from long hours spent in classes and studying, you have the "sniffles" and a nagging cough and you have to work your weekend shift in order to pay your bills. Sound all...
Is It OK to Cry?
Cynthia Hennard, JSC Counseling Center director
April 18, 2013
Filed under Words of Wellness
It’s not just men that get the message that it is weak to cry. Plenty of women are stoics as well. There are plenty of situations when we’d really rather not burst into tears. It seems out of control – and it may be. The self-talk I hear frequently about one’s crying is that you feel: "you’re ...
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