In The News: Student Wellness
We all know that being a college student can be very stressful. And when stress feels overwhelming many students become depressed. Some turn to self-harming behaviors. Others become so despondent that they see suicide as the only option. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 35.
Clark County schools remained in session on Monday, but all after-school sports and activities were canceled and counselors were on hand to comfort students traumatized by the mass shooting on the Strip.
Over the past four years, mental health appointments at UNLV have skyrocketed. The 64 percent increase from 2012 has put a strain on wellness center staff, leading to long wait times for intake appointments, sometimes as long as four weeks.
The message was clear to students: Get some sleep.
Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, asked about 100 students at UNLV to do the seemingly impossible — to shut off and lock up their electronic devices so that they could get uninterrupted sleep at night.
Wake up at 6am. Get to the gym by 7am. Work from 9am to 2pm. Homework from 2pm to 5pm. Class from 6pm to 8pm. Cook and eat dinner by 9pm. More homework or just trying to catch up on life from 9pm to midnight. Finally, 1am bedtime. It’s crazy to think that this has been my daily routine. Within the blink of an eye, my day starts and ends; literally, where does the time go? This is me trying to balance my life as a college student, working as a graduate assistant, and trying to make time for my boyfriend and my dog. I can only imagine the other crazy schedules that are out there for students who are involved in student organizations, sports teams, have full time jobs, etc. What a life college is!
Being a student can be hard on your body and your sleep schedule! As an undergraduate, I worked two jobs, went to school full-time and held leadership roles in multiple student organizations. In my last semester as a graduate student, my schedule is now busier than ever. It’s no secret that busy college students tend to pull all-nighters or sleep less to cram in study time. While I have certainly experienced these barriers to sleep in the past, throughout my college years I have also come to realize how important sleep really is.
The traditional college recreation center is dying. A testament to their initial success in meeting a core demand of students, these buildings are morphing from fitness and recreation centers into hubs of campus life, creating new connections to meet students' interests. Students still want and need a place to work out, but more often these facilities' names include "wellness," "activity," "student life" or "commons" to refer to the multifaceted nature of the activities within.
Global display and digital signage technology provider Planar Systems Inc. today announced that the University of Nevada Las Vegas has installed a Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall System for a large video wall installation designed to help motivate students at the university's fitness center to get into shape as they watch programs on a giant video wall.
This year's 4 percent increase in undergraduate registration fees is a heckuva deal for UNLV students when compared with the cost of school-sponsored health insurance.
UNLV students who get health insurance through the school face sticker shock.
In Las Vegas, the phrase “swimming pool” is a bit oxymoronic. That’s because our pools—from multi-lagoon casino complexes to puddles at dayclubs to the floatie-filled chlorine-gobbler in your buddy’s backyard—usually aren’t conducive to channeling your inner Michael Phelps. That’s where the UNLV Student Recreation and Wellness Center comes in. Along with an array of cardio machines and weights, handball courts and basketball courts, running tracks and classrooms, your $25 monthly membership fee grants you access to a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool, a good-size soaking pool and jumbo-size hot tub. Everything you need to get that workout in, followed by a little lazy chill-out. It’s still a pool, after all. UNLV.edu/SRWC.