Finishing up the third week of school following winter break, Keene State students are slowly but surely settling back down on campus. After the consecutive long weekends, the first full week of classes ended and the desire to figure out the new norm for this semester emerged. One way that passion for involvement has been evolving this past school year has been within the Student Involvement Program.
Director of Student Involvement Jessica Gagne Cloutier oversees not just the L.P. Young Student Center facility, but also the student involvement program as a whole. She said the KSC Office of Student Involvement is a combination of professional employees and student employees.
Gagne Cloutier shared the department’s main goal, saying, “We really have the goal of helping our students get involved outside of the classroom in ways that help enhance what they’re learning in the classroom, help them be socially and emotionally connected here on campus and feel like they have a sense of belonging.”
Gagne Cloutier explained the different ways that this program helps students evolve and grow in and outside the classroom.
“Then also student involvement program, so things from community service to leadership, to activities, student organizations and well-being,” Gagne Cloutier said.
Gagne Cloutier continued to explain the benefits of being involved on campus.
“I think the things that tend to matter the most to students and family is connection on campus,” she said. “It can also be a good stress management and time management tool.”
One of the programs that the department hosts to benefit the well-being of students is Wellness Wednesdays, started by Senior Coordinator of Student Involvement and Well-Being Emily Alexander. Alexander oversees the well-being and risk programming that comes out of the Student Involvement Office as well as overseeing the Hungry Owl.
Alexander shared the mission statement for Wellness Wednesday. “Wellness Wednesdays are here to provide students with a dedicated time to prioritize their well-being each week through a variety of educational opportunities and activities,” said Alexander.
“Wellness Wednesdays began during the spring semester of 2024,” she continued. “Our team recognized that our students needed more opportunities for wellness, and hoped that regular programming like Wellness Wednesdays would get students excited about making time to prioritize themselves.”
In addition to Wellness Wednesdays, another event that the department has started to hold is the Monadnock Therapy Pets.
Gagne Cloutier said that students enjoy the experience even if they can not actually interact with the dogs.
“It’s another opportunity for us to give students an opportunity to stop, take a breath, and benefit from the relaxation that comes from petting a dog, if you’re not allergic or afraid,” said Gagne Cloutier. “Obviously, some just want to look at them, because I’m allergic and we can’t touch them.”
Some future events coming up are the regular bingo and trivia events that occur every first Friday and third Thursday of the month, and one of the biggest events happening is the Leadership Awards banquet this upcoming spring. The banquet focuses on the impactful students who are nominated by their peers. This includes nominations for students, student employees and student leaders who have made an impact on campus.
For questions or interest in the Student Involvement program or office, visit the third floor of the L.P. Young Student Center.
Sophia Merenda can be contacted at
sophia.merenda@keene.edu
