With students finishing up their third week of classes on campus, the Salisbury University Psychology Department held their first public forum on students coping with the return to campus last week, on Sept. 9, 2021.
Students expressed their concerns about exposure to COVID-19. Concerns about the transition from online to in-person, classes also arose.
Additionally, students and faculty were worried about the uncertainty of in-person classes with COVID-19, and the stress of course work for the fall semester.
Juliana Ancalmo is a senior at Salisbury University who is president of the Mindfulness Club at SU. Juliana has coped with the stress of the new school year by reconnecting with her friends.
“Now that we’re back in person, it is such a nice change of pace,” Ancalmo said. “I can actually see some people that I couldn't see before.”
Ancalmo emphasized the importance of joining a club and how it can help students meet new friends on campus.
“It’s important to get involved and meet people from different places and different backgrounds and interests,” Ancalmo said.
She noted how the Mindfulness Club, Tai-chi Club and Psychology Club could help expose students to a diverse group of people that would lead to students having a strong support system to lean on.
Dr. Deeya Mitra is the Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Fulton School of Liberal Arts at Salisbury University. She assisted with the event and mentioned her coping mechanisms with returning to Salisbury University, following the online semester.
“Engage with the here and now,” Dr. Mitra cited. “Disconnecting from work and shifting my perspective allowed me to gain a feeling of gratefulness during the covid pandemic, and throughout the school year.”
This online public forum was the first of many planned for the school year. The date of the next psych forum is Oct. 6, 2021. Keep an eye out in your inbox for details from student activities.
By BENJAMIN COLEMAN
Staff writer
Photo courtesy of Salisbury University Psychology Department Facebook Page.
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