Student Activities Blogs

Andrea Lama

Highs and Lows

October 25, 2009

As everyone knows, UConn is in the midst of recovering from a tremendous tragedy on campus. It breaks my heart to walk around campus and see that we are now without a great athlete, student, and fellow Husky. If you knew Jasper Howard or not, the entire UConn community is grieving, and though campus will never be the same because of the events of that tragic weekend, I know that UConn faculty and staff have all their students’ safety and wellbeing at heart, and are hard at work making sure that nothing like this tragic and scary event ever happens on campus again. It also consoles me to know of all the resources UConn has to offer us in this difficult time.

UConn’s Counseling and Mental Health Services offer grief counseling services that can help you deal with this or any tragedy you might be facing. If you think you might need help coping with this situation, they are always open and ready to hear you out and offer advice if you ask for it. Please call them if you feel you might need someone to talk to or help in dealing with everything that is going on: (860) 486-4705.

Student Activities has also been very helpful for students to deal with these recent events. From hosting the candlelight vigil to helping students organize groups in his honor, the incredible staff at Student Activities is there for you. Everyone from the SUBOG office to the folks at Community Outreach are here for your success and your wellbeing. Student Affairs people are here for your overall wellbeing, not just your classes. While they want you to have good grades, they care about you as well! So make sure you know that there are people here at UConn who just want to make sure you are safe, happy, and involved.

While it can be hard to see some happiness amidst such a terrible tragedy, there are great things going on here at UConn that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of. First of all, (and most importantly to me, of course!) HOLDUP! is still looking for applicants! See our website (studentactivities.uconn.edu\leadership_holdup.html) for more information and an application! Other than that, I’ve been really involved in the Leadership Learning Community, which, for those of you thinking about coming to UConn, is a really great opportunity! The Leadership Learning Community is a great way to, as a first year student, get your foot in the door of Leadership in your life, and at UConn. Already here? Look into Leadership INTD courses at your enrollment appointment and learn about all the amazing aspects of Leadership that you might not have been exposed to yet. You learn about yourself, your peers, and most important, how to be a great leader from now on.

So for now, I’m going to keep looking for jobs, keep taking my classes, and get ready to go on Thanksgiving vacation (is it here yet!?), eventually graduate, and hopefully leave my mark here at UConn. Stay in touch everyone!