Erioluwa Akin-Salami, Contributor
On Nov. 4, Manhattan University (MU) hosted Jasper Day of Wellness, an annual day-off of classes given to students filled with relaxing activities meant to encourage student wellbeing. These events range from petting animals or watching movies, and opportunities extend as far as a free Pilates class.
Lyala Jones, a Pilates instructor based on the Upper East Side at 87th St. and York Avenue. Jones has been practicing for nearly 3 years and promotes her classes on her Instagram, @nycmatpilates. After a class, she explained to The Quadrangle some of the reasons why Pilates is a great activity for Wellness Day.
“Movement is medicine,” Jones said. “Pilates are great for people who suffer from mental health issues because it builds your endorphins. Notice how, regardless of how people felt when they came in [to the class], everyone left smiling.”
Jones additionally shared with The Quadrangle the negative impact of the online aesthetic given to Pilates, and explained that Pilates is a wellness exercise anyone can participate in.
“The rhetoric used online is a trick, Pilates was created in a prison.” Jones said, “So, take away the matchas, matching [workout] sets and then Pilates becomes something everyone, including men, can do.”
Molly Brennan, a senior psychology major and the treasurer of the psychology club at MU, sees Wellness Day as a perfect day-off for students. Brennan hosted the “Smash the Plate” event held from 12-2 p.m. in Walsh Plaza. She told The Quadrangle about how the psychology club first proposed “Smash the Plate,” and with some safety alterations, it became a recent staple Wellness Day event.
“When the psychology club started Smash the Plate as a club event, the school had safety concerns,” Brennan said. “So, we adjusted by smashing plates in a trash bag and using a hammer to prevent mess, and we do it for Wellness Day.”
Brennan expressed to The Quadrangle how “Smash the Plate” can be a great way for students to relieve stress.
“People are able to write down their feelings and by breaking their plate, they are able to let go of those feelings,” Brennan said.
When asked by The Quadrangle if Wellness Day activities help with the general well-being of students, she told the paper that these activities are good ways to curate a positive mental state for students during a stressful period in the semester.
“Wellness Day being scheduled right after midterms but perfectly before the denser part of the semester is beneficial for a lot of students,” Brennan said. “It releases some stress from the continuous work and class routine many students struggle to manage.”
The Quadrangle spoke to Sara Lipanda, a freshman biology major at MU. She shared that while Wellness Day may be a day filled with events, it can also be a rest day for many students, including her.
“I used Wellness Day as a rest day,” Lipanda said. “Midterms came up quick and finals are coming up. It is a break for students after their midterms and before their finals.”
Lipanda believes that this day-off is essential for freshmen, who have just come to university and are still adjusting to rigorous coursework.
“Wellness Day is a good thing, especially for freshmen,” Lipanda said. “We are adjusting to college life, so we need a little break both mentally and physically from all the homework, assignments and difficult classes.”
Though typically held in the spring semester, this year’s Wellness Day provided Jaspers a way to unwind and reconnect with each other through various activities, classes and experiences, all in the fall. To stay updated with more of the university’s student interest activities, be sure to follow @mustudentengage on Instagram.