Feeling boxed in your room?

By Kelly Cushing

Nobody likes being stuck indoors, but that’s sometimes the reality for college students, especially those living in residence halls.

Senior theater arts major Cara Di Blasio can identify. Though she’s now an apartment-dweller, she used to live in Grant Towers.

“Living in the dorms is like living in a shoebox. It’s very easy to get cabin fever living there,” Di Blasio said. “I’m glad, though, that I had a great roommate. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a bad one.”

Micheal Burke, a freshman elementary education major, isn’t bothered by cabin fever.

“I wasn’t aware that cabin fever was a concern. I don’t mind living in the dorms,” Burke said. “If I get sick of being inside, I just go to my friend’s place or to work out at the Rec Center. Working out is a great stress reliever, and the Rec is close to the dorms.”

Rebecca Weisenthal, senior staff psychologist for the Counseling and Student Development Center, recommends indoor exercise and 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight daily to help relieve stress.

“Every student should have a self-care ritual to follow daily to prevent themselves from ever getting cabin fever,” Weisenthal said.

Becky Lewis, fitness and student employment coordinator for the Office of Campus Recreation, said many exercise options are available at the Rec Center.

“There are about 40 different intramural sports to join that are free to all students,” Lewis said. “The one thing I see too often is students being turned off to the intramurals because they think that they need to have a team put together before they join. The truth is that we welcome students to come by themselves, and we can put teams together.”

There also are exercise classes students can join, ranging from aerobics to martial arts. Fees range from $25 to $50 per class.