A message to George Washington students from Student Association President Julia Susuni, Executive Vice President Kostas Skordalos, President-Elect Nick Gumas and Executive Vice President-Elect Avra Bossov.
At GW, many of us balance our class schedule with internships and other extracurricular opportunities. It’s easy to get weighed down by the bustle of daily life on and around campus. As such, it’s important to take time for yourself so that you are able to perform at your best in your academics, extracurricular activities and social life.
This year, the Student Association has focused on increasing the accessibility and visibility of health services on campus to ensure that you have every opportunity to find support if you need it. After Student Association lobbying, Student Health Service and the University Counseling Center will soon move to a centralized location in the Marvin Center, a change that will make it easier for students to visit GW health services and will also demonstrate our community’s support for students who need to seek out these services. In addition to making health services in Foggy Bottom more accessible, the university has also stated its intention to create a permanent home for University Counseling Center resources on the Mount Vernon Campus.
"As we near finals, please don’t hesitate to reach out to friends, university resources or the four of us if there’s anything that we can do to help."
With finals approaching, the Division of Student Affairs has worked to plan programs that will brighten your day and make you smile a little bit more. As you walk through campus, be on the lookout for the Center for Student Engagement’s “Happy Tables,” where you can find free snacks, blow bubbles and play games with your friends. The University Counseling Center, Program Board and Greek Life will host the 34th annual Chalk-In on Thursday on H Street as a stress relief event in the build up to finals week, and other student organizations like the Residence Hall Association and Class Council have planned events that give students a fun break from writing papers and cramming for finals.
The Student Association will continue to focus on the health resources available to students on campus. We will work with the administration to see the relocation of Student Health Service and the University Counseling Center through, and we will continue to provide student feedback and input on topics such as counseling on the Mount Vernon Campus and programming to raise awareness of mental health issues. In addition, we will continue to work with student leaders from organizations such as Students Against Sexual Assault, SPEAK GW and GW Active Minds to examine the possibility of implementing a peer counseling program at GW to ensure that students have access to as many resources as possible.
As we near finals, please don’t hesitate to reach out to friends, university resources or the four of us if there’s anything that we can do to help. Remember that you can call the University Counseling Center at 202-994-5300 anytime in the event of a crisis. We’re all part of the greater GW community of students, staff, faculty, parents and alumni, and throughout our community we have many resources that ensure that students’ interests are always put first.