Marshall University’s Campus Activity Board will sponsor a Stress Relief Week starting Monday to assist students studying and preparing for their final exams.

Alexandra Pfost, president of CAB, said the goal of week is to help students destress as much as possible and give them a fun outlet to escape from the pressures of finals, even for just a few minutes at a time.

“Stress Relief Week is designed to distract students from the craziness of the upcoming finals week and give them something exciting and free of charge to do instead,” Pfost, senior marketing major, said. “This is the most packed our Stress Relief Week schedule has ever been since I have been a student here. Having multiple events in one day is so exciting, and we are hoping to reach as many people as we can. I look forward to hearing about what CAB brings to the students in the future.”

Each day will feature different available free goodies, such as survival kits, a free lunch for students on Tuesday, donuts and coffee. CAB will offer various activities throughout the week as well, including Zumba and yoga at Marshall’s Recreation Center, free massages, virtual reality games, a Do It Yourself terrarium workshop and graduate cap decorating for seniors. A benefit kickball tournament will take place 11 a.m. on the Rec Center’s field April 29 to finish out the week’s festivities.

“Each team will pay $50 to participate and all proceeds will benefit Huntington’s A.D. Lewis Community Center,” Pfost said.

Marissa Owens, member of CAB, said she is most excited for Thursday, when the organization brings in dogs from a local shelter to give students the opportunity to spend time with.

“My favorite part about the week will most definitely be one of our signature events, smooch-a-pooch,” Owens, junior psychology major, said. “My hope is that each event will be super successful, and we always have a great turn out during this week, as it’s one of the biggest events we host. There’s so much to do and a wide array of times to hopefully fit everyone’s busy dead week schedule.”

This will be CAB’s fourth year of participating in Stress Relief Week, but Pfost said some elements will differ from previous years.

“CAB has been participating in Stress Relief Week since I started at Marshall nearly four years ago,” Pfost said. “While some of the events have remained the same over the years– free lunch, survival kits, massages– we always try to incorporate new and exciting events that students may not have ever had the chance to experience before, such as a virtual reality experience or a DIY project.”

Pfost said her favorite aspect of the week-long event is handing out survival kits.

“Personally, I love passing out survival kits to students,” Pfost said. “It is a great way to kick off the week and let the students know that we are here for them. Seeing the joy on their faces is always a plus, too. They are always so surprised that we are handing them out for free. We have had a wide variety of students attend so many of our events this year. I can only hope that as many students as possible take full advantage of what we are bringing to campus that week. I expect to see many familiar faces, and I hope to meet many new people as well.”

Amanda Larch can be contacted at [email protected].