Forsyth Library and Student Engagement host finals destress event

Story & Photos by JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF

Tiger Media Network

To kick off Finals week at Fort Hays State University, Forsyth Library partnered with Student Engagement for a Finals Destressor event on Monday night, which included drawing give-a-ways, multiple kinds of snacks, friendship bracelets, DIY tote bags, Tiger coloring books, and different intense games of laser tag capture the flag.

Anna Towns, the Forsyth Library Engagement Specialist, claims the night was a huge success.

“I think it went great. Students were free to choose how they spent their time de-stressing, and most took advantage of all the activities,” Towns said. “[Specifically], the snacks that we had laid out were a big draw for folks who were already in the library to study to get involved in the other activities.”

Towns says the event attracted nearly 80 participants and the laser tag activity was the biggest hit.

“We really wanted to utilize the library building while it is still open and accessible,” she said. “On the lower level, the offices in the back hallway were vacated earlier this semester to prepare for the library renovation – most rooms have no furniture, no doorknobs, and are a little dystopian/apocalyptic. This made an ideal spot for capture the flag laser tag and will hopefully be a memorable moment for those students who participated.”

Towns emphasizes the main purpose of the Finals Week Stress Buster was to give students a break from the stress of Finals Week.

“We hosted it in the evening and at the Library where we thought students might have been studying for a while and needed a convenient break, and a chance to relax and recharge,” she said. 

Additionally, this was the first time that Forsyth and Student Engagement have teamed up. Both organizations have hosted Finals Week events regularly, but this was the first time they had teamed up and hosted this particular event.

Towns believes events like this, located where students are likely already studying, allow them to take a brain break, refuel with tasty snacks, and let off a little steam.

“Studying is important, but so are study breaks. It is also an opportunity to socialize with existing friends or make some new ones by participating in laser tag teams or sitting together at tables to work on crafts and enjoy snacks,” Towns said. “It was a fun way to engage students at the library before it closes completely this summer as renovations begin. The library has always been a hub on campus, and we are excited to see how students engage with the renovated space, but this was a great send-off for this iteration of Forsyth Library.”