By Lauren Mar 鈥�25
Standing tall on the east edge of Scripps鈥� campus, the Sallie Tiernan Field House is at the center of the College鈥檚 commitment to health and wellness. Tiernan offers a holistic range of services to Scripps students, such as multi-purpose studios, group fitness classes, a pool, and a new student-designed wellness room. One of Tiernan鈥檚 most notable services is its Peer Health Educators program, developed by a group of student leaders committed to promoting mental and physical wellbeing.
鈥淭he Peer Health Educators are the faces of health and wellness advocacy on campus,鈥� says Lisette De La Trinidad Alvarado, associate director of health and wellness. 鈥淔or students to hear from a peer, and know that they are practicing these methods, is more impactful and resonates with students in a different way from the administration.鈥�
The four Peer Health Educators each specialize in one dimension of wellness, including mental health and stress management, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, or alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD).
As part of her initiatives focusing on mental health and stress management, Peer Health Educator Eliza Kornfeld 鈥�23 runs the weekly 鈥淒estress Thursdays鈥� in which she highlights activities such as DIY body scrubs, knitting, and watercolor painting in step-by-step videos that students can follow. In these videos, Kornfeld also explains how the activity can lower stress and anxiety and elaborates on the scientific explanation in Tiernan鈥檚 weekly newsletter.
鈥淓ssentially, we鈥檙e turning scientifically proven ways to reduce stress into relaxing and fun activities,鈥� says Kornfeld. 鈥淢y hope is that students take time to rest and take care of themselves, and 鈥楧estress Thursday’ is the perfect way to do that.鈥�
Meanwhile, ATOD Peer Health Educator Sabrina Lieu 鈥�22 runs a podcast called 鈥淚ntoxicating Conversations鈥�, found on and , where she hosts students and professors as guest speakers to discuss the different aspects of ATOD. Such topics include how cannabis can affect students鈥� academic performance and the party culture at Scripps.
Both Kornfeld and Lieu plan to roll out more in-person initiatives during the year, such as a Halloween-themed 鈥淒estress Thursday鈥�’ and a Party Safe campaign to hand out Halloween Party Kits of water, snacks, and resources, and to promote protective behaviors and harm-reduction methods of high-risk drinking. In addition to allowing for more activities, Scripps鈥� transition back to campus from distanced learning also emphasizes the importance of mental and physical wellbeing now more than ever.
鈥淲hen there鈥檚 so much going on with school and life, it鈥檚 really easy for me to let the needs of my mind slip to the very end of my to-do list,鈥� Lieu says. 鈥淏ut I try to remind myself that my mental wellness means everything; none of what I do every day would be possible without it.鈥�
Deb Gisvold, assistant dean and director of Tiernan Field House, echoes this sentiment.
鈥淭here are so many stressors that impact our daily lives and all of these things come to a head,鈥� says Gisvold. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to think and talk about mental health. [Peer Health Educators] help provide students with the 鈥榳rap-around鈥� care that they need鈥攚hether that takes form in meditation, working out, or going outside鈥攖o cope and develop healthy behaviors for the future.鈥�