If you were on the quad at some point on the afternoon of Oct. 26, the sound of breaking ceramics likely caught your attention.
Large crowds gathered at the “Smash Your Stress Away” event hosted by The Office of Student Engagement and the Learning Commons. At 1 p.m., students could release their stress by smashing items like plates, mugs and bowls for free. The offices hired Party People Inc. to provide a “rage room” rental.
Hannah Cranston, director of student engagement, spearheaded the creation of this event alongside Timothy Burrus, one of the academic coaches.
“I think this time, the past couple of weeks are usually more of a high-stress time for our students,” said Cranston. “So I thought, ‘What can be something easy to relieve some stress?’”
Students picked what items they wanted to throw and write what was stressing them out on them. Some wrote a few words, others wrote full paragraphs. Students wrote about classes and schoolwork, specific people in their lives that were causing them negative feelings and everything in between.
Once students were ready to throw their item of choice, they were fitted with a protective face shield before stepping in front of the tent and throwing it on the floor.
Though some students were a little apprehensive at first, most agreed they felt a little better about what they ended up writing after they threw it down.
Lydia Hallett, a senior game design and development major, smashed a plate at the event.
“It doesn’t really relax me, but you know the stress is gone because it’s broken,” Hallett said.
For first-year behavioral neuroscience major Vanessa Nethercott, she and her friends saw other students smashing plates while studying in the Carl Hansen Student Center dining hall, and decided to join the event.
“We went because we were just complaining because midterm grades just came out … life is just stressful,” Nethercott said. “And then we (saw) this, and smashed our plates. It was therapy-like.”
With the stress that many students are experiencing, Burrus wanted to put on an event that would make them smile.
“What can I bring to Quinnipiac that I hope the Bobcat Community would enjoy?” Burrus said. “So previously seeing ideas of the rage room, and then (being) hopeful to bring that here … was my thought process.”
A typical rage room is equipped with a multitude of items that participants can smash. The rooms often include baseball bats, hammers and other weapons to smash things with.
Rates for rage rooms in Connecticut are usually between $30 and $50, which isn’t in the budget for many college students.
“I’ve always wanted to try a rage room, so to kind of dip my foot into something small to start off with is nice,” Hallet said. “They can cost $50 an hour… you can go with friends or family and split the price, but sometimes you’re not always going to have the money.”
Students who found this event helpful and would like to have other outlets to help manage their stress have other opportunities through the university, Burrus said.
“(If students) would like additional resources, come chat with us as well,” Burrus said. “I want them to know that the departments are here because of (students), and we also want to see them succeed.”
