Life is a waltz of highs and lows, a waltz we often have trouble dancing to. Time to time, individuals become overwhelmed with the flood of what life has to offer. 

College is another one of those floods that often seems impossible to swim. Rowan’s unsung community of heroes consists of students, staff and individuals that make a support group at The Wellness Center possible. 

Support comes in many ways, shapes and forms, from the touch of a soft hand caressing your back to an hour-long therapy session to local student support. The Office of Healthy Campus Initiatives (HCI) branches off into a student run organization called Stress and Anxiety Student Support (SASS). 

SASS is exclusively run by both, volunteer and for-credit Rowan students, either at undergraduate and graduate levels.  

SASS employs the power of casual conversation rather than traditional, scripted therapy. While a support group for students, Rowan emphasizes on their webpage that “[SASS is] not an official counseling group.” 

SASS is a safe environment for students of all walks of life to come together and share pain, joy, pleasure, setbacks, steps forward and everything we experience as both college students and human beings. 

Come to be yourself and nothing else. 

Erika Morales-Sanchez, Bri Broadwater and Samaria Wicks are three interns who help hold down the fort. They make SASS possible for its many students who often find comfort in the program. 

“There is a whole bunch of different things to do [at SASS],” Broadwater said.

The program is not limited to casual conversation. Students and interns participate in a number of events including, board games, online games, social events and group activities. 

Samaria Wicks emphasized, “[SASS is] geared towards stress relief [activities], socialization and communication.”   

Interns do their best to come up with a variety of activities for students to participate in.

“[SASS] is a destresser. The idea behind [SASS] is just to be de-stressed,” Broadwater said. “If that for you is just coming in here and sitting in a corner and just existing with people, but not talking with them, then that’s what it needs to be.” 

Sessions at SASS are every Monday from 2 to 3 p.m.

“Outside my classes, this is something I really look forward to—it’s a great environment to be in,” intern Morales-Sanchez said.

These three talented interns represent the bunch of interns that are the foundation for SASS.

Life can feel like a flood sometimes but remember to grab the hands of another for support. There are always people to support you; you are always loved and cared for—the student body at SASS will make you feel just that.

For more information, the Wellness Center can be contacted at (856)-256-4333.

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