De-stress from finals with massages and mocktails

It’s the most stressful time of the semester as students are pulling all-nighters and drinking tons of caffeine while feeling constantly anxious about how the end of the academic year will go.

Luckily, Detroit Mercy students will soon have a chance to take a load off and have a relaxing evening while forgetting about their looming finals - at least for a few hours.

University officials plan to combine two longtime events – DeStress Fest and Spring Send-Off – into one at the Student Fitness Center on April 21 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. This combined experience, called “DeStress at Spring Send-Off” will be co-hosted by Detroit Mercy’s Student Alumni Leadership Council, Univer- sity Recreation, Detroit Mercy Student Life, Student Success Center, King Chavez Parks, and the Student Government Association.

The evening will include a number of fun activities including a class of 2022 t-shirt station, build-a-bear station ($5 per bear) and photo booth. Students can take advantage of massages, a therapy dog and much more.

Organizers say events will take place indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Food and drinks will be provided, including a donut and mocktail bar. The Titan Dining Room will be closed during the event.

All attendees will get a raffle ticket to potentially win numerous prize packs.

Angelina Jaroszewski, assistant director of Alumni Relations and advisor to the Student Alumni Leader- ship Council, said the university was excited to com- bine two separate events together into one big event.

“It’s been easier to co-sponsor this event with other departments, and the hopes are to see a plethora of students having a good time celebrating the end of the school year,” Jaroszewski said in an interview.

The end-of-semester celebration comes as the McNichols campus returns to more of a sense of nor- mal following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more student interactions happening across campus. The university has said face masks will be optional for students for this event.

“This event allows students to take a break from their studying and enjoy the company of all their fellow students,” Jaroszewski said. “There haven’t been many events this year, so we wanted to bring one where you can come to do it all for free.”