Live Well, Be Well at Whitman College 2024-25
The Whitman College community is committed to supporting all community members in pursuing the lifelong quest for personal well-being and wellness. We realized that it is often a struggle to balance the demands of life on campus with your personal well-being but it is definitely possible and we want to support you on this journey. We encourage you to be intentional about developing a program for yourself and you will find that this will boost your self-confidence and help you thrive academically, socially, and personally.
We have identified some programs to help you Live Well & Be Well at Whitman, and we will continue to develop additional programs throughout the year to support your efforts.
Here are some of the programs we have thus far:
Study breaks related to personal health and well-being: Look out for the Whitmaniac and social media posts about various topics, events, and suggestions for how to get support at Whitman College and throughout the University.
Whitman Olympics: A fun event to be held in the south courtyard on Saturday, September 7th. It will provide opportunities for friendly competitions among zee groups and also have some fun activities and events/activities for everyone to enjoy.
Movie Nights: There will be various movies shown on the lawn or in the Class of 1970 Theatre from time to time to give you an opportunity to take a break and relax.
Wellness options, at your fingertips: Whitman College and Princeton University have much to offer as you explore your personal path to wellness. We will keep you up to date on the many offerings, including wellness workshops, yoga and mindfulness classes, dance classes, study breaks, and other pop-up programs. The College Office has lots of games you and your friends can borrow and we have some light boxes you can borrow to brighten your room now or during the dark gloomy winter months.
Whitman Game Room: We also have a game room in the lower level of Lauritzen, where you could play ping pong, foosball and other games.
Intramural Sports: Throughout the year, you’ll have the opportunity to join various intramural teams to represent Whitman College in those competitions.
Whitman College Resources:
Momo Wolapaye, your Assistant Dean of Student Life (ADSL)
He supports students’ health and wellness efforts and serves as the primary liaison between the college and other University departments, including University Health Services (UHS), Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), and Office of Disability Services (ODS).
Resident College Advisers (RCAs)
There are 14 (A)RCAs at Whitman College, and you can find them all listed here.
(A)RCAs are your first line of support and they love hearing from you! Your RCA is interested in what you have to say, whether it's a big concern or just something small that's been nagging you. They also love celebrating your successes so don’t hesitate to reach out to them.
Just like RCAs, they provide support and referrals for other students. They also work to raise awareness, provide education, and serve as a resource for students on a wide variety of health issues, including: sexual health, sleep, stress, mental health, and substance use.
Campus-wide resources:
University Health Services (UHS)
UHS is a fully accredited health care facility that provides quality medical, mental health and wellness services to Princeton University undergraduate and graduate students. Their facility (McCosh Health Center) is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the academic year.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS)
If you’re not sure whether counseling can help, make an appointment for an initial consultation to talk about it. There’s no obligation to continue after the first appointment, and it’s free! Call 609-258-3141 or just walk in during business hours to make an appointment for an initial 20-minute consultation. You can also schedule your initial consultation appointment online.
Bookmark the UMatter Now mobile website on your phone's home screen for easy, on-the-spot access.
UMatter Now has great information about mental distress, as well as alcohol and interpersonal violence that can help you intervene quickly and safely in situations that may be concerning. Connecting Matters is part of the UMatter framework, and focuses on mental health distress.
Tiger Safe is Princeton’s official health and safety app for the campus community. The app features emergency contacts, crisis alerts, in-app tip reporting, location services, and a variety of health, safety and wellness resources. The app empowers you with the tools you need to be prepared, mitigate dangers and respond appropriately to situations that occur.
Tiger Safe is available to download free from iOS or Android.
The chaplains in the Office of Religious Life are available to provide pastoral care and spiritual counseling. The denominational chaplains are also glad to be in pastoral conversation with you and can be found by following this link to the chaplaincies.
Other Wellness Resources
- Take the UMatter Wellness Assessment and learn more about the Wellness Wheel.
- Free guided meditations online in English and Spanish.
- Free QuietKit meditation for beginners.
- Try these one-minute stress strategies or listen to stress reduction audio guides.
- Try these self-compassion exercises.
- Watch Brene Brown's TedTalk on The Power of Vulnerability.
- Wellness Phone Apps
- Try some yoga with The Daily Yoga app.
Gratitude Diary is a free gratitude journal app.