December 7, 2022 Issue

Photo by: Shonda Dudlicek

Photo by: Danylo Biskup

Photo by: Betsy Carreno

editor-in-chief

Azhley Rodriguez

chief designer

Cristian Raya

designers

Arleth Arana

Jeffrey Diazleal

Edgar Vega

online content manager

Chloé Cabrales

social media manager

Fernanda Arellano

assignment editor

Bianca Dinkha

staff writers

Matthew Desmond Bianca Dinkha Angel Dominguez Fiona Rowlands

contributing writers

Danylo Biskup

Katy Coakley

Allie Fahner

Anna Martucci

Advisers editorial/design adviser

Shonda Dudlicek faculty adviser John Jenks Online website www.dominicanstar.com www.dominicanstar.com/ starcast instagram @ the_dominican_star facebook DominicanStars twitter @ DominicanStars tiktok @ DominicanStars snapchat @ dunews001 linkin.bio linkin.bio/the_dominican_ star

About the Star

The Dominican Star, the student newspaper of Dominican University, is published twice a month. The Dominican Star is not submitted to any person or organization for prior approval.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to voice their opinions to the editor.

All letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number.

Letters should not exceed 300 words and should be emailed to domstarnews@gmail.com.

Editors reserve the right to refuse submissions that may be deemed as libelous, unethical, in poor taste or prompting legal issues.

The Star reserves the right to edit submissions for length, style and standards of good taste.

This publication presents opinions that do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, reporters, faculty or the administration of Dominican University.

Office Hours in Power 121 MWF: 12:30 p.m - 2:20 p.m.

Letter From the Editor

deadlines creeped up on you and for that you deserve to be proud of yourselves, too!

Hi Friends! We did it! We finally made it to the last edition of the semester! Not only that, but it’s also my last edition as editor! As I hold back tears, I’d like to take a moment and thank the many people who have made the Star, and me as a journalist, into what we are today.

To my team: everyone has worked so hard this semester and I am beyond proud of the news writers you have all grown to become. You graced the pages of this paper with your stories with ease, even when

To Professor Jenks: You have always believed in me more than I believed in myself, and I am so thankful for the support and encouragement you have given me. I appreciate your honesty and tough love with me, it truly helped push me to become the journalist I am today. Thank you for always having my back and allowing me to test my limits as a journalist. I have learned so much from you, so thank you.

To Momma Shonda: You have always been the rock that the staff needed and for that we love you! You are so knowledgeable and dedicated, the paper truly would be a mess without you. My Sundays with you were always the best as long as we’re

talking about stories over an Einstein bagel together. Thank you for your commitment to the paper and our careers.

Thank you to the administration for allowing me to be a voice for the DU community, even when that meant covering subjects that weren’t entirely good for the university’s reputation. The goal was to always inform the DU community and share information that is important for everyone to know.

To my family, friends, partner, and Joanna: You have supported me along this journey for the past three years, thank you. I hope I have made you proud. You all inspired me to push through and finish strong and be the best journalist I can be and I’m so thankful for you all.

Finally, to the DU community, thank you for

including the Star in your time at DU. I hope you continue to read and be patient with our staff as they transition leadership over the next semester. They are here for you and I know the paper will be in good hands.

My time at Dominican has been amazing. I will miss roaming these halls, the Cyber subs, the vending machines that don’t accept Apple Pay all the time, and most importantly, the paper. Even though I’m sad to be leaving, you haven’t heard the last of me. I guarantee you!

‘Til next time, Editor-in-Chief arodriguez2@my.dom.edu

Time has Flown as a Chief Designer: Bye for Now

If you told me three and a half years ago that I would be chief designer for my university newspaper and graduating college early, I would have called you crazy. Graduating from college felt like a long way away when I stepped in to Lewis Hall for the first time. Now, it’s just right around the corner. These last three and a half years have flown by faster than I could ever

imagine and I wish they could have lasted longer. Along the way, I have had the pleasure of meeting and taking classes with many amazing and inspirational professors that have made my DU experience memorable. Even though much of the college experience was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, I would not change it for anything.

Working on the

Star has been such an unforgettable experience that I am grateful to have been a part of. I want to thank Dr. Carrie and Bill Kerr for recommending me to work as a designer, and their guidance as I pursued a major in Corporate Communication and a minor in Graphic Design. I also want to thank Shonda for her guidance and commitment to the paper as I have worked on the Star throughout the years. I want to also thank my family and friends for their continued support and encouragement as I continued my academic journey and paved my own way. And last but not least, I want to thank Azhley for being the

greatest editor-in-chief, leader, partner and best friend that the Star team and I could ever ask for. I am honored and grateful to have been able to work with such an amazing team of writers and designers who are passionate about sharing news and stories that impact the Dominican community.

Best of luck to our amazing team of writers and designers for next semester!

craya@my.dom.edu

DU Faces Diversity Challenges

Azhley Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief

Throughout the fall semester, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) has been working on improving campus climate, encouraging members of the DU community to speak out on their experiences.

Precious Porras, ODEI vice president, has been at Dominican since March 2021. She has dedicated her time at DU to improving campus climate and educating the community on social justice issues.

“I think campus climate is not great, and there’s probably a better way to say that but it’s glaringly obvious there is more work we need to do,” Porras said.

At the beginning of the semester, the Star reported on an assault of a faculty member of color. This incident sparked conversation among the DU community with members voicing their concerns on campus climate.

During the annual Caritas et Veritas Symposium on Sept. 20,

Leticia Villareal Sosa, associate dean of the College of Applied Social Sciences and a professor in the School of Social Work, was presented the Sister Clemente Davlin Diversity Leadership Award for her diversity work at DU.

Her acceptance speech included jabs at university leadership to encourage them to work harder to support their minority employees: “Getting this award and being on this stage makes me a target for violence. Either psychological or physical, especially in a national context that has empowered people to act out or verbalize their racist ideologies, and a campus culture that has historically not held people accountable and has been more than willing to let people of color leave the institution rather than address the issues.

“This national context combined with our local campus climate, leaves our faculty and staff of color to feel afraid.

“Our campus fails to name racialized violence especially when it’s psychological but unfortunately

sometimes even when it’s physical. We have a campus where calls to develop programs using racial consciousness or attempts to interrupt white supremacy are often met with white fragility, denial and justification for a continually racially blind approach,” she said in her speech.

In a later interview with the Star, Villareal Sosa further explained her experience with campus climate.

“Speaking for me, when I hear ‘relationshipcentered’ or things about mission, those are reminders of the inequities, and a very hostile campus climate. My journey and my story at Dominican has been, I would say, really traumatic. I have dealt with a lot of institutional violence,” Villareal Sosa said. “I think I often feel tokenized as the first Mexican-American Latina who has gotten to full professorship at the university.”

Villareal Sosa hopes for a change on campus and throughout the semester, Porras’ office has implemented programs to support the DU community.

“Whatever the climate was before I got here, it still is,” Porras said. “I saw those things and my office has been trying to address climate issues for future steps. We created affinity councils for faculty and staff, we worked with TRHT [Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation] and they’ve continued to do their racial healing circles so there’s space for folks to engage in conversation if something happens so we can respond as they happen.”

“For folks to do their own work, we have JEDI: Justice, Education, Diversity and Inclusion training for staff, white accountability groups for staff, and moving forward we’re going to do bystander intervention,” Porras said. “We have training for Title IV and responding to sexual harassment that will be mandatory for faculty and staff, and I’m developing a larger campus plan for students.”

ODEI started bystander intervention training after faculty and staff told Porras they don’t know how to respond to problematic situations.

“In a conversation

with staff and faculty, it became evident that faculty -- and I know it’s true for staff and students -- needs some tools for how to respond in those situations,” Porras said.

She also addressed concerns for lack of communication between administration and the DU community when events occur, looking ahead to improve mass communication.

“We’re working on better and more transparent communication to the campus. We’ve had multiple conversations in cabinet, including a debrief to talk about how we could have responded better,” Porras said.

“We realized there were some gaps, and we missed some things, so that allowed us to understand where some pieces were missing in our own internal structures. When you ask, ‘how did we get here?’ it’s because we don’t hold folks accountable for behaviors connected to micro aggression, bias and discrimination.”

Nursing Students Alleviate Shortage

during the pandemic that led to many retirements from the industry.

Dominican’s focus on community-based learning as well as a continuous push for diversity and inclusion has assisted student nurses during a pandemic-led nurse shortage.

Dr. Tamara Bland, interim dean of the Borra College of Health Sciences in the Elizabeth T. MacNeil School of Nursing, describes a shortage of nurses as an ongoing dilemma, she attributes this to the frustration of nurses

Bland explained the complexity of the nursing shortage dilemma.

“There’s a nursing shortage but also a workforce diversity shortage. So while there’s a shortage of nurses in the profession, we have this huge disparity of not having nurses of color,” said Bland.

Dominican’s nursing students are diverse, and that’s what institutions seek. Bland admires the diversity at Dominican, she sees this diversity translating into the nursing program and

is eager for students to utilize their relatability in the field.

“What I like about Dominican is that we do have the diverse student population from different cultures, religion, social economic status that can relate to patients in different situations in different hospitals,” Bland said.

She attributes the increase in internships at Dominican to the pandemic, which opened the door for opportunities in the school of nursing.

“Hospitals have found that the more internships or externships they

offer that’s them getting in front of students so that they know there’s an opportunity at their institution once they graduate. So that has actually helped, there are more and more internships and externships that are available for students.”

These internships and experiences have served graduate students as well with some students having job offers lined up after graduation.

Maureen Emlund, director of the Clinical SimAngelulation Education Center, recognized the increase of jobs for nurses after

graduation.

“The last graduating class were telling me they already had jobs lined up, that was the first time I’ve heard that in a long time, so I see there’s a lot more opportunities for students,” said Emlund.

Bland believes the students at the school of nursing have been blessed with a great renewal of opportunities that blends Dominican’s community-based learning with the push for a more diverse and inclusive community.

ShopDU Elevates Students’ Businesses

Anna Martucci Contributing Writer

ShopDU is Dominican’s brand-new website to promote DU student entrepreneurs.

Starting Dec. 8, ShopDU will be an allin-one referral site to connect entrepreneurial DU students with the Dominican community.

ShopDU will be a website with different categories such as products, services and art/creative services. Once a category is selected, people will be able to view various brands, read about who the student business owners are, what they do, their brand identity, and a link to their brand’s website. At this time, however, nothing will be directly sold on ShopDU’s website.

Marketed as a referral site, ShopDU will provide

users with the links to students’ websites.

“Students can have that support system and have the sort of initial right place to kind of brand and market themselves,” said Bianca Beteta, assistant director of internships and externships in the Office of Career Programs and Employer Relations.

Students can submit their applications to join ShopDU here: https://bit. ly/ShopDU. Through this form, students provide a description of their business, the link to their website and a picture of their logo. The brand website is checked for appropriateness and activity. As of right now, the application process is fairly loose to make ShopDU as accessible to as many students as possible. There will be a tiered pricing system in place after the six-month trial.

Students will be charged $5 every month to have their business on ShopDU. For $30 each month, a business can be the Business Spotlight on the front page of the website. For $50 per month, a business can have its logo as the thumbnail for the category their brand falls into. The money will go toward operational costs of the website, according to Beteta.

Ten businesses have already registered to join ShopDU.

“As a student working on ShopDU, what really got me interested was being in the business and fashion departments at Dominican, a lot of students have their own businesses but really only promote themselves through Instagram, so it can be hard for other students to know that their peers even have businesses,” said Kathryn

Greenlea, marketing manager of ShopDU and co-owner of PhoMo Magazine, one of the brands that will be featured on ShopDU.

Greenlea is a senior at DU, double majoring in marketing and fashion merchandising. Her and her grandmother, Barb, have been working on Pho-Mo Magazine since 2018. Photographers and models submit photos to Pho-Mo to be formatted into a magazine. Any students or alumni interested in supporting Pho-Mo Magazine will be able to read about the brand and access a link to their website on ShopDU.

“It could help a lot of people who not only have businesses but are thinking of starting them. I think it’ll give people a head start to know that they are already supported and they don’t have to start from ground zero,” Greenlea said.

Other brands registered on ShopDU include Monjude Studio, jewelry brand, and Muñoz Auto Detailing. Businesses featured on ShopDU can either be owned by DU alumni or current students.

Since October, Greenlea and Beteta have worked on the ShopDU project. Jamie Shaw, executive director of Career Programs, and Mike Kiyosaki, clinical professor of management from the Brennan School of Business, thought up the idea of ShopDU to support students in creative majors like fashion, graphic design and business, because many of these students have their own businesses.

amartucci1@my.dom.edu

DU Community Continues COVID Caution

It’s important that people still take caution to maintain their well-being, despite COVID rates drastically decreasing since March 2020.

Therefore, although the COVID-19 has receded, it’s vital for people to understand that resurgence is possible, especially with the holiday season approaching, Dominican health experts say.

“New variants [of COVID] are possible and keep showing up,” said Elizabeth Heintz, assistant clinical director of the Wellness Center.

Dominican already requires students, staff and faculty to have the basic COVID vaccination (first two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or the first dose of Johnson & Johnson), and highly recommends that they get the booster shots.

The Illinois required immunizations are also necessary such as measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

Failure to get the basic

vaccination or other immunizations leads to a $75 fine, a hold on registering for classes and a lack of accessibility to campus.

Those with medical or religious exemptions can be excused from the vaccination requirement.

Students can get vaccines and certain immunizations at the Wellness Center via appointment. In addition, monthly oncampus clinics provide flu shots, other vaccines and sometimes COVID boosters. These clinics have also provided HIV testing and counseling, which is in collaboration with a community partner.

The most recent clinic was Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offered COVID vaccines/boosters for all ages and mpox vaccines for those that were eligible.

Mainly, if people are feeling sick, Heintz recommends that they wear a mask, stay a healthy distance from others, practice hand hygiene, get enough sleep and reduce stress.

Medical Care Coordinator Kathiana Anam agrees.

“It’s not just us,” she said. “We have to protect the community around us. You might not get very sick but your friend might.”

Psychology student Cali Carlson likes Dominican’s approach.

“I do feel relatively safe on Dominican’s campus,” she said. “Us requiring the vaccine was a wonderful move. To keep us safe in the future with the resurgence of COVID, it’s important that we stay vaccinated and get our boosters.”

For more details, people can follow the Wellness Center on Instagram @duwellness. Further vaccination clinic information can be found there.

Other resources that students can acquire about health trends are through the CDC and Dominican’s COVID-19 Dashboard.

If a student is students are worried or has questions about their own health, they can call the Wellness Center and make an appointment. The Wellness Center will then inquire about the students’ symptoms and run some tests to figure

out what may be wrong. Additional steps will then be taken.

afahner@my.dom.edu

DU Greenhouse Grows for Students

Biskup Contributing Writer

A hidden green gem, Dominican University’s greenhouse is one of the many interesting places to get involved on campus.

The greenhouse is situated in the parking lot between the Magnus Arts Center and the Igini Sports forum.

From the outside, it is a small, window-paneled room with a sloped roof. Three raised garden beds sit in the sunny southern exterior of the greenhouse alongside two rain barrels collecting water for the plants.

From the inside, the greenhouse is a natural oasis hidden among the concrete lots and brick buildings that surround it.

Upon entering the room, you’re immediately faced with rows of growing produce. The air is warm and humid, with condensation covering the glass panes on frigid days. The hum of fans fills

the room and multiple lights and wires hang from the ceiling.

Plants ranging from tomatoes to lemon balm sit on tables in the center of the greenhouse and along its walls, filling the space with their vibrant hues.

Elizabeth Schmid, a student who works in the greenhouse, says they grow a variety of produce, including lemon balm, spices, watermelons, sunflowers and more.

To take care of the plants, students created hydroponic systems and come in multiple times a week for weeding and watering. Additionally, students monitor water levels, nutrient levels, and pH, and adjust when needed, says Schmid.

The greenhouse is important for Dominican because it provides a lot of food for people on and off campus, says Schmid.

“The Earth is burning so we have to figure out how to make food for

ourselves,” she said.

Dafne Cecena, a greenhouse officer, says the greenhouse is currently student-led because the former adviser was transferred to a different department.

The greenhouse is part of Dominican’s Sustain DU program. Students can become involved with the greenhouse, and a variety of other sustainability programs, by visiting engagedu. dom.edu or by scanning the QR code on the greenhouse’s door.

The greenhouse is a great way for students to learn about chemistry, the science of growing plants and environmental consciousness, said Schmid.

The plants grown in the greenhouse are chosen by students that have been there the longest,

“A lot of it is trying to figure out what we need to grow so that we have money to fund the greenhouse because it’s not funded by the

school,” said Schmid.

As part of their fundraising efforts, students from the greenhouse had an herb sale at the Lewis

Building’s welcome desk in the days before Thanksgiving.

dbiskup@my.dom.edu

Ways to Celebrate a Chicago Christmas

With the holidays approaching quickly, you might be occupied with traveling, buying expensive gifts, family obligations and even

preparing meals. Despite all the stress and worry that comes with the holidays, you should take the time to enjoy yourself this season.

One way you can do

that is by indulging in festive activities! You can make your way down to the Rosemont Entertainment District where you can ice skate the night away or stop

by the Sparkle Lights Festival.

Additionally, you can take a magical ride on the Northwest Side Holiday Trolley. Here you can visit local shops at Old Irving Park, Six Corners Shopping District and more.

Rides are free from noon to 5 p.m.

Most importantly, try this season’s newest holiday drinks at Starbucks. My sister and I recently tried their amazing new iced peppermint mocha frappuccino, which tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream!

My sister described it as “flavorful without being too sweet.” Grading scale: 4 – Exceeds 3 – Meets

2 – Approaches

1 – Does not meet According to our grading scale, the peppermint mocha frappuccino deserved a solid 3.5 out of 4 which is a high exceeds.

Finally, the best way to

spread Christmas cheer is by heading over to Elf’d Up, a Christmas-themed restaurant inspired by the movie “Elf.” There you can eat the best foods, including Buddy’s signature breakfast: Spaghetti, syrup and candy!

So, this holiday season, take the time to have fun with family and friends, whether that’s decorating a gingerbread house or baking some holiday cookies.

With that being said, enjoy the holidays and see you next year!

Danylo

#PhotosfortheStar: Holiday

The Star is asking members of the DU community to use #PhotosfortheStar on their social media platforms to capture memorable moments on campus. Share your photos on social media today! Photos by: Star Staff

When walking down the halls between Lewis Hall and the Rebecca Crown Library, Dominican students will see a new and colorful mural that contains three different sections to view.

The size of the first panel is about 9 feet tall and 50 inches wide. The second panel is about 9 feet tall and 45 inches.

Painting began in May and is continuing as lead artist Fran Gregory and Dominican art students put finishing touches and final details on the mural.

Gregory credits DU President Glena Temple for coming up with the idea.

“She had seen murals at other schools and thought it would be great to have a mural here,”

Gregory said. “She really wanted something that spoke to our student body and our diversity.”

The university’s student demographics show that 48.1% students are Hispanic, 32.8% are white, 6.5% are Black or African American, 6.2% unknown, 3.3% are Asian, 1.9% are international, 1.1% are multiracial and 0.1% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

University Ministry and El Centro helped submit various ideas and thoughts. Once the ideas were submitted, student groups like the Center for Cultural Liberation, the Black Student Union, the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, and others also gave their input to help the Heritage Mural committee pick different concepts for the mural.

Once the ideas were chosen, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing Genaro Balcazar and the committee presented the ideas to the University Council and Temple for approval.

Gregory explained in a recent interview that the different images and motifs have deeper meanings. For example, the butterfly, which can be found in Lewis Hall, has various representations.

“It’s symbolic of resurrection, it’s symbolic of our Christian heritage,” she said. “It’s also symbolic of immigration.”

By the library, students will see a section of the mural that features two people from Hispanic and African American backgrounds. Students will also see patterns on

the mural that represent East Asian, Aztec, and other cultures.

Another section of the mural that is near the library features an angel, which Gregory says represents Dominican students.

“Our students graduate with ideas of how they can contribute to the world,” she said. “It’s an extension of the Caritas and Veritas.”

Dominican art professor Frank Spidale worked with Gregory to recruit student artists, Cesar Torres, and Callum Moran, to help with the painting.

“They were some of the top students in the class,” Spidale said. “Fran was looking for people, who could essentially draw.”

Torres was interested because the mural

represented an artistic challenge. “I had never done a mural before,” he said. “I was really interested in participating for the first time.”

Moran explained the meaning behind the mural. “We wanted to focus on the story and group that makes up Dominican as a whole,” he said. “In our first iterations of it, we focused more on the religious historical aspect in terms of creating the design.”

The emphasis on diversity was a big part of the mural, Moran said. “It developed from feedback from the community into more of a showcase of Dominican’s commitment to diversity,” he said.

kcoakley@my.dom.edu

Mural Symbolizes Immigration, History Sanderson Wraps Up Mistborn Era 2 Series

universe. He has written many books set on different planets in the same universe or the Cosmere.

Everything is interconnected, with Easter eggs and hints of a larger story woven through all the Cosmere books. However, this is the first time we have a larger MCU-style crossover.

fairly flat character who seemed to be there just for the laughs.

“The Lost Metal” by Brandon Sanderson is the fourth and final book of Mistborn Era 2.

This will be a spoilerfree review. Era 2, aka the Wax and Wayne cycle, is a genre-blending series with equal parts fantasy, mystery and Western.

“The Lost Metal” does not disappoint. It is fast-paced and explores what the Set, a mysterious crime organization, has planned. It also is the first time Sanderson brings the Cosmere in to Mistborn beyond Easter eggs.

There are two major positives of this book. One is this inclusion of the Cosmere, which is Sanderson’s shared

One of the upsides of the way Sanderson writes is that even with the crossover you can still understand the plot without having read all the other books.

Of course having the extra bit of knowledge makes it even more enjoyable, but it isn’t necessary to understand the plot. You can even read era 2 before era 1, if you wanted, though I highly recommend you start with era 1.

The other improvement in the series is the character development of Wayne. Wayne has always been and continues to be comedic relief.

However, in the earlier stories he was a

In the second book we learn a little more about his backstory and he becomes a slightly more complex character but he still wasn’t fully fleshed out. “The Lost Metal” changes this. More chapters than ever before are from his POV and as a reader you can really start to empathize with him and understand his motivations.

If you enjoy fantasy, anything by Sanderson will be a treat, but especially the Mistborn books. Whether you are a hard core Cosmere fan or an occasional fantasy reader this book will delight.

frowlands@my.dom.edu

A Break for Self-Care

a walk in the woods. Check with your local forest preserve district for walking trails and winter programs. You can also do yoga or tai chi which link mindfulness to movement. Dancing is another option and a fun way to exercise. You can go to a class at a studio or even go online to find a virtual class.

Congratulations, Stars! The first semester is almost over! After all the homework, projects, and tests, it’s finally time for a good, long break. For some, this might mean celebrating the holidays; for others, it might just mean a time to relax. Whatever this time means to you, it is also a time for you. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your break.

Take care of your physical health. Walk around your neighborhood or take

Holidays can be a time of overindulgence, so be careful to balance treats with nutrition. It’s okay to enjoy pie, cookies, and candy. That’s part of what makes this time special. These treats might be part of a tradition. Just make sure you’re also eating other foods like vegetables and fruit. Enjoy your treats but do it in moderation. Here’s a little secret: Chocolate (again in moderation) can be good for you. It can release dopamine, making you feel happier.

You might have developed some bad

sleeping habits such as staying up late, getting up too early, and just not getting enough sleep. Use the Christmas break to reset your sleeping patterns. Put your phone down, and turn in. Feel free to take naps. Naps are the best! And really commit to the nap. Dark room. Under the covers. No distractions. Taking naps can lower stress and make you happier and calmer.

Try to do things that make you happy. You can binge watch your favorite show or watch your favorite movie. You can visit with family or friends or play with pets. Playing video games or board games can also be fun.

It is also okay to say “No”. This can be a busy and stressful time. It’s great to reconnect and be busy, but it’s also okay to sit things out. Give yourself permission to say “No”.

Whether you’re

celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another holiday, actually celebrate it. Find what’s meaningful in it for you. If your experience is spiritual or just enjoyment, embrace the experience. Try to share that feeling with someone else. If you don’t celebrate, maybe start a new tradition. You can eat a special meal or even travel somewhere warmer. Or colder. Use the time to prepare for the new year. Make resolutions that will make you happier. Set goals to accomplish here at Dominican and beyond, whether that is joining a club, finding an internship, or traveling. Also, plan some fun things to do in 2023. This might mean going on vacation or seeing a much anticipated movie. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out, and there is also Spirited, a retelling of A Christmas

Carol, with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Pick up a new hobby such as playing a sport or a musical instrument. A new year means a fresh start, so feel free to go as big or as small as you want.

You are about to be done with the first semester. Use the break as a time of self-care. Exercise, eat, and catch up on sleep to stay healthy. Do some fun activities and make time for yourself. Celebrate a holiday or do something special. Look ahead to the new year by making resolutions and setting goals. Have a good break! You’ve earned it!

mdesmond@my.dom.edu

The story is translated in Spanish below.

Un descanso para cuidarse a sí mismo

¡Felicidades, estudiantes! ¡El primer semestre casi ha terminado! Después de toda la tarea, proyectos y pruebas, finalmente es hora de un buen y largo descanso. Para algunos, esto podría significar celebrar las fiestas; para otros, es sólo un momento para relajarse. Sea lo que sea y signifique este tiempo para usted, también puede ser una oportunidad para cuidarse. Aquí hay algunos consejos para ayudarle a disfrutar de su descanso.

Cuiden de su salud física. Vaya a dar un paseo por su vecindario o camine por el bosque. Consulte con su distrito local de reserva forestal para conocer los senderos que existen para caminar e informarse sobre los programas de invierno. También puede empezar a hacer yoga o Tai

Chi que vinculan su atención plenamente al movimiento de su cuerpo. Bailar es otra opción y una forma divertida de hacer ejercicio. Puede ir a una clase en un estudio o incluso buscar una virtual en el Internet.

Las fiestas pueden ser un momento de indulgencia excesiva, así que tenga cuidado de equilibrar los dulces con una buena nutrición. Está bien disfrutar de tartas, galletas y golosinas. Eso es parte de lo que hace que este tiempo sea tan especial y es posible que estas golosinas sean parte de una tradición que no se debe perder. Sólo asegúrese de comer también otros alimentos como verduras y frutas. Disfrute de los dulces, pero hazlo con moderación. Le comparto un pequeño secreto: el chocolate (de nuevo con moderación) puede ser bueno para usted. Puede

liberar dopamina que le hace sentir más feliz.

Es posible que durante el semestre no hayas dormido bien o suficiente por haberse ido a la cama tarde, haberse levantado demasiado temprano y o simplemente no tener tiempo para descansar. Use el descanso de Navidad para reestablecer sus horarios de sueño. Silencie su teléfono y duerma. Tome siestas. ¡Qué mejor que eso! En habitación oscura, bajo las cobijas, sin distracciones. Una buena siesta reduce el estrés y le hace sentirse más feliz.

Pruebe hacer cosas que le hagan sentirse bien. Vea su programa de televisión favorito o una película. Usted puede visitar a familiares o amigos o jugar con sus mascotas. Los videojuegos o juegos de mesa también son divertidos.

Ya sea que usted esté celebrando la Navidad, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa u otro día festivo, en realidad páselo bien y de buena gana. Encuentre los momentos significativos para usted. Si su experiencia es espiritual, religiosa o simplemente social, viva la experiencia por completo. Trate de compartir ese sentimiento con otra persona. Si usted no celebra, tal vez sea el momento de comenzar una nueva tradición como cocinar una comida muy especial.

Use este tiempo para prepararse para el nuevo año. Haga resoluciones que le hagan más feliz. Establezca metas para lograr aquí en Dominican y más allá, ya sea unirse a un club, encontrar una pasantía o viajar. Además, planifique algunas cosas divertidas que hacer en 2023.

Esto podría significar

irse de vacaciones o ver una película muy esperada. Elija un nuevo pasatiempo, como practicar un deporte o un instrumento musical. Un nuevo año significa un nuevo comienzo, así que siéntase libre de hacer algo grade o algo pequeño, tal y como usted lo elija.

Usted está a punto de terminar con el primer semestre. Use el descanso para cuidarse a si mismo. Haga ejercicio, coma y recupere el sueño para mantenerse saludable. Salga a hacer algo divertido y saque tiempo para usted. Celebre un día festivo haciendo algo especial. Mire hacia el nuevo año tomando resoluciones y estableciendo metas. ¡Que tenga un buen descanso! ¡Usted se lo ha ganado!