WKU Hosts ‘Rage n Relax’ Event to Help Students Combat Stress

Blow Off Some Steam Before Finals Week

Bowling Green, KY – With the end of the academic year approaching, many students find themselves under extreme stress worrying about final exams and semester-end projects. While some opt for traditional ways to unwind, such as yoga classes or regular exercise sessions, Western Kentucky University (WKU) students decided to take a slightly unconventional approach – they went smashing cars at the ‘Rage n Relax’ event.

Chad Lawhorn, Area Coordinator for WKU Housing and Residence Life, talks about the importance of providing students with a stress outlet. “A lot of our students deal with anxiety, depression, and stress, and we wanted to give them a way to manage that stress, an outlet, if you will,” says Lawhorn.

‘Rage n Relax’: A Different Kind of Stress Relief

As part of the initiative, students registered to use bats and sledge hammers to literally demolish a car. This unique event happened just before the most stressful week of the semester – the finals week, which began on April 29th.

Lawhorn speaks about the importance of staying physically active, especially as students stress over exams. “A lot of the time when we’re leading up to finals, people’s physical activity goes down a little bit because of stress. So, this is just another way to get them out of their rooms, out of their library for a little bit.”

The students seemed to appreciate the unique stress relief opportunity that ‘Rage n Relax’ offered. Freshman Carter Hicks shared his experience, “Finals are definitely a big stressor, but it feels good to beat the s— out of this car.”

What Participants Have to Say

Another participant, Brianna Carter, also shared her enthusiasm for the event. “A lot of frustration and anger from this school needed to be taken out on that car right now. Business applications class, I study for hours, but this car felt my wrath from that class,” she said.

Addressing Mental Health in Students

This event highlights the creative approach universities can take to help students manage their stress levels. It also emphasizes the important role such initiatives play in addressing mental health issues among students. In today’s age where there’s an increasing focus on mental health and well-being, it becomes quintessential for institutions to think out of the box to support their students, especially during challenging times.