Wellness Center in the News
New Initiatives Help Students Reduce Consumer Debt
UC San Diego junior Maranda Maroe was worried she would end up like thousands of college and grad-school students who get heavily into debt after relying too much on credit cards. However, through UC San Diego’s new initiatives to help students avoid consumer debt, Maroe will graduate with the knowledge of resources that will help fund her education and living expenses in tough economic times.
UC San Diego’s Wellness Center and the Financial Aid Office have created a financial wellness website which lists tools and techniques including a new, free, online cash course designed to provide students with information that will help them make informed financial decisions throughout their college years and into their professional lives. read more
Wellness at UC San Diego: Keeping Our Students Healthy (@UCSD Magazine)
UC San Diego is internationally renowned for its interdisciplinary approach to science and medicine. Now, the University is applying the same principles of collaboration to make an impact in another campus area—student wellness.
To ensure that students thrive, UC San Diego has launched the Student Wellness Initiative. Nation wide, college students are at risk for health-related problems including stress, depression, anxiety, alcohol overuse and other life-management issues. Our Student Wellness Initia tive is designed to address students’ physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs with an integrative and preventive approach.
Under the leadership of newly appointed Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Wellness Karen Calfas, Ph.D. ’90, the initiative consolidates campus health and support services including Recreation, Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Sexual Assault Resource Center and the Well ness Center. An innovative wellness outreach effort, LiveWell UC San Diego, is also underway to foster a healthy learning environment on campus. The program works with areas across campus including the Alumni Association, Housing and Dining, Financial Aid and Student Life to meet the wellness needs of the entire University community. read more
Final Exams Stressing You? Therapy Dogs Come to the Rescue
The dog days of summer aren't yet here, but many UC San Dieg
o students were dogged by multiple final exams last week. So what better way to relax than to pet 10 certified therapydogs on Library Walk, courtesy of the campus' Wellness Center. Undergraduates got a chance to play with golden retrievers, black and golden labs as well as boxers, among other species, in the canines' very own Petting Palace. Here students pet Davy, a cocker spaniel. View the slideshow
The Importance of Napping (WKOW 27 News)
College student Sarah Raifsnider says napping improves her grade point a
verage. In fact, she says she'll take a 20 minute power nap before a test to restart her day. And the university she attends is all for it. The University of California, San Diego recently held its first ever 'nap-in'.
Doctors say our country is sleep deprived, and nappers get a bad rap. School officials want to change that. Sleep expert Sara Mednick is a big fan of napping. She has written a book on it, and she has research to prove it can keep you more alert than coffee.
"We have a new study actually that shows that we compared naps to caffeine on three different kinds of memory tests. And we find that naps made people perform better and caffeine made people perform much worse even in placebo," said Dr. Mednick...read more
UCSD Students Stage "Nap-In" For National Napping Day (KFMB)
If you're feeling like your morning cup of coffee has worn off 
and you're dragging your feet, you're in luck. It's National Napping Day, and some local students are celebrating to show the rest of us the benefits of catching some extra sleep. For the full story, view the video:
Study: Naps improve brain power (La Jolla Light)
Those who believe napping is slothful need to wake up to reality: It's healthful, essential even.
Contrary to popular opinion, the latest clinical research 
clearly indicates that regular napping improves mental performance on a number of levels, most importantly with memory.
UCSD students who recently participated in the university's first ever "Nap-In" were clued in on snoozing's "virtues" by Sara Mednick, assistant professor of psychiatry at UCSD School of Medicine who is author of "Take a Nap! Change Your Life!" Mednick noted that napping has...read more
The Power of Naps (San Diego Union Tribune)
Siesta's mental and physical benefits praised at UCSD event
For yesterday's event, University of California San Diego psychiatrist and sleep expert Sara Mednick, author of “Take a Nap! Change Your Life,” addressed 200 people inside a campus ballroom for the school's first nap-in. 
“There's such a stigma around napping,” she said. “You need to have a little bit more of a take-back-the-nap kind of attitude.”
Later, she added, “Could you imagine a world where it's, 'Wow, look how hard they're working? They're napping!' ”
Her scientific spiel was entertaining enough that it didn't put the kids to sleep, though that's probably not something she'd complain about.
More than 200 people signed up to hear Mednick's speech to kick off UCSD's venture into sanctioned napping. But only eight people stretched out on mats in a dark and relatively quiet ballroom at the Price Center. A ninth laid facedown over four chairs for his shut-eye.
"Campus to Hold First Ever 'Nap-In'" by Christine Clark
Hundreds of students and staff from across campus will bring mats, pillows and teddy bears to the first-ever UC San Diego “Nap-In” at 12:30 p.m., March 9 in the Price Center Ballroom. The event, co-sponsored by the Wellness Center, will feature remarks from Sara Mednick, assistant professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine, and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life!
Mednick will discuss the important role of napping in maintaining mental and physical health for people of all ages. Students who attend the event will get prizes and napping tips, such as a “UC San Diego Nap-Map” where they can find the hottest spots for napping on campus.
The Nap-In coincides with daylight saving time, when Americans lose an hour of sleep. “Studies show more traffic accidents and pedestrian fatalities, even an increase in heart attacks, when clocks are set forward an hour in the spring,” Mednick said.
"Experts on Sleep Discuss Insomnia, Napping, Irregular Sleep Schedules"
Tom Fudge: Sleep is a subject we're all interested in, and it's hard to find a person who has never had difficulty sleeping. Stress, irregular work schedules, the use of caffeine and alcohol can affect our sleep. Speaking for myself, I've taken sleep medication for nearly two years, the result of a brain injury that affected my ability to fall asleep.
One of the problems with analyzing our sleep is we don't really know what a normal sleep schedule ought to be. Is eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, with no naps during the day, really the best approach? It's what our culture expects of us. But is it the best thing for our bodies?
Guests
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Dr. Jerry Phelps, psychologist, and acting director of the UC San Diego Wellness Center.
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Dr. Sara Mednick, professor at UCSD, and author of Take a Nap! Change your Life
"Health Care Taking a Financial Toll on Americans"
What we’re seeing now is cardiovascular disease in teens, and
that is very scary. As the economy struggles, it’s becoming more difficult for Americans to buy healthy food. For example, a hamburger costs less than a veggie burger or a turkey burger. On average, people living in low-income neighborhoods have five fast food outlets and convenience stores near their home – twice the number than their more affluent neighbors.
Obesity rates are higher in America than in Canada – especially among women. And despite the year round good weather, and access to all this, more Californians are overweight than in Manitoba, Canada – where cold weather and snow keep people indoors six months a year.
Experts say it may come down to healthcare and a simple visit to a family doctor, but government programs like Medicare don’t kick in until people with diabetes are on dialysis.
Wellness Program Expands With Appointment of New AVC
Upcoming Student Wellness Center will serve as umbrella facility for campus medical, mental services
Calfas said that when she arrives at UCSD on March 23, she plans to unite the strengths of several campus organizations to provide students with more comprehensive and accessible health resources. Her activities will aim to combine services that help students achieve both mental and physical health under one umbrella program.
“My first priority will be to meet with the many people who provide various services that are related to student wellness and doing some brainstorming together about the best ways to collaborate,” Calfas said. “There are lots of areas in the Student Affairs office that are focusing on overall wellness. In addition, I want to meet with the student government, student organizations, and find out what students are interested in. It will be a time for me to get up to speed with all the activities going on that relate to student wellness.”
Additionally, Calfas will be in charge of raising funds to maintain financial support for the new Student Wellness Center.
Current construction plans call for a new recreation space with gym equipment and counseling and psychiatric services, along with the health-education services currently offered at the existing Student Health Center.
“Students will benefit from having all these wellness services under one roof because it will be one-stop shopping for them,” Calfas said. “If you want to work out or if you want to talk to someone about a problem, you will conveniently be able to do both of those activities at the same location.”
"Campus Names New Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Wellness"
Starting next month, UC San Diego will have an assistant vice chancellor in charge of student wellness, officials announced last week.
Karen Calfas, a faculty member both at UCSD and San Diego State University and an expert on health promotion, will step into the position March 23. She will oversee Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Sexual Assault Resource Center, Campus Recreation and the Wellness Center, and report to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Penny Rue.
Calfas’ role also includes promoting and expanding the existing Student Affairs Wellness Initiative, fundraising for and development of a new Student Wellness Center and transforming existing departments under her oversight into a more cohesive and collaborative source of holistic wellness services...
"How Students Can Stick To Hard-to-Follow New Year's Resolutions" by Christine Clark
Winter quarter at UC San Diego begins on Jan. 5 and many students are carrying a variety of New Year’s resolutions along
with their textbooks. Students who have resolved to improve their lives can take advantage of an array of wellness programs designed to help them improve their mind, body and spirit in the new year.
“January is a pivotal month for freshmen because many of them have had a chance to reflect on their first quarter,” Wellness Center Director Jerry Phelps said. “They may have studied too much, not enough, or they may have overlooked their physical, emotional or spiritual well being. The winter quarter provides a chance to make a positive change for the new year.”
"How Not to Gain the Dreaded 'Freshman Fifteen'" by Christine Clark
When fall classes at the University of California, San Diego begin on Sept. 25,
freshmen will be on their own for the first time to spend endless hours on the computer, play video games and eat whatever they want, a recipe for weight gain. However, several UC San Diego wellness, weight-management and counseling programs will help students beat the dreaded “freshmen fifteen.”
“Although, it’s rare that students gain 15 pounds their first year of college, many students do find that they have gained some weight at the end of four years,” said Debbie Pino-Saballett...
"How to Prevent Sleep Deprivation during Finals Week" by Christine Clark
UC San Diego students will take final exams the week of Dec. 8 and the cramming, testing jitters and coffee consumption will lead to sleep deprivation (and lower test scores) for many of the university’s 28,500 students.
Sleep deprivation is one of the major health problems affecting students and is the second leading health impediment to academic success. Erratic schedules, caffeine consumption and anxiety all cause students to suffer from insomnia during finals week when sleep deprivation spikes among students, especially freshmen.
"Mind, Body, Spirit: New Wellness Center to Address Needs of 'Whole' Student Body at UCSD" by Michael Dabney
Student Affairs is implementing sweeping changes to the way it provides services that address the physical, mental and spiritual needs of its undergraduates. In a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to student wellness, such services will now be consolidated under one departmental cluster, and within the next few years, under one roof on campus.
Known as the Student Affairs Wellness Initiative, the changes are occurring in two stages...
Meet Interim Director of Wellness: Dr. Jerold Phelps
Meet Jerold “Jerry” Phelps, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist based at Thurgood Marshall College. In addition to his responsibilities counseling students, Dr. Phelps is also the Interim Director of Student Wellness. Before coming to work at UC San Diego, Dr. Phelps completed his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and his Ph.D. at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His experiences range from behavioral medicine to family therapy to student wellness.
When we met, I asked Dr. Phelps to define "wellness" for me. He explained it is "not a goal, but a process aspiring to be healthy socially, intellectually, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and occupationally."
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