Students take a breather to recharge amid busy workload.
In between studying and finishing up their master’s theses, students (and staff) are taking a breather on 11-12 April at the first Hertie School “De-Stress Fest”. Alongside healthy smoothies and snacks, the festival on Wednesday served up stress management workshops, yoga, arts and crafts and other activities to give students a break from their taxing workloads this time of year.
Chopping apples and tossing them into a blender stuffed with spinach, MPP student Patrick Sullivan said students had been dropping by the cafeteria in between classes on Wednesday to grab a smoothie. “Judging from what’s left, I’d say it’s been a success,” he said. “Tomorrow there’s going to be a breakfast buffet.”
On Wednesday, students participated in a variety of activities, including a Korean calligraphy class and salsa lessons. The festival continues on Thursday, starting with breakfast at 9am and wrapping up with a ping-pong tournament at 6pm.
“We thought it would be nice to give people a break and take their minds off daily challenges,” said Judith Zylla-Wöllner, Manager of Student Affairs and Financial Aid. “I think we’ll plan to do this once a semester from now on.”
The event was supported by the Siemens-Betriebskrankenkasse (SBK - health insurance), which handed out goodie bags with ideas for leading a balanced lifestyle.