Program (PDF)

   
 
 

N O V E M B E R   1 4   -­‐ 1 5  
The  Acadia  Community  Development  Council  Presents:  

B-­‐WELL  2014  
Bringing  Wellness,  Encouraging  Leadership  and  Learning  

When  &  Where  

Join  us  in  Fountain  Commons  
on  November  14th  and  15th  for  
this  amazing  tw0  day  
conference!    

Hours:  
Friday  -­‐  Registration  opens  at  
noon!  Opening  Ceremony  
starts  at  1.  The  first  day  ends  at  
9:30  pm  after  the  Park  Bench  
Players  show!  
Saturday  –  Workshops  start  at  
9  am!  The  Closing  Ceremony  
starts  at  4  pm.  
Registration  closes  at  noon  
on  Wednesday  the  12th!    
Get  your  tickets  before  then  
so  you  don’t  miss  out!    

 

Come  learn  how  to  B-­‐WELL!  
This  conference  will  focus  on  creating  a  safe  environment  to  
address  some  important  topics  on  campus.  Come  learn  how  to  
support  friends  with  mental  illness,  how  to  manage  stress,  
participate  in  wellness  breaks  including  yoga  and  slacklining,  
and  learn  about  how  things  like  sport,  play,  and  creativity  
affect  your  wellness  as  a  whole!  The  cost  of  registration  (only  
$20)  includes  a  dinner  and  snack  breaks  throughout  the  
conference  as  well  as  an  award-­‐winning  theater  performance  
by  the  Park  Bench  Players  -­‐  a  theater  group  from  Antigonish  
whose  members  live  with  mental  illness.  Come  give  your  voice  
to  these  important  conversations  and  learn  some  new  skills!  

Tickets  ($20)  –  Where  to  register!  
SUB  

Horton  Hall  

Register  at  the  Info  
Desk  in  the  SUB!    

Visit  Heather  
Turner  in  her  
office  in  room  326.    

War  Memorial  
Gym  
In  the  KINE/REC  
building,  register  
with  Kim  Vaughan  
or  Peggy  Weir!  

  

B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Schedule  
Friday,  November  14  
TIME  

ACTIVITY  

LOCATION  

12  PM  –  1  PM  

REGISTRATION  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

1  PM  –  2:15  PM  

OPENING  CEREMONY  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

2:15  PM  –  3  PM  

BREAK  OUT  SESSION  1  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

3  PM  –  4:15  PM  

WELLNESS  BREAK  

AROUND  CAMPUS  

4:15  PM  –  5  PM  

BREAK  OUT  SESSION  2  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

5  PM  –  5:30  PM  

BREAK  

PERSONAL  PREFERENCE  

5:30  PM  -­‐  7  

DINNER  

MACKEEN  ROOM  (SUB)  

7:15  PM  –  7:30  PM  

PRE-­‐SHOW  RECEPTION  

FESTIVAL  THEATER  (504  MAIN  ST.)  

7:30  PM  –  9:30  PM  

PARK  BENCH  PLAYERS  

FESTIVAL  THEATER  (504  MAIN  ST.)  

9:30  PM  –  10  PM  

POST-­‐SHOW  
RECEPTION  

FESTIVAL  THEATER  (504  MAIN  ST.)  

Saturday,  November  15  
TIME  

ACTIVITY  

LOCATION  

9  AM  –  12  PM  

WORKSHOPS  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

12  PM  –  1:30  PM  

LUNCH  

PERSONAL  PREFERENCE  

1:30  PM  –  2:15  PM  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

2:15  PM  –  3  PM  

STRESS  MANAGEMENT  
PANEL  
WELLNESS  BREAK  

3  PM  –  4  PM  

CLOSING  CEREMONY  

FOUNTAIN  COMMONS  

 
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AROUND  CAMPUS  

  

B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Registration  
Sign  in  and  pick  up  your  nametag  and  t-­‐shirt.  During  this  time,  
you  will  also  sign  up  for  sessions!  You  will  pick  2  Break  Out  
Sessions,  2  Wellness  Breaks,  and  a  workshop  stream.  The  earlier  
you  get  there,  the  more  likely  you  will  be  able  to  sign  up  for  the  
session  you  want  to  attend  the  most!  

Welcome  and  Opening  Ceremonies  

Break  Out  Sessions  

ASU  President  Callie  Lathem,  and  two  of  our  conference  
organizers,  Gillian  Bersgma  and  Linnea  Swinimer,  will  facilitate  
the  opening  ceremonies.  This  ceremony  will  introduce  the  topics  
of  mental  health,  mental  illness,  and  campus  well-­‐being  with  
your  input.  A  ‘silent  conversation’  will  take  place  where  you  can  
share  your  thoughts  and  ideas  on  these  important  themes!  

Break  Out  Sessions  are  student-­‐led  presentations  about  
important  wellness  and  mental  health  related  issues  on  campus.  
All  the  options  for  these  sessions  are  outlined  below!  Pick  two  
 
45-­‐minute  sessions  to  attend.    
 

Dinner  

Wellness  breaks  are  incorporated  into  both  days  of  the  
conference.  The  purpose  of  these  breaks  is  to  provide  time  for  
stress  relief  and  exhibit  what  amazing  resources  we  have  on  
campus  for  this  purpose!  Take  time  during  the  Wellness  Breaks  
to  reflect  upon  what  you  have  learned  so  far,  and  how  you  can  
incorporate  similar  breaks  into  your  day-­‐to-­‐day  life  as  a  means  of  
reducing  stress!  Pick  two  Wellness  Breaks  (one  per  day)  from  the  
options  listed  below!    

Join  us  in  the  Mackeen  room  in  the  SUB  (up  the  stairs  on  your  
left  side  when  you  walk  in)  for  a  delicious  buffet  and  some  fun  
games  as  well  as  a  photo  booth!  Be  sure  to  specify  
dietary  restrictions  when  registering!    

 

Wellness  Breaks  

Park  Bench  Players  

The  national  award-­‐winning  theatre  from  Antigonish  troupe  
shares  their  powerful  story  of  hope,  courage  and  resilience  in  
living  with  mental  illness.  This  is  wonderful  opportunity  to  
explore  what  can  be  done  to  create  a  positive  and  inclusive  
community  for  those  struggling  with  mental  health  issues,  which  
is  all  of  us  in  one  way  or  another!  Join  us  before  the  show  to  learn  
about  valuable  mental  health  resources  around  the  valley.  Join  us  
after  the  show  for  discussion  with  the  cast  and  crew!      
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B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Workshops  
During  registration,  sign  up  for  one  of  five  workshop  streams  
outlined  below.  You  will  learn  something  new  and  important  
from  each  of  them,  so  don’t  be  concerned  if  you  don’t  get  your  
top  pick!  Workshop  time  will  also  include  a  coffee  and  nutrition  
break.  

Stress  Management  Panel  
This  panel  will  be  facilitated  by  ASU  President  Callie  Lathem.  
During  this  time,  the  panel  members  will  address  stress  
management  issues  and  techniques  to  reduce  stress.  Take  this  
time  to  ask  our  panel  members  questions  about  stress  and  stress  
management.  Members  of  the  panel  include:  Dr.  Rene  Murphy  
(Director  of  the  School  of  Kinesiology;  also  teaches  “Stress  
Management”  course),  Oonagh  Proudfoot  (Senior  Alumni  
Officer;  also  teaches  “Physically  Active  Living”  course),  Erica  
McGill  (director  and  counselor  at  the  Student  Resource  Center),  
and  Tim  McFarland  (Acadia’s  Chaplain  Reverend).      

Closing  Ceremony  
This  ceremony  will  include  a  summary  of  all  that  has  happened  
in  the  last  two  days.  We  will  return  to  the  ‘silent  conversation’  
initiated  at  the  beginning  of  the  conference,  and  see  where  we  
stand.  How  will  we  move  forward  with  all  that  we  have  learned?  
How  can  we  out  the  skills  we  have  learned  to  use  in  improving  
not  only  our  own  wellness,  but  also  the  wellness  of  all  those  
around  us?  Let’s  make  Acadia  a  place  where  wellness  and  mental  
health  are  fully  supported!  

 
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B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Break  Out  Sessions  
Be  a  better  student  with  laughter  and  
play.  Seriously!  –  Debbie  Surette  

This  presentation  will  first  investigate  the  science  behind  
laughter,  its  multiple  benefits  to  our  immunity  and  organs,  
and  overall  mental  and  emotional  state.  Design  and  
participate  in  games  made  from  everyday  objects  to  learn  
about  how  important  creativity  and  play  are  to  your  well  
being!  Our  brains  are  “play  wired”  so  being  deprived  of  play  
can  lead  to  burnouts.  

The  Benefits  of  Volunteering:  S.M.I.L.E.  
–  Mick  Leahy  &  Leah  Bennett  
This  session  will  outline  the  positive  effects  of  
volunteering  as  a  student  and  how  it  promotes  a  healthy  
lifestyle.  We  will  be  taking  personal,  and  outside  
perspective  on  the  benefits  of  volunteers,  as  well  as  the  
researched  psychological  benefits  of  volunteering.  The  
area  of  wellness  the  talk  will  be  focused  on,  are  the  
personal  benefits  to  volunteering  using  the  SMILE  
program  at  Acadia  as  a  focus  group.      

Creativity,  Meaningfulness,  and  
Mental  Health  –  Hillary  Gabriel  

Theoretical  and  empirical  evidence  will  be  presented  to  
support  the  benefits  of  creativity  on  both  meaningfulness  
and  mental  health.  The  presenter’s  own  current  research  will  
also  be  used,  and  is  looking  at  the  protective  effects  of  
creativity  on  meaningfulness  and  psychological  well-­‐being.  
This  will  primarily  be  a  research-­‐based  presentation,  
however,  it  will  also  leave  space  for  questions  and  discussion  
regarding  the  topic  of  creativity  and  how  it  interacts  with  
mental  health.    Additionally,  attendees  may  be  provided  
with  paper  and  pencils,  and  be  encouraged  to  doodle  
throughout  the  session.  
 
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B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Break  Out  Sessions  Cont.  
Care-­‐Full  Conversations  –  
Christine  Moreau  

This  session  is  about  language  choices  and  how  they  
affect  those  around  you.  It  will  challenge  participants  
to  critically  analyze  their  vocabularies  and  evaluate  if  
what  they  say  is  having  a  negative  or  positive  impact  
on  how  people  perceive  them,  as  well  as  the  emotion  
that  the  language  evokes  from  others.  It  will  also  
focus  on  the  gendering  of  language  that  is  built  into  
our  everyday  conversation  and  how  to  eliminate  them  
to  make  a  safer  space  for  everyone.    

Stereotyping  and  its  Affect  on  
Wellness  –  Diana  Yap  &  Yoko  Liao  

During  this  session,  we  will  examine  stereotypes  and  how  
they  have  affected  us,  or  others.  We  will  attempt  to  evaluate  
our  own  biases  and  understand  how  these  impact  our  
interactions  with  other  people.  We  will  learn  about  
stereotype  threat  and  how  we  can  reduce  it  on  campus!  
There  will  be  a  spoken  word  poem  on  the  topic  by  an  
International  student  who  attends  Acadia.    

 
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B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Wellness  Breaks  
Friday  (3  –  4:15  pm)  
Slacklining  at  University  Hall  Lawn    
Yoga  in  Clark  Commons  
Jazzercise  at  Clark  Commons  
Nature  Walks  and  Activities  in  the  Harriet  

Saturday  (2:15  –  3  pm)  
Create  a  mural  in  Fountain  Commons  
Dance  at  Fountain  Commons  
Skating  at  the  Athletic  Complex  
Slacklining  on  University  Hall  Lawn    

 
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B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Workshop  Streams  

Palcemaking  

Peer  Supprt  Stream  

Safety  and  
Wellbeing  Stream  

Bell  Aliant  "Let's  
Talk"  

Sport  and  Wellness  
Stream  

Peer  Support  Stream  –  Peer  Support  Line  &  Res  Life  

What  is  peer  support,  and  why  is  it  showing  up  at  universities  all  over  Canada?  Learn  about  what  
peer  support  is,  and  how  you  can  use  peer  support  skills  in  your  own  life  and  relationships.  There  
will  be  an  interactive  session  with  roleplaying  as  a  chance  to  practice  some  of  the  skills  you  will  
learn.  To  briefly  explain,  peer  support  is  teaching  peers  to  use  their  personal  experiences  to  
empathize  with  others  going  through  the  same  or  similar  things.  This  means  that  they  are  peers  
in  the  sense  that  they  have  similar  experiences,  not  in  the  sense  that  they  are  both  students.  
The  Red  &  Blue  Crew  promotes  awareness  about  overindulgence  in  alcohol  by  educating  students  
about  the  signs.  It  encourages  students  to  take  action  when  they  see  another  student  in  need  of  
assistance,  and  provides  them  with  the  tools  to  do  so.  

Bell  Aliant  “Let's  Talk”  –  Josh  Budish  &  Shannon  White  

This  campaign  has  two  main  goals:  to  encourage  Canadians  to  talk  openly  about  mental  health  in  
their  communities,  workplaces,  schools,  and  homes;  to  provide  practical  guidelines  for  starting  
conversations  about  mental  health.  Come  join  us  in  learning  about  how  to  these  important  
conversations  with  other  people  in  our  lives.  Help  create  an  Acadia-­‐specific  campaign  about  

Safety  and  Wellbeing  Stream  –  Meg  Townsend  

Meg  Townsend  is  a  former  RCMP  Officer  and  is  currently  the  Equity  Officer  on  Campus.  This  
workshop  will  be  a  variation  on  Meg’s  ASSERT  training,  which  provides  students  with  sexual  
assault  defense  training.  The  variations  on  this  workshop  will  focus  on  how  a  sense  of  security  and  
safety  can  contribute  to  wellness  and  mental  health.    
 
 
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B-­‐WELL  2014  

NOVEMBER  14  -­‐  15  

Workshop  Streams  Cont.  
Sport  and  Wellness  Stream  –  Dr.  Darren  Kruisselbrink  &  
Sustain  Your  Body  
Although  important,  the  highest  form  of  psychological/mental  wellness  in  sport  doesn’t  come  
from  winning,  but  from  performing  to  one’s  potential.  How  can  athlete’s  regularly  experience  
mental  wellness  in  sport?  Dr.  Kruisselbrink  will  introduce  delegates  to  an  anatomy  of  
performance  model  and,  more  specifically,  an  anatomy  of  mental  performance  model  to  identify  
the  key  drivers  of  performance.  Discussion  will  then  turn  to  self-­‐talk  and  the  role  of  this  key  
driver  in  shaping  how  athletes  mentally  and  emotionally  frame  and  ultimately  live  with  their  
sport  experiences.  
The  fields  of  nutrition  and  fitness  are  always  changing,  which  is  why  Sustain  Your  Body  is  here  to  
help  navigate  through  the  sea  of  misinformation  and  make  health  a  part  of  your  lifestyle.  Sustain  
Your  Body  believes  that  healthy  eating  and  exercise  should  be  easy  and  fun,  so  why  should  
learning  be  any  different?  Skyler  is  a  senior  kinesiology  student  at  Acadia  University  in  the  
Exercise  Science  &  Training  Practicum  working  towards  becoming  CSEP-­‐Certified  Exercise  
Physiologist.  Alina,  an  Acadia  Graduate,  is  a  nutrition  consultant  and  CSEP-­‐Certified  Personal  
Trainer  currently  finishing  her  Master’s  degree  in  Applied  Human  Nutrition  at  Mount  Saint  
Vincent  University.  Their  passion  for  health  inspired  them  to  create  “Sustain  Your  Body”,  your  
reliable  resource  for  education  and  entertainment.  Come  to  the  workshop  for  fun  and  easy  ways  
to  reduce  your  stress  through  physical  activity  and  nutrition!  

Placemaking  –  Megan  Beliveau  
This  workshop  will  investigate  how  your  sense  of  place  can  affect  your  wellness  and  wellbeing.  
Join  Megan  Beliveau,  a  graduate  of  the  Community  Development  Program,  now  working  as  a  Don  
for  Res  Life,  as  we  reimagine  Acadia’s  campus  as  a  factor  in  our  wellbeing.  How  does  living  here  
make  us  feel?  Do  we  feel  proud  and  safe?  How  do  we  improve  these  places  to  increase  the  
accessibility  of  its  assets?  
 

 

 
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