Meredith Herald
Volume X, Issue 13
December 1,1993
Raleigh,
North Carolina
Stress spells distress at end of fall semester
Counseling Center ojfers tips to get through finals
December isone of the most stress*
All months of the year for college
students. Academic pressures are ris
ing as the semester comes to its hair-
raising climax! As final exams,
projects and papers approach, so do
anxiety, fear, depression and guilt.
With the end of the semester often
comes a depletion of funds, and it
occurs to you that you’ve hardly be
gun your holiday shopping. The holi
day season itself can bring on a whole
set of stressors. Seasonal parties and
community and church responsibili
ties create additional social demands.
Many will experience the “holiday
blues” related to family conflicts,
losses and separation.
Stress is the physical and psycho
logical response of the body as it at
tempts to deal with internal and exter
nal demands perceived to be threaten
ing or dangerous, There is good stress
and badstress. Fliysiological responses
of the body, such as increased heart
and breathing rates and flow of hor
mones, prepare us to act in response to
stressors. In this way stress can help
us in meeting
physical chal
lenges, solving
problems and
reaching goals.
However, on
going exposure
to threatening
situations trig
gers a contin
ued depen-
dence on the
adrenaline
surge, making us feel that we’re in a
chronic state of “fight or flight.”
Recognizing and eliminating the
stressors, in life is the best way to
protect ourselves from the mental and
physical wear-and-tear that stress
causes. The causes of stress are varied
and can change rapidly. Some of the
most common stressors are those cre
ated out of personal demands we place
onourselves,
. such as per
fectionism,
control, pas
sivity, impa
tience and ri
gidity. Often
these traits
turn into ex
ternal pres-
sures, for in-
stance when
we are not
able to be assertive about saying “no,”
then become stressed by being over
committed. similarly, by acting out a
need to please others, we may end up
feeling frustrated or unsatisfied. A
ith the end of the semester
often comes a depletion of
funds, and it occurs to you that
you've hardly begun your
holiday shopping.
counselor can help you identify per
sonality/behavior patterns which may
be contributing to increased stress and
poor management.
Once you’ verecognized the stres
sors in your life, you can learn to
monitor your response to sU’ess. Lis
ten to your body and tiie wariung
signals it’s trying to send you. Allow
some time for quiet and relaxation.
Take care of your body with regular
meals, sleep and exercise. The Coun
seling Center can assist you in learn
ing to set healthy limits for yourself
through acquiring skills in time man
agement, problem-solving, prioritiz
ing and relaxation. Confidence and a
strong sense of self are essential in
stress management. Building self-es
teem through self-nurturing and by
learning to eliminate negative self
talk, are furtiier ways to reduce the
impaa of sttess in your life.
Music professor delivers lecture
by Addie Tschamler
Dr. James Fogle, from the De
partment of Music, Speech, and The
ater, presented the Faculty Distin
guished Lecture Monday night, No
vember 22, in Jones Auditorium. Dr.
Fogle received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Elon College and contin
ued into graduate school at the Uni
versity of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill where he earned his Master of
Arts degree and Doctor of Philoso
phy. Dr.Fogleinstructspianolessons,
courses in music history and litera
ture, and directs the music graduate
program at Meredith. He also gives
lectures throughout North Carolina
on a regular basis.
“Reach for the sky!” Fogle pro
claimed he began his lecture and
“journey into the romantic imagina
tions of E.T.A. Hoffmann and Robert
Schumann.” Fogle presented
Hoffmann, musician and writer, and
Schumann, musician, parallel to one
another in “imagery and mood.” He
began the journey with a vivid de
scription of Johannes Kreisler, a char
acter created by Hoffmann. As music
filled the die room the audience was
encouraged to “reach beyond the
boundaries of this hall, beyond the
boundaries of your life, into the heav
ens.” Fogle touched base with such
imagery and symbolism of music from
Kriesteriana, and Kater Murr, describ
ing them in comparison with
Hoffmann’s essays.
A very poetic and descriptive sum
marization flowed witii each topic of
consideration in Fogle ’ s lecture. From
“Kreisler’s Tom-Cat Murr’s Existen
tial Feelings,” through “the mysteri-
see LECTURE page seven
Tribal Life comes to Meredith
The Native American History class put this teepee up the week before
Thanksgiving in conjunction with their study of the Plains Indiaie.