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Labyrinthine Routes to Meditation: Contemplative Pedagogy and Instructor Self-Care
Get PDFIn the pandemic- and post-pandemic era, new as well as exacerbated work-life stressors have led academia to recognize the vital role wellness plays in teaching and learning. While most institutional and pedagogical response has understandably focused on students’ holistic health, this essay promotes increased instructor self-care as a necessary complement to supporting learners in higher education. By practicing meditative exercises drawn from contemplative pedagogy, faculty and instructional staff can create synergy between mindfulness strategies that we might invite students to try and our own attention to the whole self outside class. As the essay’s case study shows, labyrinth walking in particular embodies a flexible way to find stability and harmony within constraints, offering a form of mindful meditation that resonates with the complex, demanding embeddedness instructors experience on and off campus. Such meditative self-care can also generate greater care for educators as a community, while helping sustain our collective efforts to support students and others in professional, domestic, and civic spheres. Expanding the discourse on academic well-being to focus on instructors too thus shifts academic culture toward more fully realizing its emphasis on transformative holism in teaching as well as in learning
Managing User Conflicts in a Water Aerobics Program on Behalf of a Veteran’s Group: A Short Case Study
No full textThis article captures an experience in conflict management that happened during the summer of 2024 as a recreational therapy intern with an adaptive sport and recreation organization located in the Southeastern United States. The backdrop to the case is that a recreational therapy intern worked with various special needs populations – mainly with paraplegic (adult and youth) athletes and veterans. In many organizations, user conflicts and poor communication regarding service provision and scheduling hinder the implementation of programs for special populations, such as veteran groups. In this case, a problem occurred with the scheduling of a water aerobics program for veterans, which resulted in a user conflict and poor facility policy implementation. Through effective advocacy, the issue was resolved with a renewed commitment to communicate better and to adhere to the organization’s aquatics policy. The lessons learned from this case included the value of effective advocacy for veterans’ groups, effective communication, and collaboration in problem-solving
Creative Ties: Using Design to Build Connections and Reduce Loneliness
No full textWhile loneliness is a universal infliction, there are specific demographics that are disproportionately affected by this experience. The older adult population is at a much higher risk of experiencing feelings of loneliness and the negative health risks that come from extended periods of isolation. The severity of loneliness within the older adult population cannot be overstated. Art therapy techniques have been studied as a potential tool to reduce these feelings and side effects in this vulnerable population.
Moved by the profound effects and high rates of loneliness for older adults, this project seeks to create a tool to alleviate these feelings in this population. As a student majoring in Graphic Design and in conjunction with my Senior Thesis, this work resides in a design-based solution. A literature review guided the development of Creative Ties: a conversational and abstract art-making kit that explores the profound effects art can have in fostering intergenerational relationships. Through the use of Universal Design principles and the documented needs of the older adult population, the output created has a low barrier of entry and allows for the participation of those with limited mobility and visual impairment. This research culminates in the creation of the Creative Ties branding, kit, and its various assets as an installation work in the BGSU BFA 2025 Thesis Exhibition
“People Need to Hear More About This Esports Team”: Exploring Esports College Athletes’ Transition Experiences
No full textWith the increase of attention towards esports in both industry and academia, volumes of research have been conducted to support professional esports athletes and esports college-athletes (ECAs). Although studies exploring professional esports athletes\u27 transition experiences were available, little to none was known about this experience for ECAs. Based on Schlossberg’s transition theory and previous studies exploring the transition experiences of traditional sports student-athletes, this study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of ECAs’ transition experience. This study conducted three focus group interviews with four ECAs in each group who played the same game. The result of this study showed there are similarities and differences in transition experiences that ECAs experience compared to their counterparts. Based on previous research and transition theory, practical implications were given to support this population’s successful transition
Navigating Intersections: How Stereotypes and Oppression Shape Black Women Student-Athletes’ College Journeys
No full textBlack women college athletes navigate intersections of race, gender, and athletic ability within predominantly White institutions (PWIs). They can face stereotype threat, racialized academic expectations, and pressures to conform to dominant institution norms. This qualitative study explores the college experiences of Black women college athletes at a predominantly White institution (PWI), focusing on how intersecting oppressions and stereotypes influence their academic, social, and athletic lives. Guided by Black feminist thought (BFT) and stereotype threat theory, the research addresses two questions: What are the college experiences of BWCAs, and how do stereotypes affect these experiences? Findings reveal that pre-college experiences in predominantly White high schools provide familiarity with racialized learning environments, but fail to mitigate challenges such as stereotype threat, isolation, and invisibility. In the classroom, stereotype threat exacerbates feelings of insecurity and self-doubt, raising expectations to prove their intelligence through hypervisibility in academic interactions. Further, the racialized assumptions about Black women college athletes’ academic abilities present opportunities for them to either confront the oppression through self-definition or to adjust their behaviors through coping strategies. The findings underscore the critical need for PWIs to implement inclusive policies, culturally relevant programs, and mentorship initiatives that validate the complex identities of this population
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