Women’s Programs hosts Tea and Talk for female students

With the influx of female students at Stevens comes a corresponding rise in women’s programs and short events available freely for them to attend. These programs can be found all over campus, from the academic complex to the Howe Center, with a myriad of activities and seminars designed with the female students in mind. But the nucleus of women’s programming at Stevens takes place in the Lore-El Center on 8th Street and River Terrace. Here, the Counseling Center’s Tea & Talk Women’s Series discussion took place on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tea & Talk discussion was hosted by Dr. Melissa Zarin and Lauren Poleyeff, Psy.M., resident specialists in female psychology and two of the many members of the Stevens Counseling Department. The discussion is a monthly event; the topic for March covered “Managing your Moods.” Though there have been several events of this kind in the past, the turnout in the Lore-El lounge this week was numerable, with many attendees providing a sizeable circle for discussion.

Though the event was short in time – lasting only about an hour – much was packed into the discussion between the students and the doctors; both parties lent insight to what factors of stress most significantly impacted their daily affairs, and offered possible remedies that were not only easy to implement, but were proven effective.

“It is sometimes hard to distinguish exactly what is causing us stress,” remarked Lauren Poleyeff, “but most of the time it is the collection of all the things we have to balance into our schedule and the struggle to keep up with them.

“In turn, these stress factors affect our emotions and our relationships, and sometimes those can add onto our already heavy burden of problems.”

The psychologists emphasized the importance of finding a second set of ears when one is unsure of how to handle their emotions. “We are here to provide an open and safe medium for the women of Stevens to air out the causes of their stress,” said Dr. Zarin. “We encourage them to come talk to us about anything. It is our job to be there for them.”

The floor was also open to topics of the attendees’ choosing, and suggestions for further topics of discussion were raised: including not only current transgressions like difficult professors or questioning one’s sexuality but also covering future troubles like transitioning into life after college, fairness in the workplace, and the possibility of having to leave home behind.

Lauren and Dr. Melissa reminded all of the students in attendance of the location and availability of the Stevens Counseling Department for students of any gender – on the 7th floor of the Howe Center, from 9 to 5 on weekdays, with outside appointments available upon request.

Ladies, remember, this is a year-round monthly event that is exclusively available to female students. So, be sure to check out the Student Life Newsletter in the coming months, come by yourself or arrange a group of friends, and attend the next Tea & Talk.