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October 2021 Blog Post

Home/Uncategorized/October 2021 Blog Post
2021-10-04T11:24:02+00:00 Print Page

October 2021 Blog Post

Searching for Moments of “Awe”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the duality of life. The ups and downs. How to do we balance both acknowledging the very real struggles and pain in our lives – with finding joy and maintaining hope? I don’t mean forced toxic positivity – but just enough moments of goodness to keep us moving forward when we are feeling in the muck.

I recently attended the funeral of an extended family member. Mary was a retired teacher, CASA volunteer, and all around good human being who absolutely loved people. She found the small moments of awe around her daily and seemed to radiate warmth and joy. It is no surprise that during her service the sun came out and monarch butterflies descended onto the mourners. Fluttering and sweeping over our heads for an hour. The day before her funeral, her niece gave birth to her long awaited first child. A miracle child. Extreme highs and lows in 24 hours.

I came across an article in Psychology Today that describes the positive emotional and physical impacts that come from experiencing daily moments of awe. Researchers of the “The Awe Study” looked at 128 healthcare workers and 221 community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were asked to use a simple intervention designed to help them experience awe for 10-15 seconds three to five times a day. Researchers found that “after 21 days, participants reported statistically significant improvements in stress, loneliness, physical symptoms, and symptoms of depression or anxiety. They also reported increases in emotional wellbeing and mindfulness.”

The article describes the A.W.E. Method below:

Attention: Turn your full and undivided attention on things you appreciate, value, or find amazing.
Wait: Slow down and pause.
Exhale and Expand: Amplify whatever sensations you are experiencing.

Recently I started to look for more moments of awe in my own life. This summer, like many of you, I found myself feeling exhausted and weary by the last 18 months. I was running late to work and was dropping my daughter off with my retired father that morning. I had planned to run in and out of his place in a few minutes. However, when I entered, I heard dad playing Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely”. His face lit up, arms extended, and he said with a big smile “Good Morning! You both look beautiful!” I watched as my daughter’s face lit up and she went from cranky pre-teen to a glowing granddaughter. I went from feeling harried to sentimental. I made the decision in that moment to slow down, be present, exhale, and dance along to Stevie with them. It was the best decision and a memory that I go back to when I think of this summer. They were my moment of awe.

Life can be really hard. I encourage you to find your moments of awe when you can and hold on to them tightly.

Important Dates for Student Success

    • Student Services Division Zoom Lobby Hours
      • All Student Services departments (unless indicated) have the same Zoom Lobby Hours starting September 7 to December 17
        • M, W 10am –  5:30pm
        • T, TH 9am – 4:30pm
        • F  9am – 12:30pm
      • Complete list of Zoom Lobby links can be found here: https://www.highline.edu/covid19/zoom-lobbies/
    • Student Services In-Person Hours of Operation
      • M, W 10am-6pm
      • T, TH 10am – 3pm
    • Student Services Virtual/Remote Hours
      • Mon, Wed 9am – 6pm
      • T, Th 8am – 5pm
      • F 8am – 1pm
    • OCTOBER 8, 2021 – Last day to DROP a class without a “W” on transcript
    • OCTOBER 11, 2021 – Last day to request credit (CR) – No Credit (NC)
    • OCTOBER 18, 2021 – Last day for 40% refund

Highline’s 11th Annual LGBTQIA+ Week: LGBTQIA Week is a programming series of educational events and activities exploring LGBTQIA identity and social justice issues; in addition, celebrates and remembers the history of the gay rights movement and is held in October to recognize National Coming Out Day.
Date/time/location: October 11, 2021 – October 14, 2021 (For time and Zoom links, check our website: https://lgbtqia.highline.edu/events/)
Contact Person/Info: Geomarc Panelo / gpanelo@highline.edu

Service and Mentorship Engagement (SaME)
The Service and Mentorship Engagement incorporates student mentorship and service-learning by providing students community engagement activities, one-on-one mentoring, and various student leadership development.
Year-long (Please check our website: https://ccie.highline.edu/programs/peer-mentorship-program/)Contact Person/Info: SaME Consultants / same@highline.edu

2021 National Transfer Student Week (October 18-22)! Highline College’s Transfer Center is celebrating 2021 National Transfer Student Week (October 18-22)! Events are designed to inform current Highline College students of their future transfer opportunities at four-year colleges and universities. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the events will be virtual. Your potential transfer schools will offer virtual sessions in which you can meet admissions representatives, learn about the transfer application process, and get your transfer questions answered. Links to the virtual rooms will be available on the Highline College Transfer Center website: https://transfercenter.highline.edu/. Email Renata Cummings at transfer@highline.edu with questions and for accommodations.
Virtual (links available on the transfer center website https://transfercenter.highline.edu/
Contact Person/InfoEmail Renata Cummings at transfer@highline.edu with questions and for accommodations.

Student Services, Resource, and Activity Highlight

  • COVID-19 Financial Relief Fund Application 
  • Campus View Student Housing – Apply for Housing!
    • Campus View Student Housing would like to welcome any interested students to apply for housing for the upcoming Academic Year beginning in the Fall Quarter 2021. Campus View, in partnership with the Highline College Foundation, is able to offer a Housing Scholarship of up-to $650 per quarter depending on the Housing Agreement type signed.  Please visit our website – www.highline.edu/campusview – to learn more about housing at Campus View and for further details about the Housing Scholarship.
    • If you have any questions or would like to schedule a tour, please contact us at 206-592-3612 or at housing@highline.edu.  Thank you.
  • CLS & CCIE are Hiring Student Leaders
    • Applications for the 2021-2022 Core Services Leadership team within The Center are open on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. We are hiring student employees to fill a variety of positions, from program planning to front desk. All our positions support students’ growth in leadership and social justice. You can submit one application for multiple positions.
    • Get Involved!
      • Each fall, the Center for Leadership & Service and the Center for Cultural & Inclusive Excellence welcome all Highline students to campus with a week of programs called ThunderWeek. Our theme for ThunderWeek this year is “A Map to Community.” We want to help students navigate both the physical campus and virtual environment, while surveying where and how they will connect with others this year. Our intention with ThunderWeek is to cultivate a feeling of welcome and belonging, build community among students, connect students to involvement and leadership opportunities, and encourage pride in being a Highline student. If you missed our events, visit our youtube playlist for our most recent video recordings: https://www.youtube.com/user/CLShighline
  • CONNECT Program and Thunderbird Thursdays Preview
    • The CONNECT Program is a community of students engaged in leadership opportunities across Highline College. Explore something new while building skills and confidence, and make connections with other students and campus resources. Each month during the academic year, the CONNECT Program will offer Thunderbird Thursdays, leadership workshops offered one Thursday each month. The first Thunderbird Thursday will be part of ThunderWeek on September 30, 2:30–4 p.m. Learn more on the CONNECT Program webpage about the program and upcoming workshops.

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