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Event Coverage / Health and Wellness / News

Wellness Wednesdays: Join a free guided meditation event to help relax, sleep better

salvetoday Posted On March 3, 2021

Salve Regina’s Counseling Services and the Center for Student Development are hosting an event called “Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra: Rest, Balance, Restore” with well-known yoga teacher Jennifer Reis on Wednesday, March 10, from 8-9 p.m. Sign up on the Eventbrite page to receive the Zoom link.

Read below for helpful details on the event, how to prepare for a Yoga Nidra, as well as tips for better sleep.

The importance of sleep, Yoga Nidra meditations

Experts in sleep deprivation recommend that young adults, especially college students, need seven to eight hours of sleep every day. With less sleep, the brain is not getting enough rest — which results in difficulty concentrating on work, studies, relationships and mood regulation. There is some evidence that suggests more people are experiencing challenges with sleep with COVID-19 changes.

Relief is here in the form of “Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra: Rest, Balance, Restore” with Jennifer Reis. During the event, students can give themselves the gift of a one-hour retreat into healing relaxation that has huge sleep benefits.

Yoga Nidra means “yogic sleep,” and it is a guided meditation practice passed down from yogic tradition that can relieve stress and anxiety — providing participants reconnection with the body and an inner calm that can help achieve deep sleep. It has been said that 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra can produce the effects of 2-3 hours of sleep.

There is nothing required except to lie down in a comfortable position and listen enjoy the Yoga Nidra, but scroll below to find some additional tips for maximum comfort. The event is a free, private experience. A person’s camera and microphone are off, and no one can see them unless they type in the chat publicly.

While the event is free, sign up through the Eventbrite page is required to receive the Zoom link. The link of the recording will be available for one week after the event, so register now for this access even of the original time isn’t doable.

Jennifer Reis

Reis is creator of Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra, a 500-hour yoga teacher (E-RYT-500), a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and teaches at Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy. Her yoga teacher trainings have received worldwide attention — with over 2000 graduates in places Toronto, Chicago, San Diego, Manhattan, Boston, Rekjavik, Melbourne AUS, and other locations. Reis also brings her knowledge of bodywork as an LMT licensed massage therapist who practices Shiastu (based in Chinese Medicine) and Ayurveda.

How to prepare for the “Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra”

Find a comfortable space on a bed, couch or floor with cushions. Wear warm clothing, as the body temperature tends to drop during a yoga nidra — so things like cozy socks, a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and some blankets could be nice. It’s better to have more layers to take off of the body than not enough. An eye mask or washcloth over the eyes is optional to help block out any light, which leads to a deeper relaxation for many people.

Then it’s time to be led through a calming and peaceful guided meditation. Within this guided meditation, participants will practice deep, calming breathing, guided imagery and visualization, body scan/body awareness, and other relaxation techniques that can reduce stress and promote deep relaxation. The world will slow down and participants will be able to take a break from everyday concerns. This helps promote an ideal state to fall asleep in, and Yoga Nidras are really good to do right before bed.

While the event is free, sign up through the Eventbrite page is required to receive the Zoom link.

Establishing a sleep ritual

Individuals regularly getting high quality sleep often have a sleep ritual, which is a routine that helps the mind and body wind down at the end of the day in preparation for a good night’s sleep. A sleep ritual can include the following:

Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule, including on the weekends. Sleeping more hours on the weekend can wreak havoc on someone’s circadian rhythms, so a regular wake schedule is important.
Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine — such as showering and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Consider how to enhance comfort in bed with mattress, pillows and blankets (like weighted blankets).
Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime.
Exercise regularly. It is best to complete a workout at least 2 hours before bedtime, as exercising before sleep can leave the body too energized to relax.
Limit caffeine, nicotine and alcohol particularly if using too close to bedtime.
Incorporate a guided meditation for sleep (like a Yoga Nidra) as one of the last things to do while lying in bed before trying to sleep.

This article is part of a regular series called Wellness Wednesdays on SALVEtoday. Check out more posts related to health and wellness here.

Featured image by Getty Images/primipil

News

As the Peace Corps celebrates 60th anniversary, Salve members share their stories

salvetoday Posted On March 2, 2021

This week, the Peace Corps is celebrating 60 years of service and its mission to promote world peace and friendship. It was March 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy established the agency via executive order.

Over the years, Salve Regina has supported projects around the globe through its alumni who’ve chosen to serve. At last count, over 40 alumni and/or staff members from Salve Regina have volunteered with the agency, which seems fitting for the Mercy mission that the University is so known for.

Salve community members share their Peace Corps stories

Staff member Christine Lalli, prospect research analyst at Salve Regina, volunteered with the Peace Corps back in the 80s. Lalli grew up in northern Minnesota, but during her time in the Peace Corps, she was able to travel the world and serve two years in Yemen when the country was having a civil war.

While there, Lalli had two different job assignments. One was working with the Center for Disease Control and the World Bank to help supervise a preschool nutrition survey. She spent her other job working with Catholic Relief Services, where she had the opportunity to meet Mother Theresa.

“I felt like it just opened the door to the world for me,” said Lalli of her time in the Peace Corps. “If anybody wants adventure and to help other people along the way, that’s the way to go.”

Christine Lalli in Yemen during the 80s.

“She’s just like one of those people who have an aura,” described Lalli of meeting Mother Theresa. “She had just a feeling around her. It was very touching to meet her.”

After graduating from Salve Regina, Tarah Waters ’12 served for two years in the Peace Corps as a youth development worker in Morocco. Waters’ responsibilities included teaching English, running spring and summer camps, and organizing clubs to develop young people’s expertise in gender relations, leadership, healthy lifestyles and the environment. Waters also learned a great deal about the Moroccan people and culture while in the Peace Corps.

“I was a representative of the United States and had to hold myself to a certain level of professionalism by respecting the people I met and the new ways of life I encountered,” Waters said. “In turn, I taught my new community about the American way of life in a manner that was not imposing, but rather enlightening, so that a strong cultural exchange could occur.”

Hannah Lussier ’18, worked in Santa Rosa, Ecuador, in the Peace Corps as a TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) teacher. Originally from Massachusetts, Lussier spent her days in South America helping local teachers improve the command of their English language, increasing student participation in English class and encouraging community involvement in the school environment.

“I wanted to take a deeper dive into South America, and I’m interested in sort of following an international involvement career,” said Lussier. “So … on-the-ground experience in a foreign country is super important to that field, because it allows us to learn more about the specific cultural context that we’re making policy for.”

Hannah Lussier in Santa Rosa, Ecuador, in 2019.

A typical day for Lussier meant waking up at 6 a.m., teaching English in the mornings and early afternoons, and then hanging out in her local community in the evenings. She lived with a host family and knew just a handful of people that are familiar with the U.S. or spoke English.

Launching a new chapter of the Peace Corps

Lussier was sent home when the COVID-19 pandemic began after completing just one full year of her service time. In March 2020, the Peace Corps agency evacuated its global posts due to the pandemic, pausing operations and bringing home more than 6,000 Americans serving in more than 60 countries.

With this in mind, 2021 doesn’t just mark the 60^th anniversary for the Peace Corps. It marks a new beginning. The agency is now recruiting and planning for return to service, bringing an extraordinary opportunity for future volunteers to be the start of a completely new chapter for all of Peace Corps.

Finding dynamic volunteers to help support its host country partners is central to its success. Students from Salve Regina are encouraged to explore the many service opportunities the Peace Corps offers and find more information at the agency’s website.

“They have a saying at Peace Corp—’It’s the hardest job you’ll ever love,’” said Lalli. “But it’s wonderful. I recommend it to anybody who wants to try and reach out and help the world, because you gain so much from it as well.”

Feature photo is of Lalli (standing, second from left) in Yemen in the 80s.

Arts and Humanities / News / Salve Success / Science and Technology

Three Salve Regina grads selected as Fulbright semi-finalists

salvetoday Posted On March 2, 2021

Three Salve Regina alumni have been selected as semi-finalists in the Fulbright U.S. Student competition, which is the most semi-finalists that the University has ever had in a given year.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, and it is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled more than 390,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, all the while exchanging ideas and finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Salve Regina’s Fulbright semi-finalists

Fulbright Open/Study Research Semi-Finalist:
Sophia Bruzik ’20, ’20 (M.S.)

Sophia Bruzik visiting Brugge, Belgium, while studying abroad.

Bruzik graduated with a degree in biology with minors in chemistry and religious and theological studies, as well as an M.S. in healthcare administration and management. She hopes to study in Cyprus with the proposed project entitled “Gene Variants as Predictors of Disease Severity in Multiple Sclerosis” at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics (CING).

Fulbright Open/Study Research Semi-Finalist:
Alex Galvao ‘20, administration of justice

Galvao has been to Venice while abroad in Salzburg, Austria.

Galvao is currently enrolled in Salve Regina’s M.S. program in homeland security with a focus on cybersecurity and intelligence. He has a proposed project called “Sexual Violence in Higher Education with a Concentration on International Victims,” and he hopes to conduct his project in Germany at Phillips University of Marburg, Center for Gender Studies.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Semi-Finalist:
Ashley D’Antuono ‘20, secondary education and Spanish major with a minor in economics

D’Antuono studying abroad in Spain.

D’Antuono wants to serve as an English teaching assistant and language instructor in Spain in order to add to the local classroom, share her U.S. culture and build on her Spanish language and culture knowledge. Her ultimate goal is to teach Spanish at the middle or high school level.

Attend a Fulbright informational session

Students interested in learning about Fulbright opportunities and the application process can attend this Fulbright hosted “General Presentation Session” on Monday, April 19, at 4:00 p.m. The session will include a break out room for Salve Regina specific resources and deadlines. To register for this event, go here.

The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

News

President’s Corner: Remembering the past year with a spring in our steps

salvetoday Posted On March 2, 2021

Dear Salve Regina,

As the anniversary of last year’s spring closure approaches, I think about how much we have gone through together at Salve Regina over the past year.

I have flashes of memories from those early days of the pandemic. On Feb. 25, we had just hosted Cornel West, one of the best speakers I’ve ever witnessed, and we were deep into plans for other spring 2020 events. Our first signs of trouble started with our study abroad students in Italy as we worried about getting them home safely, and this was quickly followed by the NCAA cancellation of spring sports. I can picture our campus leaders sitting around a conference table in Ochre Court, running through scenario after scenario, hoping on hope that we would be back in session by Easter.

A year later now, I am still amazed by what our University has accomplished — managing to remain open and in-person for much of the year, made possible by the engineering feats of our community to transform the campus. This semester we came through our “campus pause” successfully and our COVID-19 numbers are shrinking, thank God. The vaccine rollout is starting to gain momentum, and it looks like there will be spring sports in play soon.

We are battle-worn and carry some scars, but we are intact. This long ordeal feels as if the end is finally in sight, and I’ve noticed it in the way we carry ourselves as we move across campus. Heads are uplifted and there’s a bit of spring in our steps.

Last week with those longer sunny days, we saw hints of the arrival of spring on our campus with bright blue skies and the sparkling ocean. It was heartwarming to see groups of students heading down to the Cliff Walk just to witness the sheer beauty of our stunning views. I noticed baseball/softball bats and tennis rackets appearing again in backpacks. And keeping to a treasured tradition, Multicultural Education Week hosted fantastic programs in spite of online limitations.

As we round out our last couple of months of this academic year, we have SRYou Student Exposition to look forward to on March 24, the first annual Mercy Equity and Inclusion Summit on April 9, and another Salve Surprise Day with a chance for us to engage as a community.

Commencement will be in person — and although we know it has restrictions, it’s an improvement over our fully virtual environment a year ago. Many predictions are out there for a much better summer ahead with a fall on campus that has mostly “normal” elements.

At a virtual faculty lunch a week ago with Nancy Schreiber and about 10 faculty, it was clear that although we are all so tired, there’s still an underlying sense of gratitude for what we do have as a community compared to so many. Miguel Romero gently reminded us of these gifts, and his words have been in my head ever since. We’ll keep going, grateful to be together and for our good health, with our sights on the warmer days in front of us.

As we head to spring, we will march on, Salve Regina!

Kelli

P.S. Today is my mother’s 82 birthday, and I try to visit her each week in my parents’ garage where we can find a little shelter but still socially distance. This time we celebrated with a cake and unlit candles, singing behind our masks. In spite of the odd times, I’m glad to be in her presence and so relieved that she has remained healthy, as she is a constant source of inspiration. She is perennially upbeat though her world has become so restricted. Thank you, Salve Regina, for your constant optimism and faith.

Mercy Mission / News

Mercy Mondays: Two Sisters of Mercy featured on late-night TV, discuss Jan. 6 insurrection

salvetoday Posted On March 1, 2021

Two Sisters of Mercy, Pat Murphy and JoAnn Persch, have been social justice advocates for immigrants and immigration reform for decades. Because of this, they have not been afraid in engaging in civil disobedience to advance causes they believe in.

In fact, Murphy, 91, and Persch, 86, have both been arrested twice in Washington, D.C., for peacefully protesting near the U.S. Capitol. Both times they were zip-tied and processed along with dozens of other protesters, paying a fine before they were released, and they were treated roughly by arresting officers even while nonviolently protesting.

Because of this, it was with great surprise that the pair watched violent insurrectionists storm the Capitol on Jan. 6 to seemingly get away with it—that day, anyway. Crimes like the mob on Jan. 6 are very different than civil disobedience and protesting actual injustice, according to both Sisters.

“What happened on Jan. 6 was a mob, not civil disobedience,” said Persch. “Civil disobedience is civilians protesting something that is very wrong.”

The two Sisters of Mercy were invited to share their experience on late-night television February 10 on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” They were interviewed remotely, along with other in-person guests who have been violently handled while peacefully protesting social justice issues.

Although more than 250 have been charged since the Jan. 6 mob, Murphy and Persch could not believe the contrast between the how the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and the Black Lives Matter protesters were treated in the summer of 2020, as well as how peaceful protesters against U.S. immigration policy have been treated in the past.

Watch the interview with Samantha Bee below.

This post is part of an ongoing series called Mercy Mondays that highlights Salve Regina’s dedication to its Mercy Mission. Search the tag Mercy Mission for more updates on the Mercy branches of Salve Regina.

Mercy Mission / News

Mercy Mondays: What will you give up for Lent? And what will you do instead?

salvetoday Posted On March 1, 2021

The season of Lent began two weeks ago on Ash Wednesday. For many Christians around the world, the Lenten season is a call to refocus on prayer, fasting and giving.

During the beginning of Lent, we almost always hear people asking each other is the question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” It is a question that often evokes surprising responses. Some give up something they love such as chocolate or coffee, while others use this time to overcome addiction. Some give up negative thoughts or feelings of envy. I know a student who joked that they have too much homework and will be giving up sleep.

Whatever you give up, it is commendable. Fr. Ray Malm, one of our University chaplains, says to keep your goal attainable so that you don’t give up your giving up! In other words, make your goal something you can realistically do, because the challenge of setting goals is often keeping the momentum to achieve them.

However, it also becomes easier when we see that with giving something up, we also can gain something in return. As we give up something, we are filling that empty space with other rewarding things. That’s why this Lent, we invite the entire Salve Regina community to consider how we can make a little extra room within ourselves to fill with something that will bring us wholeness and life.

The very term Lent is derived from an Old English word meaning “spring season,” which means it’s a time of transformation and growth. And as Christians begin their Lenten journey into the Easter season of light and rebirth, we ask the University community to consider how we use this winter season to work on ourselves in preparation for the springtime of new growth and rebirth.

This Lenten season, you are invited to share with the community what you will give up for Lent. But also, you are invited to share what you are gaining? What will you be doing instead as you give up something?

Click here to share your Lenten goals with us! The Mercy Center for Spiritual Life will be sharing quotes from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members on their social media throughout Lent. We hope that this period of 40 days will be a transformative one for you — and whatever your goal may be, we are all here to journey together.

Offered by Matthew J. Kelly, campus minister of liturgical music, service & social justice

Featured photo by Getty Images/nambitomo

Uncategorized

Pell Center lecture to focus on the future of U.S.-India Relations

salvetoday Posted On February 26, 2021

The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy’s spring 2021 lecture series is offering another fascinating event, entitled “The Future of U.S.-India Relations” with Richard Verma, a former U.S. ambassador to India. The lecture will be held virtually on Wednesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. live on the Pell Center’s Facebook page. Registration and more information can be found on the Pell Center’s Eventbrite page.

The relationship between the United States and India has long been complicated. During this lecture, the Pell Center and Rich Verma, a former-U.S. ambassador to India who served there during the Obama administration, will give rich information about the relationship between these two great nations, as well as India’s role in global and regional affairs. Verma will also discuss how the new Biden Administration might approach India on everything from China to free-trade to fighting extremism.

A leading expert on trade and diplomacy in Asia, former Ambassador Verma brings 25 years of experience across senior levels of business, law, diplomacy and the military. He previously served as the U.S. ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017 during the Obama administration, where he is credited for the historic deepening of bilateral ties. Verma is currently the executive vice president of global public policy and regulatory affairs at MasterCard.

Ambassador Richard Verma

Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to India by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, Ambassador Verma oversaw one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions in the world — including four consulates with staff from nearly every agency in the U.S. Government. During his tenure, he championed historic progress in U.S.-India relations, bringing critical evolutions to bilateral cooperation in defense, trade and clean energy.

Ambassador Verma was previously the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, where he led the state department’s efforts on Capitol Hill. He worked as senior national security advisor to the Senate Majority Leader and also spent time in the House of Representatives. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served on active duty as a judge advocate. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.

Registration and more information can be found on the Pell Center’s Eventbrite page.

Featured photo by Getty Images/Believe_In_Me

Salve Success / Student Life

Salve Success: Thornton ’21 and Cloherty ’21 intern with Seaside Sustainability

salvetoday Posted On February 25, 2021

While this often-times remote world has its challenges for undergraduate students at Salve Regina, both Isabel Thornton ’21 and Anna Cloherty ’21 were able to experience incredible remote internship opportunities in the fall of 2020.

Both students interned through an organization called Seaside Sustainability, a nonprofit organization based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Seaside’s mission is to protect and restore coastal waters through education and action, and it hires interns from all around the world in order to make its mission a reality.

These two students share their story below.

Remote internship with Seaside Sustainability

During its internships, Seaside Sustainability encourages project-based learning opportunities so students can educate themselves around environmental issues while working towards a more sustainable future.

When Thornton — who is a double major in English communications and English literature — saw this internship, she knew it was the perfect role for her, as she is passionate about raising awareness about the climate crisis.

Isabel Thornton ’21

“It provided me with an opportunity to cross my passion for communications with my passion for sustainability,” she described. “I was especially excited because I saw that I could work in social media, and that is the field I want to enter after graduation. Seaside Sustainability is also a New England organization, so it felt good to know I could make a positive impact on a local community.”

Cloherty, an English communications major with a marketing minor, actually grew up in the neighboring town of Rockport, Massachusetts. She agreed with Thornton that the local aspect of the internship was amazing, even though it was still a remote experience.

“The ocean and beaches are something that are really important to me,” Cloherty said. “This internship gave me the opportunity to give back to the community that I had the pleasure of growing up in.”

Seaside Sustainability give interns an ability to learn, lead

Both students had different roles during their internships, and the learning opportunities were endless.

During her internship, Cloherty was the project manager of the operations, analytics and platform management team, where she oversaw around seven interns and ensured that projects were completed in a timely manner. She also oversaw the organization’s website.

Cloherty led weekly meetings with board members, wrote around ten articles for Seaside’s blog, transferred Seaside’s email platform from MailChimp to MailerLite, created email marketing templates, designed webpages and made how-to guides for the next cohort of interns.

Anna Cloherty ’21

A photo of a blog post that Cloherty wrote during her internship.

“One of the biggest projects I took part in was the launch of Seaside’s online store,” she explained. “My job was to ensure functionality of the web store on Seaside’s website. I was a huge undertaking to do in only a few months, but we pulled it off.”

Thornton’s main role for the majority of her internship was project manager of the content generation and community management team, as well as the newsletter lead. She made sure all content was well-managed across the entire team. Thornton wrote blog posts, created posts for all of Seaside Sustainability’s social media accounts and worked on a content calendar for scheduling — among many other things.

“I learned how to lead an entire team,” she said. “I also had amazing mentors who are both members of Seaside Sustainability’s board of directors. They taught me how to be a leader and what needed to be done in order to create a positive, successful image of the organization.”

Impacting the world through their internship experiences

Both students loved how meaningful the experience felt when the fall semester was over, and the mentors they had at Seaside Sustainability taught them even more about how to be successful leaders. They both are also grateful that Salve Regina offers opportunities for experiences like this during their undergraduate education.

But even more importantly for them, their internships actually had a real-world impact that they could tangibly see — all while being remote.

Thornton meets remotely with her supervisor during her internship at Seaside Sustainability.

“All the work I did benefited our environment,” said Cloherty. “At Seaside, I worked with a countless number of passionate folks whose goal was to make our future a little bit brighter. It made me realize that I was a part of something bigger than just an internship I needed for credit.”

Salve Success is a series of student success stories periodically featured on SALVEtoday. Check out the tag Salve Success for more stories.

Event Coverage / News

Senior Summit will offer week-long virtual programming for post-college career success

salvetoday Posted On February 24, 2021

Members of the Class of 2021 are invited to join Senior Summit, which is sponsored by the Office of Career Development, for a week of virtual career readiness programming designed to prepare them for life after Salve Regina. The conference will be held March 1-5, and it is co-sponsored by the Office of Alumni, Parent and Family Programs.

Traditionally, Senior Summit has been a half-day conference on a weekend that offered breakout sessions, speakers and alumni advice on career readiness for Salve Regina’s seniors. Due to the pandemic, this year’s conference had to get innovative by keeping the main content while also making it a little more accessible to students virtually.

The result of the innovation is a week-long series of events that will give seniors a chance to learn from various staff members, speakers and alumni on a variety of career topics — such as resume building, networking, interviewing and more.

“I think we’re poised for a fantastic program,” said Michael Wisnewski, director of career development. “We’ve worked hard to come up with a format that would fit the current situation and make sure that our seniors are getting this important information before they graduate.”

Please register through Handshake for all the Senior Summit events, which are listed below in detail.

Resumes and Cover Letters
with Caitlin Bailey, associate director of the Office of Career Development at Salve Regina
Monday, March 1, at 5:00 p.m.

This presentation is designed for students who have never created a resume before or who haven’t touched up their resume in a while. The presentation will focus on how to create a resume and cover letter from scratch, as well as how to format these documents, what information to include, and how to tailor it specifically to each post-graduation opportunities someone is applying for.