A weekend of celebrations continued on Saturday, May 11th as graduates and their families gathered for Commencement Mass and Brunch at Hilbert College. After the events, Hilbert faculty, staff, graduates, and their loved ones prepared for the Commencement Ceremony at Watermark Wesleyan Church in Hamburg, NY.
A full weekend of commencement celebrations began on Friday, May 10th at the Honors Awards Ceremony, where graduating Hilbert students were recognized for academic success.
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Hearing Loss:
A permanent condition in a “temporary” culture
by Kirsten Falcone, RN
Hilbert College Wellness Center
Click here to download the full article
Hearing loss. You think it inflicts only elderly people, right? Think again. Recent research reveals that more young people are developing permanent hearing loss, and they may not even realize it. According to the CDC, 20% of people aged 20-29 already have noise-induced hearing loss.
Why is this such a concern? Because, unlike many other ailments, hearing loss is permanent. Over time, a loss of hearing in someone young will accumulate and exacerbate that person’s eventual age-related hearing loss. Experts predict hearing-related issues will be even more pronounced for the current younger generation when they reach retirement age.
Which noises cause hearing loss? Anything over 85 decibels for an extended period of time, or much louder and shorter bursts of noise for a shorter period of time, are both damaging.
Which noises are higher than 85 decibels? According to a Purdue University Website:
In the 90 to 110 decibel category:
At 150 decibels, such as what occurs at 80 feet away from a jet taking off, your eardrums will rupture.
Wearing ear buds, as many people do, can intensify noise because they are put directly into the ear canal. This can raise noise levels by nine decibels. At maximum volume, ear buds can reach 105 decibels!
Here’s your takeaway: There are many health conditions that are temporary and improvable by changing your lifestyle or by taking medicine. But, hearing isn’t one of them. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
If you read this article to the end, and you would like to enter the Hilbert College Wellness Center monthly drawing, stop by the Wellness Center between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send an email with a brief description of what you learned, to wellnesscenter@hilbert.edu.
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Tips on Eating Healthfully in the Winter
by Kirsten Falcone, RN
Hilbert College Wellness Center
Click here to download the full article
Have you found a little extra padding around your middle lately? You are not alone!
Many people find that wintertime eating is tricky when it comes to maintaining weight. The holidays and their fattening menus have passed, New Year’s resolutions are almost forgotten, and we are back to our old habits.
Do you have helpful, healthful tips to share? Comment below!
If you read this article to the end, and you would like to enter the Hilbert College Wellness Center monthly drawing, stop by the Wellness Center between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send me an email with a brief description of what you learned, at wellnesscenter@hilbert.edu.
On Friday, March 15th, Hilbert College students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in our rescheduled Unity with Our Community event, a service day devoted to carrying on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in our community. This day is an opportunity for us at Hilbert to connect with the work Dr. King advocated for and to understand the importance of taking action to promote equality, justice, respect, and compassion.
716 Ministries: A community development organization that stabilizes neighborhoods by restoring neglected housing stock. The organization sells these rehabilitated homes at a low cost, to community members and first-time homebuyers, largely thanks to the faithful volunteers that serve with the agency.
Compass House: Provides runaway, homeless, and street youth with safe shelter and services. Compass House stands as one of the nation’s oldest shelter and service providers for youth of all gender identities, offering shelter, counseling, and so much more.
Food Bank of WNY: The primary hunger-relief organization in Western New York. The agency obtains nutritious food and distributes support to our community members throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties.
Little Portion Friary: A volunteer-run organization that brings forth the mission of the Catholic Church to provide food for the hungry, clothing for the undressed, and shelter for the homeless.
Salvation Army in Buffalo: Provides a variety of programs and services that annually benefit over 30,000 economically disadvantaged people. The Salvation Army is an integral part of the local human service network, providing housing, clothing, nutritional, social, and spiritual assistance through a wide range of separate but interrelated programs and services.
S.S. Columba Brigid: A neighborhood, multicultural Catholic church where all are welcome.
Veterans One-Stop Center of WNY, Inc.: a nonprofit corporation offering U.S. Veterans and their families the convenience of a one-stop, barrier-free location in which to access a holistic range of social and health services in the comfort of a “home base” environment that is always welcoming, affirming and responsive to their needs.
Put Down the Phone!
Health Consequences of Using Cell Phones
From the Hilbert College Wellness Center
by Kirsten Falcone, RN
The topic of cell phones and courtesy frequently comes up in conversation these days. Generally, the sentiment is that cell phone users do not follow polite protocol regarding the use of their phones. In fact, many users are becoming less aware of just how obtrusive, interrupting, and just plain rude the use of cell phones is these days.
All social etiquette aside, if you know anyone like this (or if this is you), it might help to break the habit by learning the health consequences of too much cell phone use.
According to several reliable sources, these are just a few of the possible health consequences cell phone abuse can cause:
1. Injury or death in a car accident (25 percent of car accidents in the U.S. are caused by cell phone distraction)
2. Addiction involving dopamine and serotonin, with physical withdrawal symptoms
3. Anxiety and depression
4. Brain alteration
5. Eye diseases (including retinal damage leading to macular degeneration)
6. Nerve damage to eyes (occipital neuralgia)
7. Finger, neck, back and other musculoskeletal problems
8. Carpal tunnel syndrome
9. Physical inactivity, leading to obesity-related diseases
10. Slow reaction time, caused by distraction
11. Increased likelihood of falls/accidents, also caused by distraction
12. Stress
13. Disturbed sleep
14. Bacterial infection/reinfection from the unsanitized surface of the phone
15. Decreased attention span
16. Social isolation
17. Hearing damage (if listening to headphones above 85 decibels)
18. Possibility of carcinogenic radiation
YIKES!
So What are some solutions? The logical solution is to decrease the amount of time spent on your phone, and this can be accomplished by putting restrictions and boundaries around your own phone use. One way to do that is to change your mindset.
So, the next time you are in a group of people, just put down the phone, encourage them to do the same, and engage with them. You just might gain a bit of old-fashioned connectedness, which we all need for our good health!
If you read this article to the end, and you would like to enter the Hilbert College Wellness Center monthly drawing, stop by the Wellness Center between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send me an email with a brief description of what you learned, at wellnesscenter@hilbert.edu.
For more information on cell phone usage and physical health, and cell phone usage tips, visit the following sites:
It’s an exciting time for the Hilbert Criminal Justice department! Our program was recently ranked #17 (out of 35) for the Top Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degrees in the nation. The list was published by College Choice and features 35 colleges that offer full undergraduate degree programs in Criminal Justice.
According to College Choice,
To determine the best Criminal Justice programs we started first with the academic reputation of each school nationwide that offers the degree. We then examined retention rates, as it reflects student satisfaction. And we then took into account the affordability of the program and the early salaries of its graduates.
After our extensive research, we found those programs that are the country’s absolute best at training leaders in law enforcement and criminology. Our figures and information come from the university and colleges’ websites, PayScale, and nationally recognized U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics.
Take a look at the image below for more on Hilbert’s ranking, and head here to read the full article from collegechoice.net!
Hilbert is proud to be the location for Buffalo’s design “Hack-a-thon” on January 26, 2019, where professionals and students from the advertising and design community will work together in teams to help build a branded campaign from scratch in 5 hours for a local non-profit.
This event is a great way for students to gain real world experience in a fun and competitive setting, while networking with peers and professionals from Buffalo’s creative community.
Here’s how it works:
Professional team captains will work with teams of 3-5 students with an even disbursement of talent types (design, copywriting, marketing, etc.). Each team will be presented with a real-life non-profit organization in need of assets for a branded campaign. This will include a logo, tagline, and one marketing piece. Teams will have five hours to put together their branded campaign and will present their finished products to the judges, non-profit representatives, and other BrandHack participants.
You can register to get involved with this exciting event on the AAFBuffalo website here. Stay tuned on Facebook and Instagram for more information, and mark your calendars for more exciting Communication Career Week events happening at Hilbert from January 22-26, brought to you by the Hilbert College Digital Media and Communication Department in conjunction with the Hilbert Career Development & Community Engagement Center!
Keeping it “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
How to Stay Healthy on Winter Break!
From the Hilbert College Wellness Center
by Kirsten Falcone, RN
It’s mid-December, and you finally made it to winter break. Congratulations! While you’ve earned the right to celebrate after cramming for finals, there’s one more fact you should learn: Students are often more susceptible to illness during the holidays because of the considerable amount of stress they endure during the end-of-semester rush. Bummer, right? No one wants to be sick during the “most wonderful time of the year”. Luckily, there are some ways that can help you avoid feeling down and out during break.
1. Maintain proper hygiene by washing hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and covering your sneezes and coughs.
2. Drink enough water. Try to drink at least 64 to 96 ounces (or more) per day or the equivalent of four to six 16-ounce bottles of water, or eight to 12 8-ounce glasses of water. Another way to measure is to drink 50 to 100 percent of your weight number in ounces. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., drink 75 to 150 ounces of water every day.
3. Manage your stress by not over-scheduling, sticking to a budget for gifts and entertainment, and avoiding negativity. (e.g., watching too much TV news, letting a negative relative influence you, negative self-talk)
4. Catch up on your sleep by going to bed at the same time each night. After all, you will not have to study for any tests! Try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
5. Stay warm and dry, and dress in layers.
6. Eat healthfully, and avoid too many sweets. It is possible to take only one cookie or to save room for your favorite dessert, and forego having a slice of each one. Also, when you are consuming a large meal, eat your veggies first.
7. Exercise wisely. Even in the winter months, exercise is important to maintain a healthy body and brain, and it keeps your immune system strong. It might be safe to go for a walk each day, but then again, there could be ice or snow in your way. Use proper footwear or exercise indoors if possible.
8. Do not smoke or vape. Smoking exacerbates respiratory illnesses, and it lowers resistance to illness and disease. Even though vaping does not contain the tar in a traditional cigarette, it is still a danger to your health. If you smoke or vape, it is pertinent to your long-term health to quit now. You will never regret that decision!
9. Be wise when drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol is generally not healthful. In fact, the only alcohol recognized as beneficial is one glass (five ounces) of red wine per day for women (two for men). If you do happen to drink beyond what is considered healthful, here are some guidelines to follow: One drink per hour is all your liver can metabolize. One drink is defined as five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or one ounce of liquor. In order to maintain fluid levels, drink eight ounces of water per hour also. (This will also help ward off a hangover the next day.) Don’t binge drink, which is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as imbibing five or more drinks for men, or four or more drinks for women, in a two-hour period.
10. Take time for down time. Make certain this involves praying, listening to music you enjoy, thinking positive thoughts, a hobby you love, and/or spending time with someone you enjoy.
11. Be a blessing to others. Remember, holiday time is not all about you. The more you give of yourself, the more blessed and healthy you will be. Go caroling, visit an old friend or a nursing home, smile at and hug your negative relatives, and go to church. Do something good for someone else. Spiritual health and physical health are not two separate entities; they complement each other!
If you read this article to the end, and you would like to enter the Hilbert College Wellness Center monthly drawing, stop by the Wellness Center between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send me an email with a brief description of what you learned, at wellnesscenter@hilbert.edu.
For more information on managing your health during the holidays, visit these Web sites:
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Deadlines, Darkness, & Holidays – Oh My!
How to Manage Late Semester Stress
From the Hilbert College Wellness Center
by Kirsten Falcone, RN
It is that time of the year again. School projects are in full swing, finals are on the horizon, and you haven’t even started your holiday shopping! Many students are stressed, and most are losing sleep. Some have caught a “bug” and are now feeling behind. Stress is, according to Dictionary.com, “a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.” But, according to WebMD.com, it is more simply “what you feel when you have to handle more than you are used to [handling].” Does that sound familiar? If so, read on.
Certainly, some stress can be a good thing. Some studies show that a little stress may make you more resilient in the long run. The stress of a deadline approaching can also help you to hone all your attention onto that deadline. There is some evidence that short-term stress also provides the motivation to succeed. Once successful, one can reflect upon accomplishments, and this can actually be quite positive due to the reinforcement it provides! There is also some evidence that short-term stress can actually help ward off the common cold.
However, did you know stress also plays a role in most illness? That is because when we experience chronic stress, an overabundance of epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline) and cortisol (stress hormones) prevent many bodily systems, including the immune system, from functioning at full capacity. Even busy college students can take the time to benefit from some key lifestyle changes in order to stay healthy during a stressful time.
Some other ways to manage stress, in no particular order:
If you read this article to the end, and you would like to enter the Hilbert College Wellness Center monthly drawing, stop by the Wellness Center between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or send me an email with a brief description of what you learned, at wellnesscenter@hilbert.edu.
For more information on stress, check out these sources:
Mayo Clinic, Holiday Stress Management
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
WebMD
Mayo Clinic, Stress Management In-Depth
Psychology Today, Why Some Stress Is Good
Health.com, Ways Stress Can Be Good For You
