The Bowdoin Orient

In my last installment of the year, I'm going to talk about something I am sure none of you were expecting: Ivies. Surprised? I think not. But there may be a bit of health confusion on the topic. We are all receiving mixed messages about our health, safety and school rules at this time. Ivies can be a lot of fun, but it can also end up not being that fun if you are having trouble navigating the surreal quality of the event and walking the line of how much is too much.

This point in the semester is always the hardest. We have about two weeks until Ivies, and professors are giving work reminiscent of the portions of stuffing your Uncle Sal ate at Thanksgiving. For those of you fortunate enough not to have a Sal across the table, that's a lot. Over the course of the entire academic year, this stretch is one of the toughest we face. I am going to try to answer your stress questions and also take the chance to talk about some mental health questions you all may have.

Welcome back! First let me begin by welcoming you all back to the final stretch of this marathon known as the school year. Spring break is probably my favorite break, but if any of you are like me, you come back for these last six or so weeks pretty run down and unprepared to resume the march. I am mixing metaphors. I blame the break. But here we all are once again, meaning here I am ready to answer your post-spring break health questions. Q: I heard that some STDs take a while to register on an STD test, meaning anything

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and despite my Ebenizer-esque outlook on the corporatization and capitalization of my innermost thoughts and emotions, I do find this a great opportunity to speak about a common topic around the "Undiscussed" dinner table: Bowdoin relationships. Okay, I realize I'm no expert on the subject, but if you've got health questions I'm here to give you answers.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and despite my Ebenizer-esque outlook on the corporatization and capitalization of my innermost thoughts and emotions, I do find this a great opportunity to speak about a common topic around the "Undiscussed" dinner table: Bowdoin relationships. Okay, I realize I'm no expert on the subject, but if you've got health questions I'm here to give you answers.

Stress is a natural part of finals, so why not just accept it? Yes, stress is natural, and it is not surprising that Bowdoin students stress as they face mountains of papers, projects and exams. Periods of short-term stress, which release norepinephrine, can even increase performance. However, there are ways to manage constant long-term stress and avoid illness and excess anxiety.

The Bowdoin condoms always break. Is there something wrong with the ONE condoms? We hear this question a lot. I asked Director of Health Services Sandra Hayes to comment on the effectiveness of the ONE condoms. She confirmed the ONE website's assertion that the condoms are as effective as other leading manufacturers.

Welcome to the first installment of "Ask Peer Health," a place where your health-related, Bowdoin or non-Bowdoin related questions, concerns and issues will be addressed. This week, our main focus is going to be alcohol, especially when it comes to returning to campus.