Purdue to hold Day of Healing Friday
January 28, 2014
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University will hold a Day of Healing Friday (Jan. 31) in the wake of the Jan. 21 shooting death of student Andrew F. Boldt.
The day will include the presence of therapy dogs and counselors at the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Student organizations also have been invited to hold healing events during the day.
The dogs will come from the state's K-9 Assisted Crisis Response Team, part of the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction's emergency preparedness and response program.
The K-9 team specializes in working with college students after tragedies. The use of dogs to comfort students was documented after tragedies at Virginia Tech University, Northern Illinois University and the University of Alabama.
Counselors from several university departments also will be available to students who need someone to talk with. No appointments are necessary.
RecSports will offer free cooking lessons in its demonstration kitchen. The lessons are cinnamon breakfast quinoa, 2 p.m.; chocolate chip cookies, 2:30 p.m.; mac and cheese, 3 p.m.; carrot cake cupcakes, 3:30 p.m.; sweet potato chips, 4 p.m.; and ice cream dream, 4:30 p.m.
RecSports will offer classes in pilates, 1:30 p.m.; release and relaxation, 2:30 p.m.; zumba, 3:30 p.m.; strength and stretch, 4:30 p.m.; relax and restore, 4:30 p.m.; spinning, 5:30 p.m.
RecSports also plans First Down Friday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday with free food, arts and crafts, inflatables, cooking demonstrations on Super Bowl snacks and more. Students with a Purdue ID will be admitted.
Cary Club, which represents the Cary Quadrangle residence halls, will be present in the Co-Rec throughout the day. Andrew was a resident of Cary Quad.
The Purdue Student Union Board will offer basket weaving craft lessons, hugs and pictures with the board's mascot, Percy the Penguin, from 5-7 p.m. in the Co-Rec.
The Art of Living student group will offer hour-long yoga, breathing exercise and guided meditation sessions at 8, 9 and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the Co-Rec.
Other student organizations that are interested in holding events related to the Day of Healing are asked to contact Kelley Stier in the Office of the Dean of Students at 765-494-1232, kstier@purdue.edu.
Writer: Judith Barra Austin, 765-494-2432, jbaustin@purdue.edu
Sources: Sue Wilder, Office of the Dean of Students, 765-496-3420, sawilder@purdue.edu
Kelley Stier, 765-494-1232, kstier@purdue.edu
Rob Mate, Office of the Dean of Students, 765-494-5860, rmate@purdue.edu
