The College’s OC Votes initiative collaborated with the Athletics Department to focus on community wellness this election season. After she saw the toll that the election season had taken on students, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Kim Russell started “Revive in 5,” a program emphasizing five minute relaxation and de-stressing methods.

“I’ve seen … anxiety and depression in college and high school-aged students rise dramatically in the last 10 years,” Russell said. “The world we’re living in, you can call it a ‘VUCA’ world — volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. We were living in that world before COVID happened. Add COVID. Add elections. Add social unrest. Each person has their own struggles on top of that, so I believe it’s that much more important [to prioritize mental health].”

Most of the “Revive in 5” participants have been faculty and staff, and Russell attributes this to the student body being burned out due to the circumstances of the pandemic. However, her best advice for students is to try and focus on what brings them joy during these trying times.

College fourth-year and field hockey player Reet Goraya encourages her peers to check up on friends and take care of themselves, which she views as especially important this year.

“This election is very polarized and has candidates on very opposite standings over certain issues,” she said. “Making sure to check up on yourself and your friends who are going to be impacted by this election is a good thing. Taking care of yourself should always be a priority, especially during this stressful and polarized time.”

Revive in 5 isn’t the only program that the Athletics Department ran this election season. Through the OC Votes initiative, the Athletics Department set a goal for 100 percent student-athlete voter participation.

“Voting is one specific point in which we have the power to effect change,” College first-year and field hockey player Susan Robinson-Cloete said. “Voting is the time to remind the people that serve and work for us that they do so.”