Every Tuesday at 3:20p.m. the Chaplain and Director of Religious Life Amy Shorner-Johnson hosts Student Pause: Mind, Body, Spirit. It is meant to be spiritual – however students choose to define that – instead of being religious the event. Student Pause welcomes everyone of any religion or spirituality. “I am also willing to adapt it to what the students need in order to offer a time to remind students they matter and not just what they do, but who they are,” Shorner-Johnson said via Zoom.

She aims to keep the session short lasting about five minutes because she knows how little time college students have. Having it so short, makes the meeting accessible. Students could Zoom in as they are walking across campus, or be literally anywhere. 

The goal of each session is to “[take] a quick moment in the middle of the week to connect with our being,” Shorner-Johnson said.

The sessions are only verbal mediation. For example, thinking about the roots of a tree during winter and using it to power through and help the inner being of each individual in attendance. 

Shorner-Johnson said, “There’s nonstop violence to the human body because we don’t stop and pause, we have to stand up to our sacred core of who we are.”

In Student Pause, she hopes to be able to give the students something to carry with them throughout the week such a phrase to repeat to themselves. 

This is not the first time Shorner-Johnson had an event series like this. In fact, she had one last semester, except it was only for the faculty and staff in a small group. The faculty and staff saw the positive benefits of the group and decided to do it again this semester, except for students as well. 

Even hosting the Student Pause, Shorner-Johnson finds herself benefiting. “It’s a reminder for myself to breathe,” she said via Zoom.

The downfall of it not being in-person is lacking the camaraderie and making that connection with other people. 

However, there are benefits of having it on Zoom instead of in-person. One is students can Zoom from anywhere. “I don’t know if people would come as much [for in-person]. It’s more convenient for the short length,” Shorner-Johnson said. 

Each session is different and it is not something that needs to be attended weekly in order to understand what’s going on. Students can come when they have the time or when they need to take a breath the most. 

The sessions will be every Tuesday through the end of the semester to join the Zoom go to https://etown.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e967f70f5bef6b4602bfbe503&id=e64863dadb&e=2303554b38