Students scream to become stress-free
Sierra Diamond, junior fine arts major, set up a screaming workshop in an effort to allow students to release stress.
When approaching the Student Services Center on an early Monday morning, one may be exposed to bloodcurdling screams. The screaming is the product of a new resource for students called The Screaming Workshop.
With finals approaching, many students may find refuge in the workshop, which is aimed at reducing stress.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 75 percent of college students experience anxiety by age 22.
The percentage varies depending on different levels of stress. These include:
- 80 percent of students deal with daily stress
- 34 percent have felt depressed in the last three months
- 13 percent have been diagnosed with a mental condition
- 9 percent have considered suicide
Recent studies provided by UCLA have shown that only 51.9 percent of first-year students state they have good mental health.
This leaves 48.1 percent of students with unstable mental health such as stress, anxiety and depression.
Sierra Diamond, junior fine arts major, has taken the initiative to set up the workshop through dead week and finals week to expose students to this new resource.
The workshop was an idea that Diamond began in a simple conversation with a friend. Her friend told her that she had never screamed before.
Then, the idea of creating a screaming workshop was born.
“I felt that it was important for people like her [to] scream,” Diamond said, “even as an adult.”
She has participated in various public art and performances throughout her student career, which has inspired her to incorporate screaming into the workshop.
“I am very interested in interacting with people and taking art and performance outside of the classroom and studio here,” Diamond said.
She explained that many students have experienced an emotional and powerful feeling after screaming.
Diamond screams with her participants to ease any uncertainties about participating.
She creates a friendly environment with her participants, which is why her workshop has had a successful amount of members.
“There was a girl last week who, after we screamed, started tearing up a bit,” Diamond said. “She was just really thankful for me, for giving her that opportunity.”
She has “repeat screamers,” which are people who have screamed and want to come back and do it again, Diamond said.
She has gotten positive feedback from the members but has received some negative comments from people who did not participate in the workshop.
Some students feel that the workshop is not a good outlet due to the noise it creates.
“It’s noise pollution because it stops people from concentrating on things they need to get done,” said Consuelo Langarica, sophomore pre-nursing major.
Additionally, some have expressed that they have been frightened when hearing the screams.
“I thought an incident was going on when I first heard it,” said Cindy Bonilla, sophomore undeclared major.
On the other hand, most participants seem to have a positive outcome and feel that the outlet is a productive one.
Keisha Batista, sophomore pre-nursing major, believes the screaming workshop is a great form of stress relief.
“I think it was really cool,” Batista said. “[The workshop] makes you have some fun. It’s necessary to loosen up.”
Eva Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected] or @egonza13 on Twitter.
PD // Dec 15, 2015 at 2:08 pm
While this may reduce stress levels for those who are screaming, as a person who has been listening to it for weeks, for multiple hours a day one day each week I can honestly state that it increases the stress of those of us forced to listen to it.
Every day that she’s out there I lose my appetite, and get a headache, struggle to get anything done as I find myself just waiting to hear another round of screams. My nerves are frayed and I start to shake, and I feel like I’m going to vomit. I leave exhausted and struggle to function for the rest of the day, and struggle to sleep that night.
I do not have the luxury of leaving the area while this occurs, and this didn’t just happen during dead week and finals as the article indicated. It has been occuring weekly for the entire month of November and December.
While it may be fun for those participating, listening to screaming at random intervals for hours on end is torture.
It is excessively inconsiderate to not think about the impact on non-participants. Nearby buildings in which you can hear these screams have locations for studying, testing for students with accessibility needs, and counseling- so perhaps she should consider if she might be adding to the stress of these other individuals.
Sierra has been dismissive of complaints put forward thus far. Waving off someone’s complaints because they refuse to participate is ridiculous. As a person who has been forced to listen to it, you understand the impact on others, who do not have the luxury of advance knowledge that the scream is about to occur.
You cannot change that knowledge by participating, and you know it would be inconsiderate to participate in an attempt to prove the point, putting your stress on those around you instead of finding a healthy way to combat stress that doesn’t harm others.