NABS Notes | April 2021.

“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” -Suzanne Collins

Welcome to the April edition of our NABS Notes! In spite of the rainy weather outside, we hope that catching up on all things new with NABS will bring a burst of sunshine to your day. Read on to learn more about our upcoming events and updates from committees. In this edition you will find:

April Blog Post
April Episode of the NABS Now Podcast
Committee Updates
Stay Connected | NABS Social Media

April Blog Post | LEARNS: Establishing Mental Health Hygiene

As the end of the spring term approaches, it can be tempting to slip into negative routines of studying nonstop, forgetting a meal, or prioritizing a pending deadline over sleep. Therefore, there isn’t a more perfect time to read this month’s blog post, written by Darrel Kirby, a mental health therapist, who understands the importance of taking care of our minds as well as our bodies. We encourage you to adopt any/all of the LEARNS steps into your daily routine, and remember to make your health a priority, too!

April Episode of the NABS Now Podcast | Prioritizing Us - Self-Care in the Era of COVID-19

The NABS Now team loves to create episodes about meaningful ways to use your brain; however, this month, we want to give you some tips on how to let your brain rest and recover. It’s no secret that finals are quickly approaching (insert cringe here,) but in between the cramming and coffee sessions, it’s important to take care of yourself. In this episode, we explore why self-care is so important and how to integrate it into our busy lives. Stick around until the end of this episode, and you will have the chance to take part in a mindfulness activity that will leave you feeling calm and ready to conquer anything! Thank you to special guests Candice Chapman and Sanho Steele-Louchart. Created and produced by Seyoon Choi and Nina Marranca. Are you interested in assisting with the planning and production of the NABS Now Podcast? Email Nina at: [email protected] for more information. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or see our Anchor page for more ways to listen!

Committee Updates

PB & J with the Outreach Committee!

Are you an individual with independent thoughts and opinions? To you enjoy engaging in thoughtful conversations and debates with other students? If you answered “Yes!” to either of these questions, we’d love to hear your feedback on the most recent episodes of the NABS Now Podcast (P) as well as The Student Slate blog posts (B). So, catch up on our latest content and join (J) our next committee meeting, taking place on Sunday, May 9 at 8:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Committee Chair Nina Marranca.

Calling All Foodies and Fund Raisers

The NABS Fundraising Committee would love to hear from you as we continue collecting favorite recipes to be compiled in NABS Nuggets, a NABS cookbook collaboration between the Fundraising and Diversity and Inclusion Committees, coming summer of 2021. If you have a recipe that is close to your heart and want to share the story of why it’s significant to you, please submit this Google Form to have your recipe considered for inclusion in the project. And, don’t forget to stay tuned for more information on our upcoming NABS Greek Tees! For more information about these endeavors and how you can support the work we do, please join us for our next committee meeting, taking place on Sunday, May 9 at 9:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Committee Chair Robert Parsons.

Raging for the Collective Good

The NABS Legislative and Self-Advocacy Committee held a “Rage Convo” during our April call in order to give students the necessary space to voice concerns, express pent up feelings, and encourage one another to succeed. As blind students, we often run into situations that make our blood boil and require us to advocate for ourselves at a moment’s notice, so this call began a conversation about how these situations come to light, how they make us feel, and how we can best deal with them. Our membership should always remember that LSAC wants to be a resource to blind students so that no one ever feels alone when facing advocacy challenges. Instead, we can work together to equip ourselves with techniques for addressing them. For more opportunities to learn and grow with LSAC, join our next committee call, happening on Sunday, May 16 at 8:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Committee Chair Justin Salisbury.

Virtual Coffee & Conversation

The NABS Diversity and Inclusion Committee is seeking out students interested in sharing information about their thoughts and experiences pertaining to roommates at previous NABS sponsored in-person events. Please read the original request, and register for a session if you’re interested in participating. We also encourage you to join our next committee meeting on Sunday, May 16 at 9:00 PM EST with your thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Unable to attend our next meeting or simply have more questions on how to get involved? Email Committee Chair Monica Wegner or join the committee GroupMe, where members coordinate our activities.

And don’t forget our monthly membership call, taking place on Sunday, May 23 at 9:00 PM EST!

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