URGE Washburn wrapped up its fall semester on Thursday, Nov. 20, with a self-care workshop in the Blair Room that focused on how student activists can set boundaries, avoid burnout and stay grounded while doing community work. The meeting mixed presentation, conversation and a quick stretch break to help students reset after a long week.
Maggie Bourell, URGE vice president, led the session and opened with a clear explanation of what activism looks like in reality which is action, pressure and the need to know when to pause.
“What is activism? It’s the use of direct and notable action to achieve a result,” Bourell said. “Usually, a political or social one. Supporting underprivileged communities, attending protests, writing to your legislators… and rest. One of the best ways to protest and resist, especially capitalism, is to rest. Support. To take care of yourself.”
Bourell emphasized that no activist could stay present without understanding boundaries.
“It’s extremely important to you as an activist. You can’t solve the world’s problems alone, let alone in one day,” Bourell said. “Movements work because it’s a little bit of progress every day.”
Midway through the session, Bourell paused and told everyone to stand up for a moment. She led a simple series of stretches that included arm swings, neck circles and shoulder rolls. The room loosened up, people laughed and the reset fit perfectly with her point.
“Stretching is a really underrated way to get back in touch with your body,” Bourell said. “I find stretching to be very important for me, so I wanted to include that in the presentation.”
During the presentation, Remington Beard-Alvarado, URGE’s recruitment and retainment officer, also acknowledged the upcoming break, reminding students that boundaries matter at home too, especially during the holiday season.
“As Thanksgiving comes up… you’re not responsible for making your family happy. You’re not responsible for their feelings or their actions,” Beard-Alvarado said. “If you get overwhelmed, you are allowed to step away. You’re allowed to step outside, step into a room, shut the door, take a breather.”
Bourell’s presentation stayed grounded, realistic and direct, centering on students’ lived experiences, with added discussion from executive members and attendees.
After the presentation, Beard-Alvarado talked about her role in planning meetings and keeping students engaged throughout the semester.
“My position at URGE is the recruitment and retention officer,” Beard-Alvarado said. “Basically, I help plan all of the meetings. I come up with the ideas… and I also come with ideas on how to get people to keep coming back.”
Beard-Alvarado said meetings are built around URGE’s values but also around the vibe of the semester.
“For October, we tried to do something a little bit spookier, which was like period products throughout history, which was really fun,” Beard-Alvarado said.
When asked about the night’s topic, Beard-Alvarado kept the theme consistent: activists need rest.
“I think taking care of yourself means putting yourself first,” Beard-Alvarado said. “It’s easy in our climate to hear that and feel like that’s selfish… but really, if you don’t take care of yourself, you really can’t take care of the people around you and put out your best self.”
Beard-Alvarado also looked forward to the spring semester.
“We’re doing our bingo again… which is where, if you win at bingo, we give out sex toys,” Beard-Alvarado said. “It’s always very popular,”
Student attendee Maia Morrison, freshman exploratory major, said the environment is the best part of URGE.
“It’s kind of fun here,” Morrison said. “I think I’ll stick around. I just like the environment that’s around here, and the [inclusiveness]. I like how positive it is. It’s very nice to have a welcoming environment.”
Students wrapped up the evening with wellness kits and colored pages before heading out. URGE will resume meetings in the spring with additional programming and the return of its popular bingo event.
Edited by Bidhya Sapkota and Stuti Khadka
