Chestnut Hill College Kicks Off Humanities & Wellness Week with Series of Seminars

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wellness week girl in grass
Images via Chestnut Hill College.
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The faculty in the Center for Integrated Humanities at Chestnut Hill College believe any true discussion of holistic wellness originates in an understanding of our humanity and humanistic tradition.

“Wellness week was originally designed to highlight our new Health Humanities minor, which is a course of study where students learn how humanities-based skills such as listening, understanding narrative, developing cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity, and developing and managing empathy can enhance and improve clinical practices and interactions,” says Suzanne Del Gizzo, Ph.D., Chair of the Center for Integrated Humanities at Chestnut Hill College.

“We believe that the importance of humanities-based skills and capacities is getting lost in an increasingly technological world driven by efficiency and blunt measures of productivity. In addition, as we returned to campus after what for many of us was 18 months away, we realized giving ourselves and students spaces to decompress and reflect—by doing an art project, listening to or writing some poetry—might be helpful,” she notes.

The kick-off to Wellness Week will feature programming around campus for students, faculty, and staff. It also includes building a shared sense of reality through an awareness of history, literature, spirituality, and the arts.

Wellness Week Healing Arts Programs

Wednesday, October 13 at 2-4 pm (Workshops will be on the 5th floor of St. Joseph Hall in the Art Studio and Room 520)

Healing Arts Workshops for CHC community:
– 2-4 pm – Open Art Studio – rock painting & bracelet making with Art Club
– 3 pm Art Studio- Vision Boards with Darian Leader  
– Poetry Reading & Writing, SJH 520 led by Dr. Mia Grogan, English Department

FOREST BATHING IN THE WISSAHICKON

Dr. David Contosta
Dr. David Contosta

Wednesday, October 13 at 4 pm.
Join History Professor and scholar of the Wissahickon, Dr. David Contosta for a walking tour of the Wissahickon for our students, staff, and faculty.

The walk will begin outside of the Motherhouse. The full walk spans approximately three miles, however, people are welcome to join for all or part of the walk and can turn back at any time. 
Click here to register.

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Dr. Laura Kolbe will be reading from her award-winning book of poetry, Little Pharma, and discussing how poetry and the arts can inform clinical practice. Dr. Naomi Rosenberg will discuss specifically the importance of narrative in medical practice. I think many people will be surprised to hear how profoundly art and narrative can change and improve clinical practices.  For many people, these are two unrelated worlds, but the connections are powerful and the benefits are undeniable,” Gizzo explains.

LITTLE PHARMA: HOW POETRY, ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES INFORM CLINICAL PRACTICES

Dr. Laura Kolbe
Dr. Laura Kolbe

Thursday, October 14 at 7pm
In the East Parlor, St. Joseph Hall, Chestnut Hill College.

Dr. Laura Kolbe, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She will read from her book of poetry Little Pharma and discuss the role of poetry, arts, and the humanities in her clinical practice.

Dr. Kolbe’s poetry book Little Pharma won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize (from the University of Pittsburgh) and her work has been highlighted in The New Yorker and The New York Times.
Click here to register.
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FOREST BATHING IN THE WISSAHICKON

Dr. David Contosta

Sunday, October 17 at 4pm.
Join History Professor and scholar of the Wissahickon, Dr. David Contosta for a walking tour of the Wissahickon for our students, staff, and faculty.
The walk will begin outside of the Motherhouse.

The full walk spans approximately three miles, however, people are welcome to join for all or part of the walk and can turn back at any time. 
Click here to register.

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NUTRITION WITH PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, JOE KULKOSKY, PH.D.

Dr. Joe Kulkosky
Dr. Joe Kulkosky

Monday, October 18 at 4pm

Dr. Joe Kulkosky will present his talk titled, “Nutrition: Playing Genetic Roulette with GMOs. The talk will be held in MH 216.

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WHAT THE LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE CANNOT CAPTURE: MODERN MEDICINE AND THE NEED FOR NARRATIVE”

Dr. Naomi Rosenberg

Wednesday, October 20th at 2pm (East Parlor, St. Joseph Hall, Chestnut Hill College)

Dr. Naomi Rosenberg is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Dr. Rosenberg is a published author and a Be Well Philly Health Hero Semifinalist. She is associated with the Narrative Medicine Program at Lewis Katz.
Click here to register.

For more information or for questions, please contact Dr. Suzanne Del Gizzo.

Chestnut Hill College is located at 9601 Germantown Ave, Phila, PA 19118. You can access a map of the campus here.

“The faculty in the Center for Integrated Humanities believe any true discussion of holistic wellness originates in an understanding of our humanity and humanistic tradition. It is impossible to care for or heal ourselves and others without a deep sensitivity to what makes us human—and that includes developing humanistic skills such as empathy, cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity, critical and creative thinking, and the ability to communicate clearly. It also includes building a shared sense of reality through an awareness of history, literature, spirituality, and the arts,” Dr. Gizzo concludes.

In order to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Chestnut Hill College requires all individuals, whether vaccinated or not, to wear a mask while attending Wellness Week events indoors on campus. Vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks for outdoor events. Click here for more information on CHC’s Masking Policy.

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