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From several countries and backgrounds, a group of UCF students recently faced each other and their cultural differences 麻豆精品 S� and learned that working together they can create something bigger than themselves: a stress-free community.

The students from all corners of the globe 麻豆精品 S� from Spain to South Korea to Libya and beyond 麻豆精品 S� are all in a UCF English Language Institute communication skills class, and on this day they were part of the first drum-empowerment outreach at the campus 麻豆精品 S� new Global UCF building.

Sitting in a circle with a variety of drums, the 10 students were led by Christine Dassow, a student-counseling specialist from the university 麻豆精品 S檚 Counseling & Psychological Services. The goals of the exercise, she said, are primarily to familiarize the international students far from home with the UCF counselors in case they ever need them, help relieve any stress the students may have experienced here, and give them more confidence to advocate for themselves on campus.

When Nicole Ianieri, director of the institute, asked the students if any of them come from cultures that use drums a lot, most of them raised their hands.

麻豆精品 S淣o one here today is expected to have any talent or experience, 麻豆精品 S� Dassow told the students before they grabbed either an African 麻豆精品 S渢alking drum, 麻豆精品 S� djembe, versa timbaus, or frame drum. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 about having fun and getting the stress out and feeling better when you leave here. 麻豆精品 S�

The drum session started slowly as the students pounded out a rhythm and took turns saying their names. Afterward, Dassow introduced new instructions with each round of drumming, sometimes working in call-and-response, sometimes with varying volume, sometimes in syncopation and sometimes not.

But all of the rounds ended in laughter.

麻豆精品 S淚t was amazing, 麻豆精品 S� said Mohamed Mohamed, a first-year student from Sudan majoring in cyber information security. 麻豆精品 S淲e need to relax and feel comfortable with people at the same time. I hope we could have this class every week. It 麻豆精品 S檚 going to help. 麻豆精品 S�

Fatemah Tuwainah, another first-year-student from Kuwait majoring in computer engineering, said this was her 麻豆精品 S渇irst time drumming like that together 麻豆精品 S� with others and freely. I felt positivity and a connection with my classmates. 麻豆精品 S�

Tuwainah said that even though she 麻豆精品 S檚 only been in the United States a month, she has felt the challenges of being away from home and striving to succeed in class.

麻豆精品 S淭his did help with the stress, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淎nd it 麻豆精品 S檚 a nice change to just listening to lectures. 麻豆精品 S�

Dassow has long used music in her counseling sessions, but this is the first time she 麻豆精品 S檚 taken her drums out of her office to work with a group on campus. She thought this would be a good outreach opportunity for students unfamiliar with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 counseling services.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a universal instrument. And I love that they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in the drums and not shy with them, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淚t feels good to get out that energy and feels good to get out that stress. 麻豆精品 S�

At the end of the session, she directed the students to do what they wanted on the drums for one minute: 麻豆精品 S淒o whatever you want. It could be a different beat, but we 麻豆精品 S檙e all bonded together. You 麻豆精品 S檒l be in rhythm because we 麻豆精品 S檙e all in this 驳谤辞耻辫. 麻豆精品 S�

True to her words, some of them played fast and others played faster. Some slapped the drum head with their palms, others with fists; some hit the center while others grazed the edges. But eventually they settled into a joint rhythm, all of them in unison.

And when Dassow signaled to stop, they erupted in laughter 麻豆精品 S� all bonded together.

Christine Dassow of the UCF Counseling & Psychological Services office will hold drum-empowerment workshops for other students Oct. 11 and Nov. 8. The one-hour sessions for wellness and stress reduction start at 1 p.m. at 4090 Libra Drive and have a limited number of spaces. Arrive up to 30 minutes before the session to sign up at the front desk. Drums will be provided.

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