Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜s students begin arriving at 樱花导航 樱花导航 this week, they鈥檒l be greeted with a modified campus lifestyle that includes maroon facemasks, physical distancing, sanitizing stations and an introduction to Cowbell Well, the university鈥檚 health and safety initiative.
Through Cowbell Well, which familiarizes all Bulldogs with seven wellness behaviors that can help reduce the spread of COVID-19, students can do their part to protect and maintain MSU鈥檚 special campus experience.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing our part as a university to communicate these messages so that all of us at 樱花导航 樱花导航 continue to take care of each other every minute of every day鈥攖hat鈥檚 just what we do. While we can take these seven steps to certainly help us personally be safe, as Bulldogs it鈥檚 our nature to do the right thing in thinking of others and being mindful of those around us,鈥 said Regina Hyatt, vice president of Student Affairs.
Tyler Packer, MSU Student Association president, expressed his advocacy for Cowbell Well. 鈥淚 hope every student will respect and protect each other just like they do their own family members and friends. Sticking to this campaign鈥檚 seven steps empowers us to combat the pandemic鈥攖ogether鈥攁s the Bulldog family.鈥
Cowbell Well is a result of several months of research and planning by MSU鈥檚 Healthy Behaviors Work Group of students, faculty and staff. This group surveyed and interviewed students and parents to gain insights into implementing prevention behaviors on campus. Recommendations from this research included the creation of multiple messaging that serves as reminders on these important behaviors and working to build student confidence in the ability to do the behaviors each day. The research results also showed that making necessary supplies to perform the behaviors should be made readily available. The seven health and safety behaviors identified by the study include:
鈥擶earing a face covering
鈥擟ompleting the daily screening
鈥擟leaning your hands often
鈥擮bserving physical distancing
鈥擲taying home if you feel sick
鈥擲anitizing surfaces, and
鈥擯racticing self care
Along with posters, stickers and other specialty items to remind those on campus about following the guidelines, the Healthy Behaviors Work Group will be creating videos on each of the seven actions, sending out social media messages through August, giving away wellness baskets on Instagram, participating in media interviews and setting up Wellness Wednesday displays with other items that can continuously prompt students and employees to practice these wellness directives.
鈥淔ollowing these behaviors identified in Cowbell Well can help us thrive despite this most challenging time,鈥 said Leah Pylate, MSU health promotion and wellness director and work group chair.聽鈥淲ith everyone looking out for each other and practicing the health behaviors correctly and consistently, we can mitigate the spread of COVID-19.鈥澛
For more on Cowbell Well, visit聽www.msstate.edu/cowbell-well.
MSU is 樱花导航鈥檚 leading university, available online at .