Moravian Celebrates HUB Reopening with New Wellness Event

As students were welcomed back to the newly revamped Haupert Union Building this fall, they had a chance to learn about all the wellness-focused resources available to them, both on campus and beyond.

Moravian hosted its first Launch Wellness event in honor of World Mental Health Day in the new third-floor Wellness Suite of the HUB on October 10, just days after the building reopened to students.

It was a fitting location, as wellness is the cornerstone of the new HUB, which earned WELL precertification from the International WELL Building Institute. The designation recognizes buildings that meet certain standards for air quality, light, acoustics, and other health-promoting features. There were 20 groups participating in the HUB’s first large-scale event, including organizations from the surrounding community, as well as Moravian departments, resources, and student clubs.

“We wanted students to visit the new HUB, see these wellness spaces, and utilize them,” says Rosemarie Williams, director of operations and outreach for Moravian’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

“This is about students coming back together in this new space and helping them understand what is here for them,” Williams says. “October tends to be a higher-stress period of time. Classes are wrapping up and midterms are coming up. We want students to know there are areas where they can de-stress and tools to take charge of their wellness.”

Participants included the Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, Mo’s Cupboard, the Rehab Sciences Club, dining services, CAPS, Moravian’s Office of Spirituality and Inclusion, and SHARE (Support, Help and Referral).

They shared information about their services and offered goodies to students who stopped by their information tables. The table for Moravian’s Peers and Wellness Team (PAW) had an array of inspirational stickers, bubbles, pop fidgets, and resources on how to relieve stress, practice self-care, and overcome homesickness.

“I feel like there’s so much stigma around mental health, but now it’s becoming more of an open topic,” says Caitlyn Philips ’27, a new member of PAW.

“Moravian is such an open campus where things like this can be so easily spoken about without any kind of judgment, and it’s really wonderful that so many students can feel safe talking about things that are going on in their lives and know that people are there for them, they’re not alone, and they have so many resources available to them,” Philips says.

The HUB’s third floor includes the new Mindfulness Suite, with a multi-faith prayer room and quiet areas for meditation and relaxation. The space brings some of the outside world indoors with a “living wall,” lush with bright green moss. Students can also relax in hammock chairs while basking in the sunlight that streams through the full-length windows.

The third floor is also home to the Student Life Suite, which includes the Office of Disability and Accommodations, Student Housing, Residence Life, Student Accountability, Military Affairs and Services, and Greek Life.

“I’m happy to be back in the HUB doing this,” said Tracy Urban, Moravian’s director of disability services, during the October 10 wellness event, where she hosted a table. “The HUB is gorgeous, and being next to the Mindfulness Suite is a great way to let our students know that mental health is important to all of us.”

Urban said the HUB is like a “one-stop shop” for student wellness, with the Student Life Suite on the third floor and counseling and health services combined for the first time in the same location on the ground floor.

Kristin Eicholtz, dean for the Laurie Riley ’82 Center for Career Success, and student Ella Kilko ’28 were among those promoting “Hope Walks Here,” an annual walk held in Allentown’s Cedar Creek Park to raise awareness of preventing suicide. Kilko is the student co-chair for this year’s walk, which will take place April 11, 2026. She decided to participate in the walk after her own struggles with anxiety and depression.

“It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s so important to talk about it,” Kilko says.

Both Kilko and Eicholtz were excited about the turnout at the Launch Wellness event, and even more excited to see all the resources available to the campus community.

“This has been a beautiful opportunity for our students to see the levels of support we offer,” Eicholtz says, whether it’s dealing with food insecurity, providing disability accommodations, or offering additional help in the classroom. “These are resources that students might not know about, but by us being physically present, it lets them know they can talk about it.”

Self-Care Tips from Moravian’s Peers and Wellness Team
Meditate: Even if it’s only for 10 minutes, meditation can help you relax.
Take breaks: Give yourself a breather. Walk away for a few minutes.
Set boundaries: Think ahead about boundaries for yourself and for friends, family, and schoolwork.
Limit screen time: Set a daily maximum for your screen time consumption.
Make plans: Curb stress by planning ahead.
Exercise: Move your body daily.
Do breath work: Practicing controlled breathing helps disarm your body’s “fight-or-flight” response.