After a semester of long days and nights, students needed a chance to unwind and take a breather before finals. The Stony Brook Commuter Student Association gave them just that by hosting Relax-a-thon.

The event was held in the Student Activities Center Ballroom A on Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The line trailed out the door before the event began, with students eager to see what was awaiting them inside. A variety of activities lined the room to accommodate everyone and ensure that they could relax and have a good time.

“I’m honestly just here because it’s pretty stressful at this school and I need something to calm me down especially since finals are coming up,” Brianna Evers, a junior psychology major, said. “So my friends and I are very excited, plus I heard puppies were going to be here. I really like the idea that we can get massages and eat cotton candy.”

The event featured henna and spray paint tattoos, stress ball making, cotton candy, hot chocolate and massages for the more than 100 students in attendance.

“We put this event on as a way to de-stress because right now is the height of midterm season and finals,” Brandon Conklin, vice president of the Commuter Students Association, said. “We bring in a tea house, we bring in massages, we bring in henna tattoo artists, just fun things to help people relax and get a little relief in the semester. For me, my favorite part is probably the massages because these are actual licensed masseuses and normally to get this kind of session you would have to pay like 100 dollars.”

Other organizations such as Campus Recreation, the Hula-Hoop Club and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) had tables set up as a way to promote themselves and their leadership opportunities that students can partake in. Many of these organizations offered fun giveaways.

“We have a lot of fun things, fun giveaways for people to just give them a fun vibe to have for the week,” Durron Newman, assistant director at campus recreation, said.

The mission of the Commuter Student Association is to enrich the lives of commuter students and provide an opportunity for them to meet one another and get involved. They achieved that and more, bringing both commuter and resident students together to relax and relieve stress.