Wellness & Care

Got the winter blues?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mental health condition that causes sadness or depression when the seasons change. It most typically occurs during the fall and winter, when days become short and exposure to sunlight decreases. It is most common among women and young adults. 

Light boxes, also referred to as SAD lamps or light therapy lamps, work by replicating natural daylight. Using a light box may reduce symptoms and provide relief from seasonal affective disorder. 

In our space in the Burge Union, the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity (Suite 1040) has a light therapy lamp that is available for student use. Our Flamingo Floor Lamp from Northern Light Technologies provides 10,000 lux of full-spectrum UV-free, LED light. 

Please email us in advance at emilytaylorcenter@ku.edu to make a 20-minute appointment. 

Students United for Reproductive & Gender Equity (SURGE) works to alleviate period poverty at KU through its Period Pantry located at the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity in Burge Union, Suite 1040.

The Period Pantry is a free resource for KU students seeking access to menstrual and other reproductive health care products including:

• Disposable Pads
• Reusable Pads
• Liners
• Tampons
• Menstrual Cups
• Emergency Contraception (i.e. Plan B, Julie, My Choice)
• Condoms (Internal & External)
• Pregnancy Tests
• Ovulation Tests

Donations to the SURGE Period Pantry are encouraged. 

The Period Pantry is open during the Emily Taylor Center's typical hours of Monday through Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm. Select products are also freely available to take from the bench outside the Center's door whenever the Burge Union is operational. 

Join the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity for a Hawk Week Feminist Self-Defense workshop with Rachel Piazza on Saturday, 8/26, from 1 pm - 3 pm, in the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center's Martial Arts Room.

Feminist Self-Defense workshops are fun, affirming and welcoming to people of all genders, ages and abilities. Sessions provide verbal, emotional and physical strategies based in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to navigate a range of threatening interactions. Students learn through a combination of interactive discussion, role-plays, boundary-setting exercises and hands-on physical self-defense instruction.

Rachel Piazza is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and an Adjunct Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies at New Jersey City University. Combining her expertise, Rachel founded Feminist Self-Defense in 2014. 

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Accommodations

The Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity welcomes and encourages people with disabilities to participate in our events. Please email emilytaylorcenter@ku.edu with any questions regarding accessibility or accommodation requests.