Beebe suggested the Tape Art mural after seeing its effectiveness on patients in a children’s hospital where she previously worked.
“Patients requested painter’s tape to create these tape art murals in their rooms. It helped them engage with their space and feel more in control, rather than confined,” she said. “The Tape Art mural was really the underlying thread through the whole week — it gave students, staff, and faculty a shared creative space to pause, connect, and recharge. We wanted to celebrate art as a powerful tool for easing the stress of final exams — building social connections, reducing stress and anxiety, and strengthening community engagement in support of mental health and overall well‑being.”
The finished piece was unveiled on Thursday following remarks from Torres.
Jana Elarousy, a senior BBH major, said the class chose to focus on executing an event for the end of the semester because so much research has been done on college students’ stress levels at this time of year.
“We did it at a good time — close enough to the end of the semester so students could attend many of the events,” she said. “Students are incredibly overwhelmed at this time of year. I’d even like to see a Cram Jam at midterms.”
The student response was overwhelmingly positive.
“Forty students participated in the board game competition, and we ran out of space in the Glow-Ga class,” Beebe said. “I think students appreciated that it was a very nice, fluid event — they could come and go as they wanted, or they could come and stay. Some students came in for the board games and stayed for two hours.”
Face-to-face networking and participating in classic pastimes like working on a jigsaw puzzle or blowing bubbles were two huge draws for students.
“One person said they liked playing the board games and just sitting around with different people,” said Cora Oberly, a senior BBH major. “They liked the analog aspect. I didn’t see anyone with a phone. I think this type of event is needed at the end of the semester — it filled a space that was lacking. There are plenty of other events happening on campus, but nothing like this, with activities like bubbles, tape art, and games.”
Ruthanne Troutman, a senior BBH student, said her professor in another BBH course created a Cram Jam reflection assignment.
“Many said they didn’t expect it to be as fun as it was,” Troutman said. “It relieved their stress, they could come in and do the activities without having to think about them, and they felt better afterwards. A lot of them said they would take some of these things, like the board games, and do them at home. Many said they were surprised at how much better they felt.”
Daria Krout, a junior BBH major, said events like Cram Jam help students manage their stress during final exams but the exercises are helpful anytime.
“The bubble blowing activity actually tricks the brain into doing a deep breathing exercise,” she said. “I think this event gave students stress-reducing strategies they can use in the future.”
Beebe said she hopes Cram Jam will become an annual spring tradition.
“This might be the event the health promotion class holds every semester, whatever the students make it,” she said. “I plan on doing it again, whether it’s the actual project for this class or through another biobehavioral health initiative.”
She noted the BBH program is expanding and adding more majors.
“BBH students are very hands-on and motivated,” she said, “They chose BBH because they want to make a difference in health.”