The Dixie Sun

Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Cassi Gillette Lyndsi Miggin, a freshman nursing major from Syracuse, tapes another coloring book picture to her wall of art. Many students admit to participating in childish acts to relive the past, relieve stress and keep a balance in their busy college lives.

Even though students at Dixie State College are adults, many still hold onto the little kid inside as a means of relieving stress and having innocent fun.

Several DSC students relive old times by coloring, watching Disney movies, playing with toys, finger painting, sleeping with stuffed animals or blankets, and other childish acts.

"My friends and I still color in coloring books and I still have my dolls and special teddy bears and such," said Torrey Whitehead, a freshman general education major from St. George. "Doing childish things like that has got to be one of the greatest stress relievers. It takes you back to a simpler time when there were no worries and it helps put things in perspective."

Not only do young adults hold onto their childhood as a stress reliever, some do it simply because they still enjoy those activities.

"I watch cartoons more than regular TV," said St. George resident Tanisha Mantuauto, a recent massage therapy school graduate who will attend DSC in the spring. "I have more finger paintings and stuff that I have colored on my wall than anything else and I am 20 years old. I still wear pink bows in my hair and I probably would still play with Barbies if it were socially acceptable."

While most students might not have a desire to play with dolls, many have their own ways of manipulating childish fun and spinning it as an older activity that is more socially acceptable.

One example is playing "dress up." Several girls still love to go to the clothing stores with their gal pals and try on different dresses or experiment with makeup.

"I like to color, scooter, play on playgrounds, sandboxes, and I like to play dress up sometimes," said freshman Courtney Kemp, an elementary education major from Riverton.

Kemp and her roommates have their living room wall decorated in their coloring book artwork. They even have their friends who come to the apartment add on to their wall of talent.

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