They aren’t very big. But students like them.
Each year the School of Nursing sponsors a “Destress Fest” before final exams. Some students take the handouts about stress-reducing strategies, but all of them seem to gravitate to stickers.
A Resurgence
There is a resurgence of interest in stickers — they end up on Macbooks, Hydro Flasks, cellphone cases, even minifridges in dorm rooms. Stickers can be declarations of identity, unique forms of self expression, or ways to signal a “belonging.”
I am the faculty advisor for the Nurses Christian Fellowship at UT-Tyler. We manned a table at the Fest, explaining to students who stopped by our table that we have some stickers and that they are Christian ones.
That Didn’t Happen
I almost expected students to say “Oh, they’re religious, so I don’t want them,” but that didn’t happen. Everyone who started looking through the stickers was able to find one which they liked. One person even found a sticker which matched the saying that was on the back of her cellphone.
I marvel at how God can use a piece of paper with a Scripture verse or a spiritual phrase on it to remind Christian students of His love. And because their friends often see these stickers, it’s a way to encourage others to look to Him in their everyday lives.
Belinda Deal
School of Nursing
University of Texas – Tyler