CSUN Istart Program

iSTART will soon become MATAspire, with a change in our services to focus on substance use prevention and mental health promotion! We are looking for CSUN students to join our new MATAspire team!

Open positions:
* outreach and recruitment coordinator (graduate student assistant).
* cultural outreach coordinator (student assistant).
* photographer/graphic designer (student assistant).

All three positions are on Handshake (links in our bio linktr.ee). The deadline to apply is October 29. The positions require approximately 10 hours per week, and the pay is $21/hr.

Please apply through handshake, but feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have questions.

📣📣ANNOUCEMENT📣📣

Matadors!! There’s only three days left of our FREE HIV testing service. 4/28, 5/5, and 5/12. We will NOT be offering anymore testing after that 😔 so NOW is your chance to know your status before summer vacation☀️⛱🕶
Go to the link in our bio or csun.edu/istart/get-tested to learn more and book your appointment. Remember, the risk is not knowing.



———
Image description: beige background with red and black text that reads same info as in caption. Two graphic drawings of red HIV ribbon and an HIV testing kit.

Spring break may be over, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop your self-care!

Give yourself permission to…
- go to sleep early if your body needs it
- take a “brain break” from work. This may including stepping away from your computer, looking at nature, or walking for a few minutes.
- nourish your body with nutritious food so that you feel good and have the energy needed to finish your tasks
- have a self care afternoon (or evening or morning!). Dedicate some time I’m your day to just focusing on yourself. Journaling, reading, cooking, a skin routine, can all be considered self care!

Happy Friday!! The first week of the spring semester is almost over…phew 😆

Why not try to pick up a new habit this semester?

You can make an endless combination of salads 🥗 Just grab any leafy greens 🥬 (like lettuce, kale, spinach, etc), throw in some veggies 🥕 (like carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers), maybe some grain (quinoa, bulghur, etc), a bean/pea of some sort (black beans, chickpeas, green peas, etc), some nutritious seeds (sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc) and sprinkle it off with some finely grated cheese 🧀 or nutritional yeast!

For dressing, you can make your own! Just mix together olive oil, lemon 🍋 , a little bit of apple cider vinegar, salt 🧂 , and pepper. That’s it! Your own homemade dressing.

Lettuce know in the comments what your favorite salad combo is 👇

Congratulations class of 2022! A special congrats to our iSTART peers who graduated yesterday! We wish you all the best of luck with your future endeavors. 💫

Hello Matadors! You’re right by the finish line! Some of you may be taking your last finals today and tomorrow. Congratulations. We want to remind you that although we prioritize school, we need to also prioritize and take care of ourselves and our mental health. If you haven’t yet, move around and go outside to get some fresh air and sunlight for at least 5 minutes. Good luck!

Hey Matadors! We hope you guys are having a good week so far! Here are 6 ways to prepare for finals:

Make the most of class time: It’s important to make the most of class time. Some of us are more productive in this type of setting!

Take advantage of office hours: Take advantage of office hours for additional help and clarification. Professors are here to help!

Study with classmates: Two is better than one! Form a study group - other classmates can help answer questions you may have.

Try to sleep for at least 6-8 hours: Sleep is vital to help us function. Getting adequate sleep is shown to help you retain information you previously learned!

Spend more time on harder classes: Prioritize! Prioritize classes that you are struggling with to ensure you do well.

Fuel up on healthy food and lots of water: Our brain needs nourishment. Try to snack on foods with a higher nutrient value like mixed nuts, bell pepper with guacamole, dark chocolate, apple slices with peanut butter, cottage cheese, and more!

Good luck matadors! You got this 💖

Happy Monday Matadors!
Summer is quickly approaching and we wanted to give you this friendly reminder of this free amazing service for our CSUN community. What better way to start this summer break by knowing your status! We have 3 more Fridays available for free testing for you!

The testing occurs at the Tarzana Treatment Center clinic in Northridge (Address: 8330 Reseda Blvd, Northridge). We have testing available every Friday from 9:30am-4pm.

SWIPE LEFT for more information & visit our website www.csun.edu/istart to book the appointment (you can also click the link in our bio!)

Happy Thursday Matadors!

Have you heard of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)? If not, it’s a seed that acts like a grain, and it is commonly grown in South America. There are many aspects and benefits of quinoa, as mentioned in the graphic. They are:

- Nutrient dense. Packed with vitamins and minerals, such as folate, copper, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, and manganese, to name a few.
- Quinoa has anti oxidant and anti inflammatory compounds
- Gluten free, great for people with a gluten intolerance
- High in fiber (1 cup of cooked quinoa has 5.18 grams of fiber, which is 18% of the Daily Value (DV) )
- Good source of protein (1 cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein)
- may have beneficial effects on metabolic health. Some studies have found that eating quinoa may reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and body weight, and may also help to regulate blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

Keep in mind that decreasing your risk for chronic and cardiovascular diseases depends on a multitude of factors (other foods you eat, exercise, substance use, etc). So try to incorporate quinoa into your diet, along with other nutrient-dense foods, and exercise and limit your use of substances as much as you can.

Hey Matadors! What is your definition of consent? Our definition is an agreement reached between individuals who engage in sexual activity. Understanding and respecting each other's boundaries are essential for efficient communication between you and your partner.

Individuals who are underage, intoxicated or incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, unconscious or asleep are not deemed okay to give consent. Engaging in sexual activities with an employee or student by someone with higher power is also not acceptable alongside the individual agreeing to an activity under pressure or threat.

Take a look at our post that has some infomation regarding your rights. You can also visit the website R**e, Abuse, and Insest National Network (RAINN), the largest anti-sexual violence organization for more information or help, call 1-800-656-4673.

Good morning Matadors!
⁠Have you ever thought of the difference between dependence and addiction? While it is possible to have a physical dependence without being addicted, addiction is usually right around the corner. Stay safe out there Matadors!⁠
SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free and confidential information service in both English and Spanish for those and their families that are facing mental and/or substance use disorders. ⁠
⁠
Refer to this number if someone you care about needs assistance: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)⁠

Good morning Matadors! As summer break is quickly approaching us, we wanted to show you all the different options you have when it comes to HIV testing at your own convenience. We hope this information can make testing even more accessible to our community here at CSUN🤗

get connected to local HIV testing!