"It is , in many ways, a new vision for UHS to take on that sort of perspective," he says. "I really think there is more to come."

Beyond the lecture series, Ballinger says UHS can extend the applicability of lecture info by providing related services to complement the presentations.

For example, UHS now offers both hour-long table massages at the Law School and 10-minute chair massages at UHS runs regular yoga, meditation and Feldenkais classes on campus.

Although students at the College have a pay a flat fee for the massage yoga services, Ballinger says, her office is working to make the services more accessible. As of this week, a 10-minute chair massage costs $10, an hour-long table massage, $45.

"I know it's hard to pay a fee for many of these services, but we're really looking a how we can market these services to students," she says.

In the case of less mainstream therapies like acupuncture, Ballinger says UHS generally refers students or staff to reliable practitioners.

According to Hoyt, the surge in interest in these offering reflects changing values among the American population, not to mention some new problems afflicting students.

"RSI no doubt is a major concern on campus," he says. "[But] as a society... I think people are sort of becoming aware of the real reasons to take care of themselves.'

But while acknowledging the benefits that alternative forms of medicine offer, students should be wary of confusing prevetative medicine with general cure. Director of the Bureau of Study Council, Charles P. Ducey says therapies like massage may not get at the underlying issue that causes student malaise: namely stress.

Ducey says students generally come to the Bureau of Study Council for personal help and as a policy they don't like to send students away.

"We assume that if students come here for help, we don't want students to feel like we're brushing them off to another program," he says."[But] I can certainly see us collaborating with our colleagues at [UHS]."

The Bureau does host a workshop for students struggling to deal with stress at the College. However, the program is not for everyone. As Ducey says, in a few cases a good massage might be just what the doctor ordered.

"We might prescribe it from time to time for students who simply can't relax," Dicey says. "On the other hand, we assume that yoga, meditation and massage are good for anyone."