Photo by Isaiah McCall
Students at Ramapo College learned tasty yet healthy diet decisions at the Wellness Coalition's Spring into Wellness event. This event promoted wellness of all kinds and provided helpful tips on how students can go about improving their overall wellness.
Tables were littered throughout The Bradley Center with third-party companies and on-campus organizations promoting healthy eating, stress-relieving activities, and offering tons of free food for students to enjoy.
Ramapo College Junior Jason Lopez hosted one of the tables at the event and was promoting wellness by offering stress balls to help students alleviate unwanted college stress.
“We’re here to promote wellness of all kinds, whether that be mental, physical, emotional or spiritual,” said Lopez. “You can improve your wellness in many ways and we’re here to show students some fun, surprising options.”
One of those surprising options was a bicycle that was used to make fresh smoothies as you peddled it. The bike provided by Sodexo Food Service was normal in every way but had a complex attachment on the back that made it possible to power a blender as you peddled.
Students flocked to the bicycle to work off calories while they made healthy and delicious drinks for themselves and their friends.
Jonathan Leu was one of the many students that had the opportunity to make his own smoothie through the bike.
“It feels good to make a smoothie with my legs, it’s an awesome workout and an awesome drink,” said Leu.
Another popular activity at the event was wellness through massage therapy. Hosted by Mountainside On-Site Massage Therapy, students were able to receive free back and arm massages. Two massage therapists were present at the event and were offering full back massages as another option to alleviate stress.
“Massages are not only a great way to help alleviate physical stress but are great for alleviating mental stress and can sometimes even help with disorders like anxiety and mild depression,” said one therapist. The massages seemed very popular with students, with the line to receive one growing continuously throughout the event.
The Ramapo College Potter Library was also present at the event to promote wellness through library resources. The table offered free water bottles, bookmarks and literature for students to enjoy. Hilary Westgate of the library was present at the event and recommended using the library to promote wellness because it’s a free resource that every student has access to.
Wellness was promoted in every size, shape and form at the event and one of the leaders at the event. Cory Rosenkranz said, “The event was striving to cover all the areas of the Wellness Wheel.”
The Wellness Wheel covers eight different aspects including, social, physical, environmental, financial, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. The Spring into Wellness Event found a way to touch on each of these aspects. With plenty of healthy food being offered, stress-free activities being promoted and even companies like Sodexo providing business cards for potential internships.
imccall@ramapo.edu
