Wellness Wednesdays promote healthy alternatives

Student Health and Counseling Services has put together a new program for students to show the variety of health alternatives that are available to them.

Personal Counselor Jennifer Elsesser came up with the idea for Wellness Wednesdays last spring, but didn’t know how the campus community would receive such an event.

“As a staff we decided we wanted to show students some alternatives,” Elsesser said. “We’ve had a lot of health professionals offer to come to campus and show ways for students to improve their general health and just feel better.”

Last spring, the first speaker was Susan Wahl, a naturopath from River Falls. She will be speaking again later this semester.

Senior Terri Marquardt doesn’t know much about the Wellness Wednesdays events, but finds the idea behind them to be interesting.

“I think the topics that would really benefit students would be interesting like stress management, yoga and nutrition,” Marquardt said. “I think students would go if they were well publicized and people knew about them.”

The schedule for Wellness Wednesdays is available on the Falcon Daily and also on the Student Health and Counseling Services Web site.

Senior Alicia Braker heard a bit about Wellness Wednesdays at the end of last semester, but hasn’t attended any sessions yet. She said she would find a sleep specialist most interesting to see, since sleeping conditions of college students is considered a huge issue.

While the events haven’t drawn a huge crowd so far, the organizers have been pleased with the outcome. There has been a lot of faculty, staff and students who have been required by a class to attend.

“I know it’s hard for students who are so busy,” Elsesser said.

Marquardt said she would go to one of the sessions if her class schedule, work and homework schedule allowed.

One of the most well-attended sessions was when a kettlebells instructor gave a demonstration outside the front of the University Center.

“I think that if there was more advertising, more awareness, more students would attend,” Braker said.

Events are from noon to 1 p.m. and usually in room 232 of the University Center.

“I think a lot of students could get a lot out of these events,” Elsesser said. “It’s really important that we let people know what’s out there.”

Elsesser said she is always looking for new ideas for guest speakers and encourages students with ideas to send her an e-mail whenever they have any suggestions.
Future speakers include Deb Sanders, a dietician.

Past speakers include Gail Bair from Eclectic Energetics, Marty Larson, the kettlebells instructor, and Daniel Zimmerman, a sleep specialist from the clinic.