The Rec Well Wire

The Department of Recreation and Wellness has a new, yet familiar, face among the staff.  Karyn Smith started as the new Health Educator with the department this past October.

 Though she started her new position at BGSU this fall, she is not completely new to the campus. Smith received her Master’s in Public Health through the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health and was a Graduate Assistant at the Student Recreation Center.

 Before coming to Bowling Green, Smith grew up in an Ohio small town called Hamler where she graduated from Patrick Henry High School. Upon graduation, Smith attended Northern Kentucky University where she majored in Exercise Science with a Health minor, played basketball all four years and was a personal trainer.

 Once she graduated from NKU and received her MPH, she was hired at Owens Corning as the Program Manager, where she worked on employee fitness. She was in charge of personal training, group exercise and nutrition programming. After a year and a half, Smith came back to BGSU this fall as the Health Educator.

 Smith is in charge of the WellAware Program, which promotes employee wellness. She also supervises the Group-X and personal trainers, while working with the Peer Educators at BGSU.

Karyn Smith has been a personal trainer for four years.

 Smith said she enjoys her new job, the environment and the people she works with.

 “The Wellness Connection is very upbeat,” Smith said. “All of us have the same passion.”

 Besides her new job, Smith enjoys working out, being outside and running. Smith also enjoys flipping houses with her husband Ryan and friend.

 While she flips houses with her husband, she also flips her fellow employee’s fitness.

 Smith’s passion is fitness and she has embraced that passion by sharing her knowledge and creating a new program.

 “It’s a fun holiday challenge for faculty and staff,” Smith said.

 The program is called “Maintain don’t Gain,” which is available to all BGSU faculty and staff for free. Participants receive practical tips, recipes and other information to help them successfully navigate through the holiday season. Participants also receive activity logs and food diaries to track progress. All those who either maintain or lose weight during the season win a prize.

 “Research has shown that the average person consumes an extra 600 calories per day between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Smith said.

 Smith said she wants to create an environment where healthy choices are easier choices.

 As a certified personal trainer for the past four years, Smith also enjoys working with clients, preferably the ones that most personal trainers would not look forward to.

 “My favorite clients are the ones that absolutely hate exercising,” Smith said. “

 Smith likes being creative and finding fun ways to help these clients live active lifestyles and find a physical activity that they learn to love.  

 Smith has goals for her new position as Health Educator. She wants to revamp the personal training program, create new and exciting Group-X classes, provide employees with the tools and resources to help them and help the Student Wellness Network and Peer Educators continue to grow and increase programs and awareness on campus.

 “BG will be the healthiest campus of them all,” Smith said.

Stress was released and fun was had at the Department of Recreation and Wellness’ third annual Stress Free Zone before Thanksgiving break.

Students enjoyed a night of fun and stress-relieving activities at the Student Recreation Center Thursday, Nov. 18. The stress-free activities included free food and drinks, prizes, a DJ, dodge ball, three on three basketball tournament, Wii Bowling, yoga, art and crafts, climbing wall, meditation and relaxation techniques, human bowling and an inflatable obstacle course.

Senior Jillian Urig, member of the Student Nutrition Association, educated students on how to eat healthy while stressed.

The event was sponsored by; Recreation and Wellness, Student Wellness Network, BGSU Bookstore, Student Nutrition Association, BGSU Counseling Center and the Falcon Parent and Family Association.

Britani Williams, a senior intern with the Wellness Connection, was in charge of putting the event together. She worked with and coordinated a group of freshman in order to create, organize and publicize the event. 

“I had never planned an event, so it was very different from anything I had done before,” Williams said.

Over 100 students attended the event. Considering it was the premier of the Harry Potter movie, senior Dietetics major, Jillian Urig said it was a good turnout.

“I think the event was very well run and organized,” Urig said.

Urig is a member of the Student Nutrition Associate and held table display for students to present information on how to snack healthy when stressed out. The table consisted of a display of healthy stress relieving foods and a few samples such as dark nuts for students to try.

“We wanted to give students the information they needed so the next time they were stressed out they could make a healthy stress relieving decision,” Urig said. “Instead of reaching for a bag of potato chips or a tub of ice cream, we wanted to give students healthy, but stress relieving options.”

Chelsea Verhoff, senior HDFS major, also volunteered at the event, with a slightly different role.

“My favorite part was the free food and watching people do the human bowling,” Verhoff said.

Verhoff, who is also an executive member of the Student Wellness Network, helped with the human bowling activity.

Students filled out evaluation forms at the end of the night to receive a free stress ball. The results were mostly positive and showed that most students’ favorite part of the event was the free food, yoga, arts and crafts and basketball.

“My other favorite part of the Stress Free Zone was actually seeing it come together and watching people enjoy the event,” Williams said.

Gradute Assistant Eric Teske and Senior Chelsea DeSouza roll a student to the pins for Human Bowling at the event.

From students hanging from trees to handing out free condoms, the Department of Recreation and Wellness was well represented at this year’s Campus Fest. There were multiple tables representing each aspect of the Department such as the Wellness Connection, Outdoor Program and the Student Recreation Center.

While walking past the Department of Recreation and Wellness section students received an ear-full from Dan Mattina, Student Supervisor for the Outdoor Program, as he yelled out while hanging from a tree to lure students in.

“It’s self-promotion for free climbing at the Wall,” Mattina said.

Mattina, treasurer of the Outdoor Adventure Club, represented his organization to earn more members while also distributing approximately 150 informational flyers on the Outdoor Program to students. He promoted the new General Physical Education course; white water rafting.

Next to the guy shouting from the tree, a popular table each year at Campus Fest, was the Student Wellness Network, a student-run healthy life-styles organization known for passing out condom beads to students for free.

“We had a line of like 89 million people backed up all the way to the snow cones for condom beads.” Mindy Radabaugh, Vice President of the Student Wellness Network, said. “It was fantastic.”

The Student Wellness Network covers all types of wellness topics such as body image, sexual health, mental health, fitness, nutrition, tobacco and alcohol.

Representing all areas of recreation and wellness was Amy Sheldrick, the Administrative Secretary of the Wellness Connection.

Sheldrick said her table handed out multiple flyers on the various services and information. Sheldrick also helped conduct a fitness survey to see what group exercise classes students would be interested for the spring semester and what times they prefer to work out.

Sheldrick’s main message to students as they walk by: “Check out Recreation and Wellness; we have something to offer everyone.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey, every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Because of these alarming results, the month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 82 BGSU students lined up at the starting line for the second annual Sexual Assault Awareness 5K. The event was put on by The Department of Recreation and Wellness to raise money to increase the awareness of sexual assault and educate the community on how to prevent it.

Director of the Wellness Connection Faith Yingling emphasized the importance of sexual assault awareness, “On average, one in four women are the victim of attempted or completed sexual assault by the time they graduate,” she said. “It is crucial that we pool together and do something about this issue.”

All of the proceeds made from this event were given to the Cocoon Shelter. The Cocoon Shelter opened its doors to battered women and children on June 14^th, 2005. Since then it has been a safe emergency home to the overwhelming amount of women and children in the area that are in need of help.

The event gave participants the option to run or walk during the 5K. There was no pressure as to who would get across the finish line first, but rather an emphasis that everyone who crossed the finish line contributed to a good cause. A lot of students found this as an opportunity to get a good work out in while making a difference.

“College women are a huge target for sexual assault, and because I fit into that category I thought it was more than necessary to come out and run to increase awareness,” said participant Sarah Nitkiewicz.

The Department of Recreation and Wellness strives on making the Bowling Green community a safe and healthy place to live. “We really appreciate all of those who participated in this year’s 5K, and encourage more students to come out next year,” Yingling said. “We are already looking forward to next year’s race!”

The streets of Bowling Green were a little less populated this past Friday night as many students flocked to the recreation center for a healthier source of entertainment.

The Department of Recreation and Wellness hosted their 12^th annual BIG Playground event Friday evening. The event is designed to prove to students that there are fun ways to spend weekend nights other than indulging in irresponsible behavior. Students received a free water bottle and extra goodies when signing a pledge to be responsible on spring break. The Department of Recreation and Wellness works hard every year to encourage student health and safety.

Despite the hazardous weather, students trudged through snow and slush to enjoy a series of activities including 3 on 3 basketball tournaments, an inflatable obstacle course, inflatable jousting and face painting. Many students took advantage of the free food and beverages that was offered as well.

Sophomore Audrey Backes decided to return after participating in the event last year. “This is a really good time of the year to hold an event like this. For me, this weather really puts a damper on weekends, and BIG Playground is a great way to have some indoor fun,” she said.

Freshman Taylor Tucker mentioned how she had been looking forward to BIG Playground to meet new people. “As a freshman you are always looking for ways to make new friends, BIG Playground allows you to let loose and do things you don’t normally do as a college student.” “I would definitely come back again,” she said.

Every year BIG Playground provides students with a great way to set responsibility aside while still being responsible. BIG Playground is proof that students can have a great time without making bad decisions.