OrgSync volunteers make cards for hospital patients.
Photo by Jessica Swink
Western Carolina University held its annual Earth & Wellness Celebration on Tuesday, April 15 in the UC Grandroom. There were over 30 booths available to educate on the general aspects of health and wellness for both human bodies and the earth.
Most booths were ran by students participating in various programs on campus while Power 90.5, the campus radio station, broadcasted from the level below. The celebration itself was led by both the Office of Sustainability and Energy Management and Campus Recreation & Wellness. Both departments had booths of their own at the event.
“Getting to celebrate wellness is awesome,” Julia Harril, a representative of Campus Recreation & Wellness, said. “I’m a nutrition major, so being able to promote healthy eating is cool.”
Campus Recreation & Wellness wasn’t the only department emphasizing taking care of the body. Base Camp Cullowhee counselors were also present, encouraging passersby to join their program.
Base Camp Cullowhee counselors show off their best smiles.
Photo by Jessica Swink
“Base Camp is an outdoor program, so we encourage people to go outside and respect it,” Madison Crawley, one of the counselors, said. “We’re not just recreational. We’re educational.”
Even though most of the event was directed towards current wellness and promoting wellness, WCU OrgSync was present with a reminder to think of those who aren’t currently well. Their booth was covered with construction paper and glue, and both individuals at the both were hard at work making cards.
“We’re trying to understand that some people may already be sick or hurt,” Karen Farmer of OrgSync said. “So we’re making cards to encourage people to get well and be well.”
The overall message, though, was wellness of the earth. The event itself was held to celebrate Earth Day, something many of the visitors and presenters took to heart. ECOCats, one of the newer clubs on campus, had their own booth with tiny ecosystems made from soil, charcoal, and moss, each contained inside a tiny jar.
Tiny ecosystems in jars presented by ECOCats.
Photo by Jessica Swink
“For me personally, it’s extremely important that we should start making our own habits,” Monica Suarez of ECOCats said. “Instead of using the ones given to us by our parents or the previous generation, we should decide for ourselves what action we’re going to take.”
