Every Monday The Office of Wellbeing, known as Thrive, sets up a table in the lobby of Reynolda Gym from the hours of four to six to educate students on nutritious eating. I had no idea this event series existed until I was leaving the gym after a workout last week. Since I was in a hurry, I didn’t stop and learn more but kept wishing I had later. The following week in my journalism class I was given an assignment to write a story on an event of my choice. When browsing the WFU calendar, I came across “Thrive’s Golden Apron Cooking Class: Peanut Butter Energy Bites,” and was set on this event.
On Monday at 4 p.m., a couple friends and I visited the table to gather interviews and learn more about Thrive to write our article. After seeing the delicious energy bites, we all had to make one. We grabbed gloves, rolled up the peanut butter, oat, chocolate chip mix and tossed them in coconut flakes. The energy bites were delicious, and I had no idea how much I would enjoy the event. It was fun, informational, and quick. Since the event is a drop-in style, students can stay as long as they like.
I learned a lot about the Thrive office and the campus’ action plan to promote healthy eating. Thrive’s mission is to implement healthy lifestyle choices on campus in a variety of ways. They strive to improve the eight aspects of wellbeing: spiritual, financial, occupational, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, and physical. After talking with Thrive’s Event Coordinator and the campus nutritionist, I learned that the Office of Wellbeing is an incredible resource that caters to students’ health needs. I had never realized how many people work in this department to ensure that Wake Forest fosters health and remains an environment where students can flourish in every aspect of life. I left the event feeling very lucky to go to a university that values health on a holistic level.
Sources: https://thrive.wfu.edu