Students scale walls for health

                 The University of Oklahoma Women’s Outreach Center promoted a healthy student lifestyle during the Climb for Komen event at the Huston Huffman Center. The event, which took place at Center’s rock climbing wall on March 23 and 24 at 6:30 pm, and March 25 at 4 and 6:30 pm, supported Susan G. Komen for the Cure, giving students a chance to rock climb while also providing information on how to prevent breast cancer with healthy fitness and nutritional habits.

                  The Women’s Outreach Center worked with Fitness and Recreation to organize the event. Komen Graduate Assistant Elizabeth Hart was a primary organizer, and emphasizes the importance of physical health as a preventative measure to take against cancer.

                  “A healthy lifestyle…is one of our four initiatives,” said Hart. According to Hart, physical fitness is part of such a lifestyle, and rock climbing is a form of exercise that can keep students physically fit.

                  Students who paid the $10 registration fee not only had a chance to scale the walls, learning rock climbing skills and strategies, but also received a free t-shirt, healthy snacks, and information on maintaining breast health. The registration fee proceeds all directly benefitted Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

                  Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an organization which focuses on educating students on breast cancer, and providing screenings and outreach.  This year’s event marked the 4^th annual Climb for Komen benefit put on by OU to support the organization.

                  The event encouraged physical fitness through rock climbing, but, according to Hart, a healthy diet is part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Healthy snacks were provided to reinforce the importance of nutrition.

                  “We will be having a parfait buffet, as I like to call it, with yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit,” said Hart. According to Hart, such foods are examples of the kinds of nutritious snacks that students should partake of to maintain dietary health.

                  Both men and women attended the event. Hart encourages men to participate not only because men are also susceptible to breast cancer, but to support their girlfriends, female family members, and friends.

                  “We work very much on the basis that everyone is different,” said Hart, “but breast cancer does not discriminate. 

Cafeteria gives students the choice to be healthy

                Upon entering college, students are faced with myriad new freedoms regarding schoolwork, time management, and social activities. The University of Oklahoma’s student cafeteria, Couch Restaurants, recently underwent renovations that expand another aspect of student freedom – choosing how to eat.

                  Officials say that the $10 million year-long renovation began in fall 2008 and equipped the cafeteria – commonly referred to as “The Caf” among students—with free wi-fi, LCD screen TVs, a new coffee shop, and an abundance of new food options. The cafeteria is now comprised of 14 different restaurants, providing students with a diverse array of options.

                  Students can find Greek food at the Athens restaurant, while Casa del Sol offers a Mexican-style menu. Italian dishes, like pizza and pastas, can be found at La Roma, and students craving frozen yogurt can find it at Freshens.

                  Most notable among these and other additions may be the university’s attempt to provide a wide variety of healthy options. The Vegetation Station offers dishes that are not only made with nutrient-rich vegetables, but, according to the Housing and Food Department, are vegetarian-friendly, vegan-friendly, and suitable for students with food-specific allergies.

                  “Salad Sensations in Couch is a great destination for everything salad,” said Chuck Weaver, Food Services Director, referring to the cafeteria’s salad bar. Located near the center of the Caf, Salad Sensations features dozens of fresh produce options, nuts, fruit, and other nutritionally-sound toppings.

                  According to Weaver, every restaurant in Couch Restaurants has the ability to produce vegetarian entrees.

                  “The Caf is full of choices,” said Tim Attocknie, Food Service employee. “There are healthy, low-calorie choices right alongside the less-healthy ones.”

                  Some “less-healthy” options were also part of the renovation. The Sooner Sweet Shoppe provides not only a full-service coffee bar, but also a dazzling array of dessert options, including cookies, pie, cheesecake, tarts, and other appealing sweets.

                  Attocknie emphasizes the fact that the cafeteria’s additions are important because students are no longer limited to a small number of dishes; they enable students to eat according to their own dietary desires, healthy or not.

                  “It’s upon the students to choose what they eat,” Attocknie said. 

"Willpower" seminar promotes student health

Free Wednesday seminars at the Huston Huffman Fitness Center are drawing students in during their lunchtime break.

A different subject is discussed every seminar, with the primary theme circling around health and fitness, especially for college students. 

Dubbed “Willpower Wednesdays”, the seminars take place in the Conference Room of the Huff, in the S.J. Sarkeys Complex. Students are encouraged to bring brown-bagged lunches to the 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. seminars.

“Willpower Wednesdays is cool because there is a different topic every week, and they are all interesting, so it…motivates you in a bunch of different ways,” said Charles Reynolds, economics senior.

Reynolds is like many of the attendees—drawn in by the idea of free, useful information. He first agreed to go with a friend, but decided to return after finding the information to be interesting and relevant to himself.

“It gives you ideas about how to eat best or workout most efficiently, so you learn a lot,” Reynolds said.

Topics vary to include nutritional advice, exercise-related information, and even tips to stay motivated. The seminar on Feb 16 discussed caloric intake and was called “Calories, how many should you be eating and burning.” The most recent seminar, which took place on March 2, also related to diet: “Delicious healthy recipes, bring yours to share too!”

Organized by the university’s Department of Fitness and Recreation, the seminars provide students with legitimate knowledge on how to stay physically healthy, officials say. Reasons for attending vary among students—some might want to know how to lose weight, while others may be interested in how to build up muscle—but everyone is drawn together by the common goal of achieving health and receiving valid information on how to do so.

           Students seeking a more fitness-oriented lecture might be interested in the upcoming April 6 seminar: “New to exercise? How to get started and stick to it.”  Those seeking more than motivation can attend the April 20 “Short distance race training” lecture to get tips on training and learn about the benefits of doing so.