New year’s resolution on a budget

MEG GROVE Staff Writer

Every year, a vast majority of people’s New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, become fit or get back into the gym. These resolutions are tough to keep while in school and on a budget. UNI recognizes these barriers and provides resources to make it easier for students to practice healthy lifestyle habits.

Gym memberships can be expensive, but UNI provides many opportunities for stu- dents to work out and get their body moving without adding that monthly fee to a budget. Students at UNI pay a recreation fee included in tuition which allows all students drop-in use at the Wellness and Recreation Center (WRC).

Students have access to three fitness centers, gymnasiums, leisure and lap pools, racquetball courts, a spin studio, a boxing center and lounges for free at the WRC.

Students can also participate in programs such as intramurals, sport clubs, group fit- ness classes, personal training, outdoor recreation gear rental, outdoor clinics and aquatics for a small fee.

Working out and keeping your body moving is important for your physical and mental health. “A recent study showed that 90% of respondents agreed that use of the WRC improved their mental health. Additional research shows that WRC users have higher GPAs, higher graduation rates and had a 7% higher retention rate compared to a non-user comparison group,” said Christopher Denison, recreation services director. “This semester we are averaging about 1,000 uses a day and still have room for more.”

Another issue students face is eating healthy while on a budget. Healthy and organic foods tend to be more expensive and busy schedules make for lots of drive-thru stops. UNI tries to help encourage healthy eating habits in multiple ways.

The dining centers offer allergy friendly and vegan options for students with a meal plan. They also offer healthy foods and snacks for students.

Students can also schedule individual appointments with Lisa Smith, Administrative

Dietician/Purchasing Manager, to help them with healthy eating habits. Smith helps students with specialty diets, locating healthy healthy foods in the dining center and eating healthy on and off campus.

Wellness coaching programs are offered “to explore ways to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind and body with a trained wellness coach,” said Shawna Jesse, health promotion coordinator. The wellness coaching programs are covered by the mandatory health fee so students don’t have to pay out of pocket.

According to the UNI website, these wellness coaching sessions, “can help you create a routine, manage stress, eat well, strengthen relationships, practice gratitude and self-compassion, create a balanced budget, make career decisions and move your body in a way that you enjoy.” These sessions help build and strengthen healthy habits.

It’s important to take care of yourself in all aspects of life in order to feel your best. Be sure to check out the Student Health & Well-Being page on the UNI website to see all the programs and services available to students.

Ra Conference

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Different events and services held during this conference included residence life educational group sessions at the Schindler Education Building, wellness activities at the WRC, an award ceremony at Lang Hall Auditorium and even a closing party Saturday night at the Maucker Union Ballrooms.

Another main event of this conference was keynote speaker Sara Lowery. Lowery is known as an experienced and knowledgeable public speaker in areas regarding leadership, mental health support and self-love and support. Lowery currently serves as the assistant director of fraternity and sorority leadership & learning at the

University of Delaware.

Resident assistants are a large part of any university’s residence life system, as they help bridge the gap between residence life leadership and students.

University resident assistants also help administer dorms and strive to keep them as safe and inclusive environments. Another potentially overlooked element of the RA system is that they help students develop in ways that will help them transition to more independent living at later times in their academic career.

Regarding his prior experience as a RA, conference chair Jordan Rockwell said, “My mantra when I was an RA was ‘we comfort the challenged and we challenge the comfortable.’” Rockwell continued, “And really, what it boils down to is how can we better comfort and support the students who may be struggling, whether that be academically or personally, and then how can we challenge those who are a bit more comfortable and encourage growth, and we try to provide them both learning and programmatic opportunities to make them better people as a whole.”

The record number of participants in the conference was 572 in 2014, and the university hopes that this year’s conference will rival or surpass the previ - ous record. The University of Northern Iowa was honored to be able to host this year’s conference regarding the professional development of the Midwest’s college resident assistants. The department of Housing and Dining is looking forward to being able to carry on this tradition for a 33rd year in 2024.

Bachelor

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Secondly, the show leaves out major portions of representation of the female population, frequently featuring thin, toned, white women. It took till the later seasons for representation of people of color to appear (which is still in need of improvement), but throughout 44 seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” combined, there have only been “two plus-size contestants,” one a professional surfer, and the other an offensive lineman in the NFL. In an article by Refinery 29, they theorized that though there is no specific weight requirement or limit, it is because “anyone over a size 12, say, is weeded out via the application,” though I think size 6 is more accurate. Even in July of 2022, a social media initiative was launched by a group of fans called “Roses for Everybody,” The campaign had one small request cast at least five plus-size people and give them equitable screen time compared to everyone else. Despite this, their simple requests were still not met.

The bigger problem comes from the reaction from fans in 2021, during Matt James’ season, one of his friends was caught body shaming a contestant. The friend said “Now, how was Victoria’s body? You know, cause when I look at her, it doesn’t look nice…and you’ve been making out with this woman,” according to Kerry Justich. Mind you, this contestant is not plus-size and even so received a fair share of criticism.