The Recreation and Wellness Program (UREC) runs strong despite COVID-19 halting some activities. William Harrell, the director of this program, is committed to serving his students and wants to provide as much as he can given the current climate.
However, Harrell wants to show students that there are several interconnecting parts that contribute to a person’s wellness. For example, throughout the program he runs he tries to incorporate the 8 pillars of wellness: relational, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, professional, financial and community wellness.
Given the current restrictions Harrell is facing from the COVID-19 pandemic many of the school’s famed recreation events, such as intramural sports like flag football and basketball, have been cancelled. Harrell saw this as a perfect opportunity to join with the Student Activities Organization to create what is called “The Fun Zone”. Here, Harrell is able to host events large and small in a safe environment while incorporating the 8 pillars of wellness.
Events under the umbrella title of The Fun Zone can look like anything from push up contests and stand up yoga to dance instruction and ping pong tournaments. Since the Fall, 21 events have taken place through The Fun Zone and they have 19 events planned for the month of March alone. One of these events students can look forward to is FunkSoul. This is a group that will come to CMAC and teach students dances such as “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira and others. This event will follow all social distancing protocols and will also be offered virtually for students that would like to participate. Senior Tyler Duncan, who typically participates in intramural sporting events, stated, “[he] hopes these activities can give us the feeling of normalcy again.”
The Recreation Program is designed to immerse students in recreational activities whether they have experience in those activities or not. These recreational activities can vary significantly from day-to-day. When most people think of recreation activities a variety of sports are the first thing that comes to mind.
Aside from sanctioned events taking place the Recreation and Wellness Program continues to rent equipment for free as they have in the past. Students can take advantage of a wide range of equipment including but not limited to: board games, ping pong, pool equipment, hiking gear, a campfire set, paddleboards, kayaks, tennis rackets, roller blades, etc. The recreation department is also pleased to announce all bikes have been replaced and are brand new. All equipment that is rented out goes through a deep sanitation process to assure students can engage in said activities safely. Students are urged to contact the desk at The Plaza for any inquiries regarding checkouts or questions for Harrell.
By Anthony Wilson
alwilson@vwu.edu
