Hi. My name is Katie.

I am the Environmental, Health and Wellness Director for Student Congress this year. The purpose of this position is to coordinate and plan events that are specific to advancing students’ understanding and education of environmental sustainability, and to promote health and wellness on campus. A Better yOU is a new column in the Oakland Post that I will be writing bi-weekly.

One of my goals in this position is to provide students with opportunities to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This would include stress/anxiety relief, healthy eating, fun work out ideas and overall physical, emotional and mental health.

Maybe you just gained the “freshman 15” and are looking for ways to slim down and be healthier. Maybe you’re feeling terrible after eating tons of junk food and watching too much Netflix over the summer. Or maybe school, work and extra activities are stressing you out so much that you can’t sleep and you feel like crying every night. Whatever the reason, I’m here to give you information on how to improve those areas of your life because maintaining a healthy lifestyle is pertinent to a happy lifestyle. I will do my best to answer any questions you may have, and will research any topics that I feel relate to the overall health and wellness of Oakland University students.

Another goal of mine is to educate students on current environmental issues, and to show how Oakland University is taking the initiative to become a “greener” campus. I will also provide you with the information to make more environmentally conscious decisions while going about your own daily activities.

I am only a biology major here at OU, so I am not an expert of all things environmental, health, or wellness related. Clearly, these topics are interesting me, and I will be researching as much as I possibly can to make these articles accurate.

If you have any requests for articles or have questions, please contact me at [email protected]. Stay tuned for more environmental, health, and wellness information!

Upcoming environmental, health and wellness events:

• American Red Cross Club General Meeting: Sept. 8, 12-1 p.m., room 127 in the Oakland Center

• Pre-medical Society General Meeting: Sept. 10, 12-1 p.m., Lake Michigan room in the Oakland Center

• Biomedical Science Society General Meeting: Sept. 23, 12-1 p.m., Heritage room in the Oakland Center

• Student Congress Wellness Carnival: Sept. 24, 4-7 p.m., lawn between the north entrance of the Oakland Center and Bear Lake

• Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection General Meeting: Oct. 2, 12-1 p.m., Lake Superior A room in the Oakland Center