Health-related activities and the role of food in wellness will be held during the annual Wellness Week on Feb. 18-22.

Wellness Week was created by the University Wellness program as a collaboration of events offered by different departments outside of the University Wellness Program. While the week focuses on many dimensions of wellness, there are four events that promote healthy eating for wellness: Screen on the Green, the LiveWell Fair and Empty Bowl Project and the SUPER Chef competition.

This diverse perspective shows multi-faceted wellness and how it affects every part of our lives, ShoVonda Sewell, University Wellness graduate assistant, said.

“Wellness Week is about learning how to live well outside of the stereotypical wellness campaigns,” Sewell said.

A new system of passports will be handed out during the Block Party for those interested in attending the LiveWell Fair, Michelle Martin, director of University Wellness, said.

Block Party

Wellness Week will kick off tomorrow with a block party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rotunda.  At this event students will see a preview of the kind of events that will take place and win prizes, Martin said.

There will be food, music, face painting and a chair massage. The GSU Store will have a pop-up store with bright clothing to keep with the festive theme of “glow” week, Martin said.

Students should take advantage of the activities featured in this week and learn more about healthy eating, Mary Noreika, freshman early childhood education major, said.

“Wellness Week is a good idea. It’s hard to stay healthy when you are a freshman and getting used to everything,” Noreika said.

Screen on the Green

The documentary “Forks over Knives” will play at Sweetheart Circle Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. “Forks over Knives” challenges the public to examine what portion of their diet come from meat or animal based products and compares it to a diet based on whole foods, Martin said.

“I’ve been toying around with the idea of vegetarianism for myself, and it had a profound impact on me. It was the most thought provoking documentary on food and health,” Martin said.

Showing this documentary kept coming up in conversation with faculty and students, and it seemed to be intriguing to them, Martin said.

LiveWell Fair and Empty Bowl Project

The LiveWell Fair is a combination of 50 venders where students can discuss wellness and learn how they can utilize health related student organizations on campus. Students who visit a variety of vendors will receive a free t-shirt, Martin said.

The annual LiveWell Fair will take place on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Russell Union. This year it will be complimented by the recurrence of the Empty Bowl Project, which will be held at the same time in the Rotunda, Martin said.

Students can support the Empty Bowl Project by purchasing a hand-painted bowl of chili outside near the Rotunda. The Empty Bowl Project is held annually in the fall but will be featured during Wellness Week to raise awareness on the impact hunger has on healthful living, Martin said.

“These bowls have very intricate details that we haven’t seen in the fall event. There are lots of Georgia Southern bowls, and I recently saw a paisley bowl. People are getting really creative,” Martin said.

SUPER Chef

SUPER Chef is a culinary competition that will be held outside the Russell Union Ballroom Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students will compete with certified chefs from Eagle Dining Services, Sewell said.

“SUPER Chef allows students to dig into that inner interest of trying something new,” Sewell said.

Sewell said contestants will be given a secret ingredient they must cook with, which will allow students to experiment and challenge themselves.