By Skylar Carrignan, Currier Times Staff///

For the second year in a row, Curry’s Student Activities Office hosted Waffles and Wellness on November 15th. The event had a waffle bar located in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). Students lined up to decorate their waffles with various toppings. Toppings included strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and of course, maple syrup.

Owen Bynum, a senior Public Relations student, has recently been focusing on self care after a strenuous soccer season.

“I have been trying to make it to more on campus events and knew that Waffles and Wellness was one I had to go to,” said Bynum. “I wish that I had made an attempt to get to events like this before my senior year.”

After enjoying a waffle, students were invited to head over to the next room, the Quiet Study Lounge, for a variety of activities. In the lounge, there was a station for students to build a zen garden.

A miniature Zen garden can be made for a sensory experience by adding sand to a shallow container. A rake can be
combed through to make designs and sometimes is referred to as the adult version of kinetic sand.

SAO laid out every color of sand imaginable in preparation for the DIY Zen garden. Along with the sand, there were marbles and seashells to incorporate into the Zen garden. The finishing touch of the Zen garden was the rake to make the experience complete.

Another activity in the lounge was aromatherapy bracelets. Aromatherapy bracelets are made by letting a beaded bracelet made of lava rock. There are different forms of lava rock that build different moods such as the Tiger’s Eye which is meant to relieve anxiety. The ultimate purpose of an aromatherapy bracelet is to take in the energy of the oils you put into the bracelet.

Destiny Florentino, a senior Criminal Justice major, used this event as a way to wind down after finishing a ten-page paper.

“I had been stressing the last 6 hours before this and this felt like a reward,” said Florentino. “I loved the Zen garden the most because it’s actually something I will use when I am stressing about another paper.”

Fidget toys were scattered among the activities in the lounge. The keychain fidget toys ended up being a hit as it was something students could throw on the same lanyard as their room key.

Students were invited to sign up for a massage in the Grey Meeting room. A professional masseuse was present for the 2 hour long event.

Zach Basch, a sophomore Graphic Design student, has had a lot on his plate as the semester comes to an end. With multiple projects due by the end of the week, Zach decided to carve out an hour of his time to attend Waffles and Wellness before a long night in the Learning Commons.

“I ended up taking my Zen garden, bracelet and fidget toy to Lcom with me!” said Basch. “I’m not sure if it was the deadline or the mixture of wellness activities that made me get all my work done, but I think I have to give some credit to Waffles and Wellness.”