September, the month of falling leaves and chilly days, is Campus Recreation’s National Preparedness Month. Throughout the coming fall weeks, Campus Recreation’s Wellness Services will provide students with an opportunity to attend workshops with topics ranging from healthy eating, preparing for exams, self-defense and emergency preparedness.

Janet Kroencke, assistant director for wellness services, said Campus Recreation will have a plethora of information for students during the coming weeks.

“We want to be a resource for students and use our own resources to help them be well,” Kroencke said.

During week one, called “Eating Healthy,” students will have the opportunity to receive a “wellness zone check-up” sponsored by the Campus Recreation Personal Training program and McKinley Health Center. The check-ups will continue throughout the academic year, and students can receive a free check-up on the first and third Wednesday of every month.

Students can also make a free appointment with a campus dietician to receive information on healthy grocery shopping and label reading and snacking.

Ashley Levit, senior in ACES, said a healthy lifestyle is a necessity for her.

“I like being healthy. I’m not diet crazy, but working out makes me feel better about things going on in my life,” said Levit. “If it’s a free program, I think it would be beneficial for people to take the opportunity to make a change in their life.”

With the help of the Counseling Center, Campus Recreation will also host sessions on exam preparation.

Tom Janicke, senior in Engineering, said he exercises at Campus Rec to relieve some of the stressors of being a student, especially at the beginning of the year when he said students are more stressed.

“I think (working out is) good for stress relief and clearing your head,” Janicke said.

Thursday, students can also get a chance to prepare themselves for safety. From 2-4 p.m. in the CRCE lobby, students can meet with representatives from the Division of Public Safety who will inform students on preparing themselves for a tornado, evacuation planning, Avian flu education and crime prevention.

As Campus Recreation opens its doors to students for National Preparedness Month this September, Janicke said students will take in the information with open arms.

“I think people would go to this,” Janicke said. “If you go to CRCE, it’s packed in the morning and it’s packed at night. This seems like a pretty health-conscious campus.”

Kroencke said she agrees that the outcome and benefits of the program look promising.

“We have 7,000 students come through our facility each day and we take that into account to see how we can help students,” said Kroencke.