ARC ‘one-stop shop’ for fitness
Stacey Krawczyk of Champaign gives a demonstration on frugal foods at the ARC on Thursday. Krawczyk is a registered dietitian and says, “The best way to save money at the grocery store is to go in with a list of what you want to buy.” Cooking and other c Erica Magda
September 23, 2008
Upon stepping into the ARC, there are basketball courts, an outdoor swimming pool and a lot of treadmills. Upstairs is the track, downstairs are the weights. It seems like the typical gym. However, on the ARC’s lower levels there is more than expected.
On the level below the first floor, there is an auditorium, an instructional kitchen and the Wellness Center.
Stacey Krawczyk is one of two registered dieticians hired to teach students and community members how to cook healthy meals while saving money.
“We all know how to eat healthy, but do we do it?” Krawczyk asked.
The instructional kitchen is made to offer students a healthy and cost-efficient lifestyle. Classes available for fall semester include LunchAbles, Healthy College Cooking, Frugal Food, Cultural Connections and Funk-tional Foods for Healthy Hearts. Costs vary and each class lasts between one and two hours.
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Dietetic students also have an opportunity to gain valuable experience through these classes. Samantha Weiss, senior in ACES, is one of the student volunteers in the kitchen.
A certain number of hours are required before you can apply for internships, Weiss said. It is a good way to gain experience and learn about the nutrition field, she added.
The Wellness Center, located next to the Instructional Kitchen, offers students the sources to gain personal wellness. The idea behind the center is “one-stop shopping,” said Jayne DeLuce, associate director of the ARC. All aspects of wellness are collaborated into one center. Physical, spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional and occupational wellness are inter-related and each affects a person equally, she added.
The center offers counseling in groups as well as one-on-one.
“If your life seems out of whack, this gives you an avenue for a wellness lifestyle,” DeLuce said.
ARC is not only devoted to health, but entertainment as well. Cycling classes are offered while watching Grey’s Anatomy.
They also have Brain and Body Virtual Cycling: Tour de Mexico. The class was designed to keep students entertained, healthy and educated.
“People get bored. Keep ’em interested,” said Ashley Rodriguez, intern for ARC and senior in Business.
ARC also has a 150-seat auditorium for a variety of uses, including information sessions for new employees and kinesiology lectures, Rodriguez said.
“We’re not looking at just the physical, but all dimensions of wellness,” DeLuce said
