"Staying Healthy in College."

By, Laura Gurevitz

Easton, Mass.

Transitioning into college can be difficult when it comes to healthy eating and working out.

“Arriving at college I became very nervous about beginning classes, meeting new people, but most of all deciding what foods to eat at the cafeteria. I had first visited Stonehill College on a tour and was shocked to see how much food we could choose from. I was not sure if they would have what I was used to having at home. During the first few months of school I just went in the lines that were easiest, and most comfortable. However the problem was most of the lines consisted of fried foods and other fats. This was the cause of my first year weight gain,” said Ashley Cohen.

According to the National Institute of Health, as freshman, many students gain the notorious "freshman 15" pounds, or more. This is due to a tendency to over eat because many college dining halls feature all-you-can-eat.

“When I first arrived at college, I was anxious and excited to start my first year at Stonehill,” said Stonehill Senior Paulina Curto.

“My parents brought me straight to the grocery store and I stocked up on all the foods I enjoyed and that were easy to keep in my dorm room. The problem was I bought mostly junk food.

When I was afraid to venture to the cafeteria in the beginning I would just sit and eat the food I had already bought.”

College students also frequently dine out, which puts them at risk of consuming high calorie, high fat foods on a regular basis.

“Students have a choice of being put on several different meal plans. Some are more expensive than others. When entering the cafeteria we have so many options. There are fried foods, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts. So much food is at our fingertips it is difficult to know which ones are good for you and which ones we should stay away from. The Hill card can also be used at the Hill which has even more food you crave, and off campus at Bertuccis which makes it easy to dine out,” said Alessandra Boniface.

In the recent years, Stonehill and Sodexho have worked together to show students which foods are better than others at the cafeteria. There are health sheets and calorie books located around the dining hall. According to Sodexho, campus meal plans have both a nutritional and an economical value and they work to make them as flexible and convenient as possible.

“We provide a lot of services for our students here at Stonehill. We have a number of pamphlets in our office that explain important ways to keep healthy in college. We help provide a model of college health,” said Diane Leary, director of Health Services.
Along with eating well, it is also important to exercise and keep active to maintain healthy status during college years.

Stonehill college offers students access to personal training, a recreational weight room, varsity weight room, cardio fitness center, field house and indoor track, dance studio, racquetball and tennis courts.

“It makes it very easy to work out at Stonehill. We have a gym within walking distance away from us. Although it is small, we have all the equipment we need to keep active and stay in shape,” said senior Melissa Bauer.

“In high school I always thought of myself as an active person. When I heard that Stonehill offered exercise classes, I immediately joined in on them. After two years, I soon began to teach the classes myself. I currently teach a boot camp class and a yoga class. All my friends come and we have a great time working out!” said Melissa Gilmore.

Stonehill College offers many activities in which students have the opportunity to become active and have fun. Stonehill also provides their students with many food choices and a great knowledge of nutrition.