Health and food are topics that families worry about when providing nutrition for their kids, especially when the food now sold in supermarkets is typically genetically modified and have false labeling. Well parents, health and food are no longer our foes; that’s where the Wellbeing club comes into play. The club focuses on well-known companies such as Monsanto, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and how they own other companies that genetically modify products.

According to group leaders Cassiel Thom and Camryn Rodriguez-Scott, Monsanto, a big agricultural corporation has been donating money to prevent labeling of GMOs on products that are later going to the stores. The scary part of it all is that the club handed out a piece of paper containing brand food names that Monsanto owns like Nature Valley, Nestle, Heinz, and so many other products that consumers buy on a regular basis.

“Me and Cassiel both are really inspired to be healthier, and we came together on this and wanted to share it with the students,” said Rodriguez-Scott.

This club is so much more than food. They also talk about yoga, mindfulness, wellbeing, stress relievers, and fitness, which are helpful resources for high school students who struggle with stress and anxiety. Thom and Rodriguez-Scott really focus on the topics by creating powerpoints containing information and examples of how you can cope with high school. This also focuses on giving you activities to do or a quick exercise to get you off the funk.

The fun part about this club is that it includes everybody in the conversation; you don’t sit back silently. Instead, Thom and Rodriguez-Scott inspire you to speak and are open-minded to what you have to say. The two take the ideas you have into consideration and incorporate that into their presentations, making you feel like a true part of the club rather than just a person that always goes to meetings and sits there.

“I think it really helps when you have a community all striving for the greater health of themselves. Being able to to bring it together with someone else, you realize that you share a common interest, and that’s a really good feeling,” said Thom.  

The club also provides a drawing to win health-related prizes. On Feb. 9, Aran Stutzman and Brette Ramsay won a $10 gift card to Homebase, and every meeting, Thom and Rodriguez-Scott plan to do the same thing.

“We’re open to suggestions for just anything to make the club better,” said Rodriguez-Scott. As the leaders stated, they’re open to suggestions and they even like it when people stand up. They offer students an opportunity to lead meetings and share a topic; they really want to emphasize a “community” vibe.

The club is a fun environment filled with laughter, seriousness when needed, and advocacy to maintain a proper, healthy lifestyle with minimal stress. For a place where you can go express your opinions, be heard, and have a serious conversation about topics you truly care about, check out the Wellbeing Club! They meet in Room 277 every Tuesday.