U of L hosts week of activities to help students flourish

By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 13, 2025.

Herald photo by Alexandra Noad A student plays Jenga on Wednesday as part of the university's Play and Carnival Day of Flourishing Week to commemorate the re-launch of the university's rec-rooms.

The University of Lethbridge held a play and carnival activity in their Science Atrium as part of their first ever Flourishing Week.

Shaylona Raju-Bunnage, student wellness outreach coordinator for the university, says Flourishing Week accompanied the relaunch of the on-campus rec-rooms.

“These places are for students to come hangout, connect (and) take a break from studying.”

There are 11 rec rooms around the university’s campus including two in housing. They contain a variety of games such as Ping-Pong, foosball, air hockey, puzzles and colouring. Raju-Bunnage says there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

“(There’s) a wide variety of (activities) for students to come, find something they love and be able to connect with each other as well.”

The week’s activities were curated around Corey Keyes, an American sociologist, research on “five multivitamins of flourishing.”

The themes of each day covered each of the “multivitamins” including play, connection, helping others, spiritualty, and learning.

Wednesday’s theme was play and Raju-Bunnage says she wanted to incorporate as many different types of play as she could including colouring, physical activity with cornhole, mental exercise with jenga and chess games and creativity with a photo booth and airbrush tattoos.

The university is also planning on opening an outdoor rec room within the next year or so but are hosting a survey to get students feedback on what they would like to see in the space.