On Wednesday, four dogs from Purdue University’s Canine Educators program visited the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center for the "Track to a Better You" event, aimed at helping students relieve semester stress. The canine participants included Petunia, a basset hound; Edey, a chocolate lab; Posie, a black lab; and Jamba, a beagle. Sarah Schroeder, an animal protocol technologist with the College of Veterinary Medicine, explained that the program allows veterinary science students to work with real dogs, offering them a chance to unwind and de-stress.
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Alongside the therapy dogs, Natalie’s Second Chance Shelter also participated by promoting opportunities for volunteering and pet adoption, while allowing students to interact with dogs like Colby, Carrie Ann, and Greta. Volunteer Deanna Vaughan emphasized the universal appeal of dogs, noting, "I mean, who doesn’t love dogs?"
The event featured 21 campus and Greater Lafayette organizations focused on physical, mental, and financial well-being, with each group providing hands-on activities ranging from CPR demonstrations to interactive affirmation boards. Carmen Williams, a senior administrative assistant for RecWell, noted that the timing was intentional, occurring just before midterm exams to ensure students were aware of available resources.
Williams expressed hopes to engage students before the stress of exams set in, saying, “We thought we’d get them all in one place.” Each participating group was required to host a brief interactive activity, encouraging student participation.
At the Boiler Financial Track’s table, students participated in a money-blowing machine challenge, competing for prizes like T-shirts. Dan Rohrer, assistant director of Boiler Financial Track, highlighted that the primary goal was to raise awareness about financial resources available on campus.
Another interactive feature was a "passport" challenge, where students collected stamps for visiting each table, earning a free T-shirt for collecting nine stamps. They also completed a survey to help RecWell assess the event’s effectiveness.
The turnout exceeded expectations, with T-shirts running out less than an hour into the event. Williams had anticipated about 250 to 300 attendees, but was pleasantly surprised by the number of participants.
Freshman Gwen Tempel attended primarily to see the dogs but was pleased to discover campus resources she hadn't known about, while fellow freshman Vanessa Gogel expressed concerns about finding time for workshops amid her homework load. Chris Hanes, assistant vice provost for student well-being, emphasized the importance of making these resources visible to students, stating, “It’s an opportunity for students to engage in the resources.”