Practicing Mindfulness

Sue Dilsworth of Hearts Journey Wellness will guide a mindfulness workshop Monday, Sept. 19 from noon until 1 p.m. Dilsworth will guide the group through basic principals of meditation and mindfulness. The session will include lecture, experiential components and discussion from evidence-based practices. Participants will learn about mindfulness, meditation, mudras, restorative yoga poses and relaxation techniques.

The session will be held in Kirkhof Center Room 2215. Those with mobility or physical limitations are welcome to participate. Visit www.gvsu.edu/rec for more information.

Origins of Latino Grand Rapids

Grand Valley State University’s Latin American studies department will present a public lecture by historian Delia Fernández Thursday, Sept. 22. Using public records and oral histories, Fernández will discuss how and why Latinos came to West Michigan. The lecture will uncover how Latinos negotiated their relationship with one another and the spaces they lived in to make West Michigan their home and how they formed the origins of a Latino community in the 1940s that has continued to the present.

Women’s Commission Fall Welcome

Grand Valley State University’s Women’s Commission will host its annual Fall Welcome Thursday, Sept. 22. The event will run from noon until 1:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center Grand River Room. The keynote speaker will be Lee VanOrsdel, dean of University Libraries. All faculty and staff members are invited and lunch will be served. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the organization. The Women’s Center and Women’s Commission will be available before the event from 11:15 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. in Kirkhof Center Room 1201.

Healthy Campus Week

Healthy Campus Week is a national initiative from Monday, Sept. 19 until Saturday, Sept. 24. Because Grand Valley State University is part of the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the university will participate in celebrating the healthy choices, both with healthy food options and physical fitness options, available to the GVSU community.

The hope is for students, faculty and staff to participate online using the hashtag #healthycampusweek tagged on their photos of going to the farmers’ market, attending a physical fitness class, going to the recreation center or other healthy activities. Faculty and staff will be entered into a drawing to win a FitBit and students will have a chance to win a Target gift card.

Conversations of Color

Grand Valley State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is hosting “Conversations of Color” Wednesday, Sept. 21 at noon in the OMA Kirkhof Center office. The discussion is meant to have an open forum for people to express their thoughts on specific issues. According to their website, the topic discussed at this meeting will be about “Colin Kaepernick: Peaceful Protests, Citizenship and Racial Oppression.”