Claman leaves a healthy legacy withWellness Week

COURTESY OF ALLIE CLAMAN
Nutritionist Diana Lipson-Burge and senior group leader Allie Claman address the Chadwick student body about healthy eating and body image during the Wellness Week assembly.
Claman leaves a healthy legacy withWellness Week
by ANTHONY KIM
Wellness Week took place last
week at Chadwick, and according
to founder/organizer Allie Claman, the event generated ”overwhelming positive” feedback. The
event advocated healthy nutrition,
mindfulness and eating disorder
awareness.
Claman, a senior, launched
the event as a part of her Girl
Scout Gold Award project in 2013.
After surveying the community,
she discovered that about 60%
of Chadwick girls who responded
showed symptoms of eating disorders...three times the national
average. In light of the statistics,
Claman began Wellness Week in
fall 2013 to help students become
more aware of good nutrition and
eating disorders.
“This is a pretty prevalent issue at Chadwick,” Claman said.
This year, Wellness Week
events included a showcasing of
Claman and her friends’ favorite
healthful snacks, decorating Tshirts on the main lawn with positive slogans, and screening and
discussing the movie Miss Representation, which focuses on body
image and media. Along with the
help of science teacher Anita Shier,
Claman also led yoga on the main
lawn and hosted Mental Health
Awareness Day with another senior, Zoya Khalil.
Claman was particularly excited for an assembly on Wednesday
during G period. Diana LipsonBurge, a local nutritionist, spoke
to the entire Chadwick community at the mandatory assembly
highlighting healthy nutrition and
wellness. Lipson-Burge serves as
a consultant for feature films, so
most of her clients are professional
athletes, models and actors, which
gave her many vivid experiences to
share at Chadwick.
“I think she hit the nail right
on the head. It was exactly what
Chadwick students needed to hear.
People seemed really engaged for
“Wellness Week has definitely munity.”
the most part, and I think she add- Regardless of Wellness Week’s
ed a nice little dash of humor in had higher participation than last there and that caught people’s at- year. We were almost cleaned out success this year, Claman needed
tention. I thought it was great, and of snacks on Monday, but not to start planning for next year’s
from what I’ve heard, other people quite. On Tuesday, six or seven event due to her upcoming graduapeople brought T-shirts to deco- tion.
did, too,” Claman said.
Prior to this year’s Wellness rate, and some other people helped “I’ve talked to Mrs. Nordland
about this. I hope to pass
Week,
Claman
it on to Peer Mentors to
had a clear goal
to preach healthy
[Wellness Week] has gotten so run. It will possibly have
nutrition by enticmuch support from students...It a different focus, but the
ing potential parwas great to feel that Wellness Week was main goal of the week will
be the same, which is to
ticipants through
help Chadwick students
her well-organized reaching out to the community.”
focus on their mental and
events.
Allie Claman physical wellness. I know
“Last year, the
Organizer of 2015 Wellness Week they’re going to do a great
activities weren’t
job of carrying it forward,”
widely
attended.
Claman said.
I’ve been planning
these activities for a long time, and out, so it was really cool to have As a result of her efforts
to benefit Chadwick students
I hope that people benefited from that big crowd,” Claman said.
them,” she said.
“It has gotten so much sup- through healthy nutrition, Cla Despite the mild shortage in port from students. People have man has successfully impacted the
participants from last year’s Well- given me positive feedback and community by preaching healthful
ness Week, Claman was in shock were very enthusiastic about par- eating, and as a part of her legacy,
when her activities attracted more ticipating in all the activities. It Wellness Week will continue to
students than what she had antici- was great to feel that Wellness become a yearly tradition at Chadpated.
Week was reaching out to the com- wick with help from Peer Mentors.
what’s inside
Meet Chadwick’s new communications director
EK Smith: Is the PCB
program working?
see NEWS p. 2
see OPINIONS p. 8
What Chadwick was like
10 years ago
see FEATURES p. 10
Sports Spotlight:
Jonathan Lin
see SPORTS p. 11