Emilie Gonzalez | PantherNOW Staff
What is more relaxing than a day spent at the beach doing yoga?
Students at the Biscayne Bay Campus could attend a free, outside yoga class followed by a beach cleanup. The event was hosted by the Society for Women in Marine Science and Pre-Veterinary Society at the BBC beach on Friday, Feb. 7.
The yoga class was led by Kayla Mercedes, who is a certified yoga instructor under the International Sports Sciences Association.
“We have done beach cleanups before and we see that it is a big event that a lot of people want to come and clean up. It is really important to come out here every few weeks and clean it up and help the environment. It is super important for the community at FIU because there are a lot of marine science majors and they feel like they have a group that represents them and we are helping our earth,” said Valeria Guevara, president of the Society for Women in Marine Science.
A necessary and relaxing break from classes was offered through this event. Both societies that hosted the event supplied the necessary equipment, such as gloves and trash bags, to ensure a safe and proficient cleanup.
Student picking up trash | Emilie Gonzalez, PantherNow
This event was not only a fun way to get involved, but also a way to help the environment and make easy connections with other students. Many students at FIU are not aware that they have access to a campus that is located directly on the bay. This location brings about unique majors and access to activities that one does not usually have on a typical college campus.
Angelyn Hilaire and Farah Lordeus, members of the National Society of Black Women in Medicine gave PantherNow insight on this unique event:
“We love community service and giving back to the community so we are here to enrich our FIU community. I find this event to be fulfilling and it is always nice to give back to the community in any way that we can. The yoga was a nice thing to do and I had never been to an event like that.”
Attendees of the event | Emilie Gonzalez, PantherNow
Students in medical and science-related fields were mostly present due to the nature of the event. However, the event was open to all students and offered service hours to those in the Honors College.
“I found this event on Panther Connect and I was really interested. It was here at the BBC campus and I thought it would be a great opportunity to not only get rid of some of the trash that is here, but also because I like yoga a lot. It sounded really interesting and a good way to get involved with school,” said Leah Samuels, a second-year hospitality student.
Following the cleanup, students gathered in the Marine Science Building and connected while eating Publix sandwiches and relaxing in the shade.
More activities such as this cleanup and yoga class can be found around campus and on PantherConnect. The Society for Women in Marine Science and Pre-Veterinary Society will continue to host events that empower the community and bring about positive environmental impacts.
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