Events

Health and wellness are hot topics these days and The University of Akron Wayne College is planning a series of speakers and special events that will provide relevant and timely information to community members as they seek to make healthy living choices.

Starting this fall, the college is launching “Wayne 360: Build Your Body. Ease Your Mind. Feed Your Soul. Know Your World.” The series takes a holistic approach to wellness and focuses on the mind/body connection.

Organized by new Wayne College Events Coordinator Debbie Muniak, who was brought on board at the beginning of the year to plan events that are both interesting and educational, the series features speakers, live theater, art and film. “As an institution for higher learning, we believe education happens every day, both inside and outside of the classroom,” says Muniak.
Professors and invited speakers will be offering the latest information in the areas of fitness, diet, exercise and stress management. Free massages will be given by students of the college’s new massage therapy program and exercise demonstrations will be led in the gymnasium. These instructor-led sessions will give attendees an opportunity to try tai chi, yoga, Jazzercise and circuit training in a supervised setting.

Wellness extends beyond the physical body therefore the college is partnering with Wayne Center for the Arts to bring its first gallery exhibit to campus. “Vividly Wayne: City Streets, Artifacts & Landscapes” opens to the public beginning Sept. 17 and runs through Nov. 19. The collection features painting, photography and recycled sculpture by locally-known artists.

In November, Wayne brings the nationally known troupe the American Shakespeare Center to campus to perform As You Like It on Friday, Nov. 5 and Macbeth on Saturday, Nov. 6. Recently reviewed by The Washington Post as “shamelessly entertaining” and The Boston Globe as “Phenomenal…bursting with energy,” the performances give the community the opportunity to have a theater experience without having to travel far to get it.

To further enhance the theater experience, the college is offering “Dinner and a Show” for the first time. Prior to Saturday evening’s performance, an Elizabethan-themed dinner will be served in the same building as the show.
In October, Wayne College will be co-sponsoring Candidate’s Night with the League of Women Voters.

Also that month, The University of Akron main campus is hosting China Week. As part of that celebration, a UA student will be sharing a documentary based on her recent trip to Asia that she wrote and produced as part of a class project.
In the spring, the focus will shift to Earth Day as professors of biology and engineering lead a discussion about the state of the environment and what is going on in Washington to find new, cleaner energy sources.

A full calendar of events and more details can be found at www.wayne.uakron.edu or by calling 330-684-8729.

Wilderness Walk Wed., Sep. 1, 10 a.m.
Join a naturalist on the 1st Wed. every month for a walk on our trails. See what’s interesting today! All ages. Free.

Star Watch & Planetarium Show Fri., Sep. 3, 8 p.m.
Join TWC’s Astronomy Club for a Planetarium Show, then view the real things through telescopes. All ages. Free.

Bugs! Drop-in Mon., Sep. 6, 1-4 p.m.