Lifestyles of the Young and Healthy

Anton Pavlov ’09 is on a mission. The resident assistant for wellness housing wants Bentley students to know that alcohol- and drug-free living are more than an antidote to noisy dorm life. The choices are a positive, fulfilling lifestyle in their own right.

Now in its second year, wellness housing replaces “substance-free” housing, which was discontinued in 2005. Although similar in some ways, the two programs have important distinctions.

“Students in substance-free housing signed a contract that they wouldn’t do drugs, smoke, or consume alcohol on or around the premises,” explains Kate Tippo, assistant director of residence life. “Wellness housing is more holistic. It’s about trying to find a balance in life, and bringing together people who are interested in common themes.”

Creating Community

The new philosophy appealed to Pavlov, an economics-finance major who grew up in Russia before attending high school in Connecticut.

“I am really into wellness myself,” he explains. “Wellness housing offers a network of people you can meet and hang out with. Some people choose not to drink in high school, and we want to let people know they can continue that in college and have a good time.”

The 27 students in the program for 2007-2008 live in the Cape, Castle and Stratton residences, near the Dana Center on south campus. Many include regular exercise in their life, Pavlov says, mentioning soccer, gym workouts, jogging and Frisbee as popular choices. This semester, the students started a volleyball team.

Students can choose from a full calendar of social events. Past activities include group restaurant outings, a career fair, game nights, yoga and meditation, and a cooking party. Soon after arriving in September, students competed in a scaled-down version of television’s The Amazing Race, where they set out to photograph historic Boston hotspots; the fastest team received a prize.

Challenging Stereotypes

Students may arrive on campus packing misperceptions about college life shaped by movies such as American Pie and Animal House, according to Pavlov. 

“I met a lot of freshmen last year who didn’t want to drink, but they ended up doing it by default,” he notes. “They said, ‘I guess this is what you do.’ We try to let students know that there are other options.”

Although wellness housing serves sophomores, juniors and seniors right now, there are plans to expand the program to first-year students who are committed to a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s not only about wellness physically, but wellness mentally,” observes Pavlov. “Students want to figure themselves out, and figure out where they are in life. Wellness housing is a good atmosphere for that.”