By Alina Rezepova, Staff Writer
What do sweets and healthy relationships have in common? Both bring happiness when combined correctly. Real joy comes from building relationships correctly. All you need is to find the right approach and understand how to build healthy relationships.
On Feb. 10, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., an interactive event, “Healthy relationships are sweet: Candy salad edition”, took place in the Student Community Center (SCC) Lobby in honor of Valentine’s Day coming up at Saint Leo University.
The purpose of the event was to show students how to build healthy romantic relationships without harming their mental health. It was a unique opportunity to combine fun and important lessons about trust, honesty, and identity.
“The main idea of this event is romantic relationships. We want to remind students that relationships should be healthy and trustworthy,” said Nathaniel Chavez, Assistant Director ofStudent and Family Engagement.
Building healthy relationships is an important skill for everyone. All relationships should support and help you grow, not hold you back.
Students moved through tables to choose different sweets and assembled their own unique candy salad. Everyone discussed the idea of healthy, romantic, and friendly relationships. The event raised the topic of partners’ mutual respect and the preservation of individuality.
“For the first time, such an event was created in 2023 as part of the Valentine’s Day program. I was the director of this program, and I remember how the students participated with interest in it while simultaneously discussing what makes a relationship strong and enjoyable,” said Chavez.
A few years later, this tradition was firmly established on campus, and now every year during “Leo Love Week,” the Campus Activities Board (CAB) organizes interactive events that combine fun treats with lessons on healthy relationships before the holiday.
The interactive format makes it easy to learn the basic characteristics of a healthy romantic relationship. Students discuss why honesty in relationships is necessary, and trust becomes the basis of any interaction.
The event gave everyone an opportunity to consider how to develop personal strength and form healthy, strong connections.
The candy salad edition goes beyond simply offering students a sweet treat; it represents a deep idea and an attempt by the university to form the right perception of relationships among the younger generation.
By participating in the event, students are encouraged to reflect on themselves and their relationships, while learning valuable life lessons through conversation and interaction.
After this event, the students left with new knowledge and with the understanding that love should bring joy, trust, and honesty. These are the foundations of healthy relationships.
