The Wellness Center at St. Olaf prides itself on providing a drug-free atmosphere on campus by supplying the students with clean and sober activities. Last Saturday, the Wellness Center Committee as well as members of the Pause and other students worked together to present Wellstock, an outdoor festival which gave students seven hours of music, food and outdoor activities on Mellby lawn.

Wellstock has been going on for over 20 years, and will continue as long as the weather cooperates and bands are willing to perform. This year Wellstock took over a month of planning by student and faculty volunteers.

"St. Olaf is an academically challenging school; it's important to balance all parts of your life in a healthy way. Wellstock is a way of doing just that," said Pamela Mannebach, coordinator of the Wellness Center. "We have all had cabin fever all year; this is a healthy way to take some time out for yourself and enjoy spring."

During the festivities the six student bands from St. Olaf, "Barefoot Us", "Nathan Miller and the Silence", "Goldie Wilson", "Sketch", "3 Middle Class White Guys Play the Blues", and "Jamestown", took turns gracing the stage with a variety of different music. Each group had 45 minutes to play in front of Boe Memorial Chapel, with a 15 minute set up period beforehand. A lot of the bands performed in last week's "Battle of the Bands" competition in the Pause including the winner "Jamestown".

Bon Apetit served a picnic lunch outside Buntrock Commons, for anyone who wanted to eat and listen to the bands at the same time, while volunteers worked booths around the stage. The Wellness Committee had a table set up for those who wanted to buy a tee shirt or participate in tie-dying their own Wellstock tee shirt. Inter Hall Council set up a dunk tank where anyone could douse certain members of the administration, faculty and student body. The Hope Honor House had a fishing wall for anyone to try and catch a prize to help raise money for a charity of the house's choice. Students also created their own activities as well; frisbee for the active, and napping for those who didn't get enough sleep the night before.

Saturday was an extremely busy day on campus with the Presidential Inauguration, Mother/Daughter Banquet, Riverboat, and Wellstock all happening. "Wellstock has always been on the last day in April; we had no way of planning around the other events," said Mannebach. "It's a great way for students to be outside and hang out together and the other programs going on can benefit from that as well."

The festival did benefit from the other events. Mothers and daughters stopped before and after the banquet to watch the bands and tie dye a shirt. Even alumni could sit or reminisce about their Wellstock, 20 years ago. Weather was in the mid-70's with a slight breeze blowing over the hill. They couldn't have asked for a better day.