‘Lunch and Learn’ series informs students of the dangers of vaping

JAMES WALLACE ’26 | STAFF WRITER • Wabash students have had the opportunity to discuss the dangers of vaping and nicotine through the campus’s first “Lunch and Learn” series, which ended on February 27, 2023. The series centered around informing the student body about vaping and nicotine dependence was led by Student Development and Wellness Coordinator Tristen Abbott.

“This program was designed to be a positive experience and educational opportunity to start having the conversations we need to have about vaping and nicotine dependence,” said Abbott. “It’s an opportunity to evaluate your own vaping use, if applicable, explore alternative options, and consider how to develop healthier lifestyle habits.”

This educational opportunity was open to any student interested, though it was important that students who signed up attended all of the sessions. This allowed students interested in learning more about vaping and how it can affect them to get the information they wanted.

The four-week program aimed to provide students with valuable information about the details of vaping and nicotine dependency. The programming also gave students the opportunity to discuss the information that was given to them.

However, this balance of education and discussion over a four-week period could provide some difficulties for the Lunch and Learn series in the future.

“I would love to have the Lunch and Learn series again,” said Abbott.

“However, I know that four weeks is a super long commitment. So we have been toying with the idea of either a two or three week program instead.”

While shortening the series doesn’t seem to present any challenges upfront, the shift would likely require a reworking of the program’s structure itself. This is due to the way in which the program is built to inform as well as provide a discussion space afterwards.

“The programming was adapted from a training from the American Lunch Association,” said Abbott. “They structured their program so that weeks one and two are more material heavy, while weeks three and four focus more on group discussions.”

The discussion that occurred in weeks three and four was critical to the series’s goals. It allowed for the students interested in learning more about vaping and nicotine to be open to each other about how vaping has impacted either them or their peers.

Abbott acknowledges that most of the programming in the initial Lunch and Learn series was critical, so it will be difficult to condense the program in the future.

“When I was initially writing the four week program, it was hard to think of what could possibly be eliminated,” said Abbott. “However, now that we’ve done the program once, I think I have a better idea of how to narrow it down.”

While the potential shifts could present challenges for the Lunch and Learn series, there is no guarantee that these adjustments will be made. The initial run of the four-week series achieved its goals: informing Wabash men about vaping and nicotine dependency. Only time will tell if the series will be adjusted in future renditions or remain the same length.

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