Oprah Winfrey may not be a SHSU student, but she has inspired a campus organization dedicated to healthy lifestyles.Starting Together Achieving Resident Success a wellness support group, offers weekly meetings in which STARS officers and other experts address weight loss and gain, ways to decrease stress, nutrition, physical fitness and other subjects pertaining to overall healthy living.Founder and former SHSU student Edna Obi created STARS in January 2001 after being inspired by the weight loss of her friend Natali Rhymes. After reading Winfrey’s “Make the Connection,” Rhymes was motivated to start taking progressive steps toward a healthier lifestyle and eventually lost 95 pounds over a two-year period. Rhymes said the book helped her realize that small steps, such as drinking plenty of water and taking the steps rather than the elevator, were tips to weight loss success.”What I really love about this organization is the support system it provides. You have people to talk to and confide in when you need it,” Rhymes, current STARS president, said. She also said the willingness of STARS members to listen without judging her is helpful as well.”We talk about every aspect of wellness, from fitness and nutrition to stress management and alcohol or drug abuse. We try to provide information that any student can benefit from. We are an organization that is open to all students, male or female, any classification,” Rhymes said.STARS conducts a vast amount of activities that are geared toward motivating its members to their own personal success. Rhymes explained that her favorite STARS moment took place during a meeting on stress management.”We were all just talking about how our week was going and what we do to relieve stress. Some members got very emotional when they started talking about their stressors,” she said. “One member said that sometimes she got so stressed out she just wanted to scream. So I said, ‘Let’s do it then!””And that’s exactly what they did.”By the end of the meeting, we were all laughing so hard at ourselves that we forgot about our stress,” Rhymes said.Since Winfrey is the inspiration for STARS, the organization’s executive council has been very persistent in trying to contact the show.”I have sent e-mails, letters, even a video and a STARS T-shirt to the Oprah show in hopes of getting a chance to thank her personally for inspiration. So far, STARS has been unsuccessful in getting a response from the show, but the group is definitely not giving up, Rhymes said.STARS has also been successful in motivating people that do not attend SHSU. STARS Historian Megan Thomas’ father lost approximately 30 pounds after hearing Rhyme’s story. Obi was also able to establish a chapter of STARS at the University of North Texas this year. The group also took the program to the Texas Residence Halls Association Conference in March to show other Texas universities how they can launch the organization at their campuses. “I want Sam Houston students to know that this is a wonderful organization to be a part of and that everyone is welcome,” Rhymes said. “If you’re looking for something to get involved in on campus, or if you just want to meet new people and have a good time, this is the organization for you. You can get as involved as you want, or you can just sit in the back of the room and listen.”Rhymes maintains that the lessons that she has learned from STARS will be with her forever.”I have learned that it’s OK to ask for help when you need it, and having people support you and motivate you to reach your goals is a very powerful thing. One person’s inspiration can change thousands of lives.”