General encourages healthy lifestyle

General Larry Ellis, a four-star general and an IU graduate, presented "Leadership and Living Well Through Healthy Lifestyles" to nearly 100 IU students and community members Wednesday night in the Whittenberger Auditorium. As this year's speaker for the fourth annual Marian Godeke Miller Lecture series, Ellis highlighted the importance of personal health and wellness. \n"General Ellis' career reflects the values of the HPER (School of Health Physical Education and Recreation), and I cannot help but reflect that his undergraduate and graduate degrees in physical education helped him to develop such outstanding leadership qualities," said John Shea, the department chair of Kinesiology, whose introduction for Ellis was met with a standing ovation.\nEllis kicked off his speech by thanking the professors he had as a graduate student at IU, many of whom were in attendance at the lecture. \n"It's great to be back home at IU," said Ellis, who went on to poke fun at IU's rivalry with the University of Kentucky and joke around about his personal experiences with rigorous professors. \n"I consider being called a soldier one of the most honorable titles in the world," Ellis said. "It is what I am and what I stand for." \nWith more than 34 years of Army service, Ellis served in the Vietnam War and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also been a Physical Training Officer at West Point and is now in command of the U.S. Army Forces Command, responsible for over 750,000 soldiers, civilians and retirees. \n"Physical training is still at the foundation of everything we do in the Army," Ellis said, noting that the importance of physical fitness is a matter of readiness. "Our soldiers must always be physically ready for anything." \nEllis went on to mention America's growing trend of obesity and said the Army's emphasis on physical fitness should also be transferred to the American public. \n"We as health professionals must take on the task of promoting personal health to American citizens," Ellis said. "Personal fitness is at the root of a sense of well-being." \nEllis also touched upon America's current "Global War on Terror." He recently visited the soldiers in Afghanistan and remarked, "Despite the harsh conditions, the attitude and morale of the soldiers is extremely high." \nAfter his speech, at a cookies and punch reception in the Georgian Room, Ellis met individually with students and faculty. Camouflaged ROTC students, highly decorated officials and members of the Bloomington community stood in line to shake Ellis' hand. He offered advice and discussed the benefits of serving in the military. \n"It's a good idea to take a break between your undergraduate and your graduate studies. The Army is a great option for anyone," he told a young woman, dressed casually in jeans.\n"It was such a great opportunity to get to meet General Ellis," said Nathan Hagen, an IU junior who participates in both the Army Reserves and the ROTC through the simultaneous membership program. "It's not every day you get to meet a four-star general." \nIUB Chancellor Sharon Brehm, who attended the lecture and reception, said "General Ellis is a fine person and an outstanding alumnus, and he serves his country with grace and dignity." \nGeneral Ellis' lecture was sponsored by Marian Godeke Miller and her husband, William Miller, both IU alumni, in connection with the IU Department of Kinesiology and the HPER.