Stress, anxiety and fatigue are felt by many students at this point in the semester, and the Center for Health and Wellness had taken notice. A variety of student offices, clubs and organizations collaborated in the Student Center on Thursday, March 24, at the Spring Health Fair to provide resources and relief to students.
Tiffany Mathews, coordinator for Wellness Education in the Center for Health and Wellness, coordinated the event and said its purpose was to promote healthy choices, as well as collaborate with different student organizations, groups, offices and departments to come together and promote their specialties and expertises.
“I want students to see the resources that are here, the student organizations that are focused on promoting health and for people to come away with something new. Maybe they’ve learned about new resources, but then also be motivated to make some healthy changes in their life,” Matthews said.
Tim Smith / Photo Editor
Mathews also explained that, year after year, people from these groups do programming separately and don’t always end up successfully implementing programs.
“Everyone’s interested in promoting health here, but it’s a lot easier when we pull together and we share resources and pull together for a big event where people will already be in this space…I think it’s nice for people not only to get out of our offices, but for student organizations to get out of their silos and really come together and meet students where they’re at and where they’re comfortable and where they’re already here to grab a bite to eat or after class and provide them with this information,” Mathews continued.
Michelle Morrow, coordinator of alcohol and other drug prevention, treatment and education services, tabled for the Counseling Center at the event.
“I think the aim is to really get at different areas of health. There’s the physical, but there’s also the emotional well-being. I think it’s really trying to touch on all those things,” she said.
Morrow said this event really worked on trying to create a positive campus environment that supports health and well-being on campus in a broad way.
“Hopefully [students take away] some education in terms of self-care. I think that’s so important, especially at this time in the semester for students to be able to take care of themselves and get themselves through the busiest and most difficult point in the semester and to make it to the end,” Morrow said.
KSC first-year and English major Abby Shepherd said she saw an advertisement for the Health Fair on a sign and thought it sounded cool. She said the fair is an important way to educate students about the resources on campus and reassure them you don’t have to go at anything alone. You can do things to make yourself a better person.
“I’m trying to be a healthier person because I’m going through stress. In college, everyone is feeling really stressed out, so why not try to do new things and see what it’s all about,” Shepherd said.
Tim Smith / Photo Editor
The Center for Health and Wellness, KSC Champions, Healthy KSC, Athena Nursing Club, SNAKS, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Eta Sigma Gamma, the Counseling Center, Relay for Life, Mentors and Violence Prevention and the KSC Nutrition Coaching Program all ran tables at the event.
Each table provided resources and some type of interactive presentation. The Center for Health and Wellness provided free HIV testing, Advocates for Healthy Communities provided cancer awareness and KSC Champions and Healthy KSC joined together to promote the tobacco cessation and raise awareness about the tobacco policy. The Counseling Center gave out Joy Screenings and alcohol and drug awareness and education, Athena Nursing Club did blood pressure screenings and Relay for Life and Mentors in Violence Prevention were there recruiting people to sign up for their events: Relay for Life and Walk A Mile in Her Shoes.
Mini massages, henna tattoos and healthy snacks were also provided. First, second and third place prizes were given out to students who participated and attended the event as well.
Jessica Ricard can be contacted at jricard@kscequinox.com
