Maintaining your health is one of the most important aspects of college. Students often do not realize that there are always new things to learn, especially when it comes to improving their physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, financial and environmental health.
On Tuesday, October 5, students attended the Wellness Fair hosted by the Wicker Wellness Center and First-Year Experience Office. While the event targeted first-year students, there were a variety of class years represented at the event that took place on West Beach.
The Wellness Fair offered a variety of educational opportunities for students to see all the resources, and services available to the college community. Over 35 campus and community partners were present at the fair including the Breazzano Fitness Center, Accommodative Services Office, Student Success, Title IX Office, Sexual Health Education, Counseling Services by the Eppler-Wolff Counseling Center, and more. Students shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about their discussions with these offices.
As we begin to enter late fall, sickness is all around us. The fair helped advocate for students to visit the Wicker Wellness Center if they feel ill. Flu shots were also offered for a small fee of $18, to help strengthen the immunity of the campus community. College community members who did not receive a flu shot at the Wellness Fair can still receive one. Every Thursday during the month of October, the Wicker Wellness Center will be offering flu shots in front of Schaffer Library from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students can also arrange an appointment if those times are not convenient for you.
As students were learning about different ways to improve all aspects of their health, they also received raffle tickets. These tickets were an incentive that could be entered to win prizes such as: a weighted blanket, yoga mat, declining dollars, a variety of Union gear, and more. The raffles were a big attraction and brought it more students which in turn improved their education and improved their health. Union Hospitality also had a pop up tent with lots of delicious and healthy food. Students enjoyed the food offered. It was an educational, but fun event for students to attend.
Assistant Director for Health Promotion and Student Wellness Amanda Tommell-Sandy thought the Wellness Fair was a successful event to help expand student’s knowledge about their health. It is important to maintain a balance between academic and social life to stay healthy.
“We recognize that health and wellness are not one dimensional. In order to enhance well-being for all members of our campus community, we need to take a more holistic approach,” Tommell-Sandy said. “By promoting the 8 dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, financial and environmental, as well as the resources available to support each dimension, we provide a framework for students to identify areas of satisfaction and learn new strategies to enhance well-being in other domains. This approach allows us to promote the multitude of ways we support student success here at Union.”
