Public health students provided their peers with various health and safety tips on Wednesday at the annual Wellness fair.
The Health Promotion and Wellness Service Department through the Student Health Center and the Public Health Department hosts the event every semester. Several booths included tips on sexual health, alcohol, stress, as well as diet and nutrition.
Photo by Khlarissa Agee / The Collegian
Fresno State student Liana Provost worked with her peers to complete a project for her Public Health 133 course, a requirement for her major.
“We chose the combination of alcohol and sex,” Provost said. “The reason we chose it was because other groups had done the effects of both topics individually, and we wanted to display what happens when you combined the two.”
The booth included a spinning wheel where students could spin and land on a number. The number indicated the number of drinks consumed by a student. The group provided statistics corresponding to that number and its relation to sex.
“Its all about moderation,” Provost said. “The difference between what’s too much and what’s enough. A small amount of alcohol could slightly lower someone’s inhibitions to feel more comfortable in a particular sexual encounter. Drinking too much can result in someone forgetting to use protection and lead to STD’s or unwanted pregnancy.”
Even as a student majoring in public health, Provost continued to learn more facts about the combination of sex and alcohol. The project was a way to communicate her findings to her peers.
“The information that was provided was somewhat common knowledge, but sometimes it takes an extra reminder for students to be more cautious about their sexual health when under the influence of alcohol,” Provost said.
Nutrition majors were equipped with several presentation boards demonstrating various routes to take for students looking to improve their diets. The most important meal of the day, they said, is breakfast.
Sophomore Stephen LaFave attended the Wellness Fair.
“I don’t eat breakfast, but I know that I should. Being up for an 8 a.m. class is tough, and sometimes I don’t make the time to cook breakfast,” LaFave said.
The Wellness Fair is aimed at helping students look beyond their physical heath by showing them that mental and emotional stability is an important part of being healthy too.
A representative from Psychological Services at the Student Health Center was present to give away brochures educating students on options for mental health.
The topic of texting and driving was also on display for students to see. Fresno State student Alex Malinoski and her group members decided to cover the topic of texting and driving. “Texting and driving is a prevalent issue among college students and a lot of people that do text and drive are not aware of the possible dangers,” Malinoski said.
Malinoski and her group members were dressed up as mice to show that, when texting and driving, people are considered ‘blind’ for the length of a football field.
“Texting and driving is a part of your health, but most importantly your safety. We had students pledge to not text and drive,” Malinoski said. “Everyone who pledged was entered to win a $25 gift card.”
Provost was glad to see such a large turnout from students.
“With the variety of topics that were covered, it’s hard not to learn something new. The fair is a great resource for students and for the public health students,” Provost said. “It was neat to see how everyone’s presentation came together.”