As the University of Connecticut enters the third week of the fall semester, students are starting to settle into their academic routine and college lifestyle. As a result, UConn’s Student Health and Wellness program recognizes that this point in the semester is where the stress of being a Husky can reach a high point.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the 38th Student Health and Wellness Fair was held on Fairfield Way to keep students looking forward and to introduce them to the wide variety of available campus resources and support groups. It also featured useful information, activities, giveaways and much more.
The Daily Campus business manager, Naiiya Patel, held an email interview with the SHaW program manager for sexual health and peer education initiatives, Cassy Setzler.
Setzler noted that with the fair the “main purpose is to promote health and wellbeing on campus.”
That purpose took shape in the form of various tables, games and informational displays set up along Fairfield Way. Tables included “resources promoting mental health, chronic disease prevention, first aid, substance use prevention, nutrition and physical activity, sexual and reproductive health, environmental health, and so much more,” Setzler added.
The hope of the SHaW Fair is that students not only become familiar with on-campus resources, but to get comfortable using them. “Sometimes it can feel really overwhelming to have so many resources available, and I think a fair is a fun way to experience a ‘sampling’ of what we have to offer, and to get to know the folks who are here to help,” Setzler noted. “It’s a community effort!”
The fair certainly came together with the help of community members and organizations. Cecile Serazo of the Eastern Highlands Health District shared her experience hosting a display and table at the fair. “It was great, we saw a lot of people for blood pressures, information for vaccines and information on eastern equine encephalitis,” she said. Serazo also was happy with the success of the event, mentioning that “everyone was very nice, and we got a lot of people.”
Other community booths included Mansfield Parks and Recreation, the CT Harm Reduction Alliance, Planned Parenthood and several others. Several health-focused UConn departments were also invited to the fair, including Recreation, Environmental Health and Safety, and Dining, which featured create-your-own playa bowls. In addition, UConn student groups and organizations such as the Spring Valley Student Farm and Mindfulness Club were invited to showcase their own displays. “All of our areas in SHaW are represented,” said Setzler.
At many of the tents and tables along Fairfield Way, students could win “drawstring or tote bags, stickers, t-shirts and reusable food containers,” according to Setzler and nutrition coordinator for SHaW, Amy Dunham. It should be noted that in addition to those prizes, there were unique giveaways at nearly every table, including such diverse activities as an axe-throwing game.
The theme for the fair this year revolved around “Play & Connection.” With added emphasis on hands-on activities, as well as physical health with tips for practicing yoga, the fair came to life with tables and activities focusing on both mental and physical health.
Dunham noted another important purpose of the SHaW Fair “is for students to be reminded of or to learn for the first time about services for these topics and more provided by various departments, student groups, and offices on campus or partners in the community and how to access these resources.”
With the SHaW Fair concluding in the afternoon, Setzler spoke on the ways in which students can follow up on resources showcased. “We encourage students to explore our website at studenthealth.uconn.edu. Check out ‘Our Services’ — which are all listed by topic area and ‘Programs & Events’ for a list of signature programs that we provide to students for free!”
The fair was put together through the efforts of Dunham, Setzler, the assistant director of health promotion and community Impact Todd Gibbs and many more involved with SHaW.
If you could not make it to the fair, SHaW’s website lists upcoming events which include group therapy sessions every Thursday and Let’s Talk with SHaW office hours.