Despite the relatively small crowd that turned out for the University’s health and fitness week on East Campus, Student Health officials said the program, which concluded Saturday, was a success in its inaugural year.
The week’s events were targeted toward freshmen and covered issues including alcohol consumption, sexual conduct, time management and eating habits. Working with Counseling and Psychological Services, Physical and Occupational Therapy, The Vertical Edge Climbing Center and a hodgepodge of intramural sports clubs, Student Health worked to draw the attention of students as they trekked to the Marketplace.
With shouts for free massages, swing dancing lessons and the opportunity to rappel down a 24-foot climbing tower, organizers steered away from the traditional “apple a day” adage while educating sleepy-eyed students about the wide array of services that Student Health offers.
Franca Alphin, director of health promotions and planner of the health fair, said she was impressed with the student turnout, noting that she did not expect to see “hordes of students” visit the fair. According to her estimates, 50 to 100 students visited the fair each weekday and hundreds attended the fair’s Saturday finale.
“This is the first time we’ve done this. Getting a couple hundred students is quite good. Since we’ve been here everyday, they’re coming back,” Alphin said. “Many go to eat first [at the Marketplace], and then they come back, more alert and more interested.”
Although Student Health officials were happy with the turnout, many freshmen were underwhelmed by the fair’s offerings. “[The fair] doesn’t look really big to me,” freshman Edison Zhang said. “I didn’t find it interesting. None of the things here applied to me. I am not even sure what they had there.”
John Barrow, assistant director of CAPS, suggested that many students were still sleeping Saturday morning instead of attending the fair’s culmination. He emphasized that, because this was the fair’s first year, he expected ups and downs as organizers evaluated the fair’s progress.
“We were hoping for more student participation on Tuesday,” Barrow said. “We thought the karaoke would draw students for the fun of it, but they were interested in the prizes. You try things you don’t know.... It’s an experiment.”
Some of those experiments reached unconventional heights.
“Earlier in the week, we had the hot air balloon, which was a huge visual attraction,” Alphin said. “You had to do some of the health activities before you could ride in it.”
Despite organizers’ attempts to present information in creative ways, some students said they understood why their peers chose not to attend.
“I am sure people know about it, but aren’t interested,” freshman Stesha Doku said. “A lot of freshmen have the attitude that they’ve heard it or it doesn’t pertain to them. [But] there’s something out here for everyone.”
Alphin, however, did express satisfaction with the interest level of students who did attend. “Since most students 18 to 21 years old don’t have health issues, we’re trying to make it very interactive—not just coming here and picking up info,” she said.
Fair planners hoped students would find variety in the week’s events. Although students have heard many of the lessons since childhood, other pieces of advice—such as how to use the dental dam, a female condom used during oral sex—may have been more elusive. “It’s been really fun; they’ve been appreciative,” Alphin said. “I think students are walking away with a very positive message.”
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