On Wednesday, March 15, the Wellness Fair was held in the Rec Center Green Gym.
This event provides both students and faculty with resources that they can use to improve all aspects of their personal wellness. The event took place from 2-5 p.m. and allowed those who attended to get a break from their busy schedules.
Megan Kantz, a junior Biology major, attended the event and said, “The week after spring break is always hard to get that motivation back and this wellness fair reminded me to take a break from my studying to take care of myself.”
There were over 20 clubs/organizations and community organizations in attendance at the fair to give students solutions for when they are stressed. The departments of Mercyhurst that participated included the Cohen Health Center, Counseling Center, Community Engagement, Parkhurst & Campus Involvement, Academic Support, Campus Ministry, Human Resources Department, Student Athlete Advisory Committee(SAAC), Sports Medicine/Exercise Science, and Student Financial Services. The clubs on campus that participated included Active Minds, MSG, Sustainability Club, Public Health Club, Art Therapy Club, Music Therapy Club. Groups outside Mercyhurst include Stoneworks Wellness, PNC, and Erie Area Rabbit Society and Rescue (EARS).
Some of the activities that the groups offered were a smoothie bike, physical health assessments, affirmation stones, crystals, t-shirt bags, money management, calming notes, along with many more.
Arguably one of the most popular tables was run by EARS because they brought in a real bunny that the students could pet. This was a popular one because a lot of students like petting any dog they run into on campus as it releases a bit of stress even if just for a minute. Kantz said, “This was my favorite station because I got to pet a bunny and I was having a very stressful day so it cheered me up a little bit.”
Another popular table was run by the sustainability club where they had students plant either a spider plant, a succulent, or flowers from seeds.
Overall the fair was very successful and there were a lot of students in attendance that were able to gather new methods to help with their wellness. Students checked in at a table that was run by Senators on MSG. When they signed in they were given a card that could be signed by certain groups at the fair. Once their card was filled out they could be added to a raffle for different prizes. Those prizes included a calm puzzle, kan jam, resistance bands, a skincare kit, mindfulness games, a portable hammock, an Owala water bottle, a yoga mat, a Bluetooth speaker, and jump ropes.
This event was planned by Katie Neely, Leadership and Outreach Coordinator. Neely is very focused on student health and wellness on campus. She even started intramural sports again this school year to give students an opportunity to continue playing sports in a less competitive setting. “Mental health is something that is not talked about enough, we need to change the stigma around it and work together to make the campus a safe place for all students.”
Mental health has become a popular topic of conversation the past few years and a lot of groups and organizations on campus are working toward hosting more events to help students’ mental health.