The Associated Students of Colorado State University hosted a Wellness Wonderland fair this past Friday. On the Lory Student Center Plaza, Rams were met with tables and booths dedicated to the well-being of students. During the fair, dozens of representatives from clubs and other campus programs talked with participants about how they can access free resources at CSU.
The fair included various types of support for students, ranging from tutoring resources to cultural support. Evan Achebe, an intern for ASCSU’s department of basic needs, discussed the intention of the event.
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“It encompasses physical, emotional and mental health all in one,” Achebe said.
In addition to standard campus resources, there was a research group from the human dimensions of natural resources department, aiming to inform students about the benefits of outdoor activity.
“Our research is connecting with practitioners — translating research to implementation, getting people to feel the good benefits of nature,” said Julia Merfeld, the fair’s representative for this research group. “We’re here to let people know that nature makes you feel good.”
“I learned a lot that I didn’t know about what CSU offers. I didn’t know that the food pantry is open to all CSU students. I thought there was a qualification based on income.” – Rachel Raak, CSU student
One of the goals of Wellness Wonderland was to bring hidden resources to light, Achebe said.
“A lot of these resources are there, but they’re hidden because CSU can often have a hard time advertising them,” Achebe said.
ASCSU Deputy Director of Basic Needs Lauren Johnson discussed the importance of resource knowledge.
“These resources are so important for students just to be aware of and acknowledge because I think a lot of times, students don’t know the resources that are available to them on campus for free,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the department of basic needs wants “students to be able to understand your school wants to work with you — your school wants to provide these resources for you.”
“I learned a lot that I didn’t know about what CSU offers,” attendee Rachel Raak said. “I didn’t know that the food pantry is open to all CSU students. I thought there was a qualification based on income.” Raak also learned that CSU provides Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
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This is the first Wellness Wonderland ASCSU’s department of basic needs has hosted, and it is the first ASCSU-organized health fair in the student body’s history. Up until now, all documented health and wellness fairs have been put on by the CSU Health Network.
Jorja Whyte, ASCSU director of basic needs, elaborated on this.
“To my knowledge, ASCSU has not put on a health fair for a very long time,” Whyte said. “We have records that go back about a decade, and I haven’t seen anything they’ve done like this.”
The department of basic needs may sound new to students; last year, it was called the department of health and wellness.
“We still do the same initiatives and programming,” Whyte said. “We just have a more formal focus on basic needs, including housing and food security.”
All in all, the fair supports CSU’s “Rams take care of Rams” ideology.
“We think about that a lot in ASCSU because we are a student-led organization,” Whyte said. “I think that it is our responsibility to show up for each other and take care of each other.”
Achebe said ASCSU’s involvement makes it clear that CSU students care about one another.
“When you have students willing to come together and plan events like this, it really shows Rams that they have a community on campus that cares about them and wants them to thrive,” Achebe said.
Johnson also discussed the importance of reaching students all across campus.
“I just want them to know that they are being advocated for,” Johnson said.
Reach Leah Stephenson at news@collegian.com or on Instagram @CSUCollegian.
