There are few times a student can build a condom flower, get a free flu shot and learn about health insurance all in one place. But at the Colorado State University Student Health Fair Thursday evening, students could do it all and more.
The second annual iteration of the event in the CSU Health and Medical Center featured more than 30 booths over three floors, free food from the Rainbow Restaurant and a drawing for prizes, all in the name of promoting student health.
“We want students to see that they can come here and it’s open and it’s friendly … it’s very student-oriented and welcoming,” said Natasha Calvillo, president of the Student Health Advisory Council. “We want them to be able to call this their home just like CSU is.”
Over 400 students attended and over 200 free flu shots were administered during the fair, wrote Kate Hagadorn, associate director of communications for CSU Health Network, in an email to The Collegian.
Students who attended the fair received a free tote bag and an itinerary booklet which they could get stamped for each booth they participated at. Once they visited at least five booths on each floor, they could enter a drawing for Colorado Eagles hockey tickets, wireless headphones, a bluetooth speaker or gift cards for over a dozen local businesses.
The event was sponsored by the Associated Students of CSU Department of Health, Student Health Advisory Council and the CSU Health Network.
We want folks to show up and have a good time and leave knowing that health is about everybody’s wellness and happiness.” – Hank Stowers, director of health for the Associated Students of CSU
Booths included all the different services of the CSU Health Network, from counseling to optometry, and other student health organizations such as Ram Recovery and Active Minds.
Most of the booths were interactive, featuring small games and prizes.
“It’s informative in a fun way,” said biochemistry major Kristina Tran.
Tran, who received a flu shot during the fair, said she especially liked the “cold kits” filled with Vitamin C and other flu-season necessities.
“We want folks to show up and have a good time and leave knowing that health is about everybody’s wellness and happiness,” said Hank Stowers, ASCSU’s director of health. “And, the best way we can do that is through a bunch of games and activities.”
Booths offered a wide range of activities. The CSU Center for Mindfulness had a Mindful Labyrinth Meditation room where participants walked through a simple labyrinth pattern while focusing on deep breathing. Other events like “Pin the IUD on the Uterus” by the Women’s Care booth, aimed to combat stigmas surrounding certain parts of health, Stowers said.
The peer-education team Creating Respect, Educating Wellness (by and for) Students (CREWS)taught students how to make their classic condom rose made of three red-wrapper condoms taped around a pencil.
“Condom roses, we’ve found, are just kind of a fun way to be able to talk about sexual health and make it feel a little less awkward,” said Kim Pannell, CREWS member.
As the CSU Health and Medical Center building enters its second year, the fair was part of the continued effort to get students familiar with the space and its slate of holistic health services, Stowers said.
“They have everything from reflection rooms to massage and acupuncture to counseling to more standard medical services, so we want to get folks in the CSU community aware of all the things that they can access here,” Stowers said.
That certainly worked for Cass Stevenson, occupational therapy masters student, who came to the fair to figure out how to get the most out of her CSU health insurance. During the fair she learned that the Health Center offers dental and optometry services.
“Even though they try to provide information over emails, I think it doesn’t quite allow us to get a complete understanding of what’s available at CSU,” Stevenson said. “I think (the fair) is a great resource for students and allows them to understand all the available resources at CSU. … It was well worth the time to stop in and chat, and well, who doesn’t love free swag, right?”
Samantha Ye can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @samxye4.
