Alex Mosher
Staff Writer
ISU will be hosting the Healthy Bengal Wellness Fair Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Rendezvous atrium.
The Wellness Fair will highlight 23 different health and wellness-related programs and clinics that are available on ISU’s Pocatello campus.
“Our hope is that students, faculty, staff, spouses and alumni will learn what services are available to them right on campus,” said Carol Kirkpatrick, director of the Wellness Center.
The Healthy Bengal Coalition, a collaboration between health and wellness programs and clinics at ISU, began the Healthy Bengal Wellness Fair in the fall of 2015. The group has a mission to increase the awareness and practice of behaviors that contribute to lifelong health for the Bengal community.
All of the services that are offered at the Wellness Fair are free. The services include anxiety and depression screening, balance testing, body fat percent analysis, blood pressure check, cooking demos and samples for healthy recipes, diabetes screening and HIV testing.
“We are encouraging everyone to have their cholesterol checked during Sept.,” Kirkpatrick said. “If they bring their cholesterol panel to the Wellness Center booth for review during the Healthy Bengal Wellness Fair, or to our office through the end of Sept., they will receive a prize.”
Students are encouraged to consider their mental, emotional and physical health a priority. Aside from the Wellness Fair, there’re everyday resources that students can utilize to help their overall well-being.
ISU has the Wellness Center, GET-FIT Programs, group exercise classes and campus recreation facilities that are available to students throughout the year. There’s also resources that are available for specific needs during a student’s academic career. The ISU Health Center, Counseling and Testing Services, Bengal Lab, Bengal Pharmacy, Dental Hygiene, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Speech and Audiology are all examples.
Many of the services available are either free or available for a very small fee.
“The most important thing for students to know is that there are many resources on campus that are available to them to assist them when they need it to increase the likelihood of their academic success,” Kirkpatrick said. “By attending the Healthy Bengal Wellness Fair, students will learn about these resources and be able to utilize them.”
Booths will be set up in the atrium. Students, faculty and staff can visit each booth at the fair to be eligible for raffle prizes, which will include a FitBit, GET-FIT passports or a one-hour massage.
“If students can keep their health a priority, they can increase their likelihood of academic success,” Kirkpatrick said. “Making their health a priority during their college years can also help students develop habits that will promote their health over their lifetime. I know it can be challenging to make and keep their health a priority when students have so many tasks and responsibilities, but the long-term payoff is worth it.”
