Last Wednesday, August 31, Longwood's Health & Wellness Center put on a Welcome Back Wellness Fair for students, faculty and staff on campus. The fair was held inside in the center of one of the basketball courts in the expansive gym. Several booths were set up, both from Longwood as well as within the Farmville community. The booths ranged from bank representatives, such as Virginia Credit Union, to programs on campus such as Longwood's Sustainability program and Intramural Sports program.
Many offered services of some sort, such as giving out free massages, compliments of the Health Center, while others provided information on their programs. Longwood's Intramural program is one such example.
Sophomore Lauren Griswold said purpose of the Intramural display was to get people interested in intramurals and get them active. She also commented that it's a great way to meet new people. Griswold said the fair was "Good, fun. I think anything through sports is a good way to make connections and meet new people."
While some students had the opportunity to work alongside other booths to promote their programs, other students attended the event for a variety of reasons. Katy Giles, a sophomore athletic training major that transferred from Virginia Tech, said the fair was "very informative" even though she was required to attend for her Yoga class. When asked which booth was her favorite, she said the Intramurals was the most interesting she had seen.
Haley Kimball, a sophomore exercise science major, was required to go for her physical education class. She was also given extra credit for her nutrition class. Kimball's favorite booth was the American Cancer Association booth. When asked why, she explained the booth "had a machine that could tell if you had cancer on your face."
Junior Julianne Sponsler and physical and health education teacher education major said, "I was really hoping to get a free t-shirt this year, but also I really just wanted to go with my friends and see the booths." Sponsler said she really enjoyed the booth where you could make your own stress ball out of sand and balloons.
Many students had their own reasons for going, but each left knowing a little more about the fair and the information provided. Whether the need to attend was a requirement for class, an opportunity for free shirts, or simply because other students, faculty and staff wanted to know more about the fair and what it provided, the event was a success as many individuals were reached and found out more about this year's Wellness Fair.
