In the Health and Wellness Center's partitioned basketball court, part of which included a low tight rope course, Longwood University had its latest Health and Wellness Fair. The fair, running from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, was an event attended by dozens of members of the Longwood community and host to several demonstrations of the Center's Fitness programs.
Around the edges of the basketball court were tables with stands and the representatives of various campus and Farmville area organizations dedicated to the preservation of other's health. A few of these organizations' representatives were able to speak and demonstrate their specific services.
The Communications Sciences and Disorders Program, represented by Clinical Educator Carole Ramser, Clinical Educator Dr. Shannon Salley and graduate student Lauren Pore, were among these. Ramser explained that the program "wanted to participate in the fair as a part of a reminder to individuals about noise-induced hearing loss, about the use of iPods and the dangers that involves."
While highlighting "the importance of being aware of your hearing capabilities and preserving hearing throughout your lifespan," Ramser also said that involvement in the fair "gives a good opportunity for grad students to practice hearing screening with the populations they serve," while the program's staff members look on.
She then demonstrated audiometers that allow fair goers to get their hearing screened. Other important events in which the Communications Sciences and Disorders Program participate are during the month of May, known as "Better Speech and Hearing Month." Screenings are offered then and at various other health fairs.
Rebecca Shields, representing the Office of Disability Resources, was also willing to speak on what her organization does. Shields said, "We're just here trying to get awareness to our office. If students have a disability and need accommodations in the classroom or testing, we're available for them."
Shields then informed listeners about "internship opportunities available at [the Office of Disabilities] that could be investigated and applied for through contact information on [the office's] website.
The Holistic Moms Network's Southside Virginia Chapter was represented as well. A national nonprofit with its local chapter just organized last June, the Holistic Moms is "all about being healthy and helping the planet, [something] that includes all of us, not just moms, but … in some ways, we are all moms, in some ways, to a pet, a plant, a friend."
It was established that "this is a way to build the foundation of a greater public outreach … for us all to take responsibility for our health and to be healthier." For this reason the Network "recently launched a free movie and book club for the community… partnered with the Farmville Community Prince Edward Library."
It's an event free to the public on a Sunday each month that just watched its first movie followed by a book reading in February and another movie in March. The Holistic Moms are "also working on a Birthday celebration, so watch out for that April 22."
Presented at the stand was material on the Book and Movie club and "the ancient Japanese art of harmonizing the energies of the body," Jin Shin Jitsu. With a system composed of 26 "safety energy locks" and relationships between the major organs, emotions and fingers, Jin Shin Jitsu provides a way to either calm a raging temper, balance one's network through feeling energy pulses or detect a developing disorder in the body.
With such a wide representation of campus and non-campus organizations, the Health and Wellness Fair came off as a hit. Even as workers set about taking up tables after 3 o'clock, the fair still left its mark on the health options and knowledge of the surrounding community. With each successive year and the belief that we can only become better and healthier, the fair tells us to measure our lives, extending its amount and quality.
