A Healthy Student is a Successful Student

by Rebecca Rhodes

30 jumping jacks, 50 squats and an hour on the treadmill equals a healthy lifestyle. Wrong. WVU Parkersburg’s Health and Wellness Club shows students there is more to health than being physically fit.

Wednesday, October 12, WVU Parkersburg will hold a health fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. The first 100 students will receive a free T-shirt.

“Wellness is not just the body, it encompasses the mind and spirit as well. We want to help students identify stressors of the mind, and offer support,” Wellness Program Coordinator Pamela Santer said.

Mid-Ohio Valley organizations, such as Westbrook and the Family Crisis Intervention Center will provide information and services at the fair.

The Health Department will administer flu shots to faculty and students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individuals must present their insurance card. If a card is not presented, there will be a $25 charge.

Not only is the Health and Wellness Club assisting Santer at the event, but they will also help her with activities throughout the year.

“They are my voice to the school. There is a huge effect when we have students who believe in what they are a part of and act upon that belief,” Santer said.

Last year, the club completed over 1,000 hours of community service.

They brought yoga to local schools, ran a produce stand, built bike trails, provided de-stress activities during finals week and traveled to the state capital for a conference by the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia.

In 2014, the club was instrumental in making WVU Parkersburg a tobacco free campus.

To continue educating and empowering students on the issue of tobacco, the Health and Wellness Club participated in the national Kick Butts Day last year. They collected over 10,000 cigarette butts in 45 minutes.

“We become the college as a club. Everything we do becomes a service for the school and community. That is what makes us different,” Santer said.

For more information or to join the club, contact Pamela Santer at psanter@wvup.edu.