Students crowd tables full of prizes, pamphlets and informative speakers. A man hula hoops to promote exercising while others practice yoga on brightly colored mats. The quad is filled with tables, umbrellas and students speaking to booth representatives.
These students and vendors are all a part of Pasadena City College (PCC) hosting its second annual Health and Wellness Fair on the quad.
“We put on the Health and Wellness Fair to educate students on resources available to them and how important health and wellness is to their academic success,” Nairy Tatlian, health educator at PCC’s Student Health Services said. “All the different dimensions of wellness play a role in overall health and well being.”
Local companies and organizations set up booths with information and resources relating to a variety of health categories such as environmental, emotional, occupation, spiritual, social, and financial health. Some organizations there include Pasadena Humane Society, Planned Parenthood, Shatford Library, Pasadena Tobacco Control Program and many more.
The event was put on by PCC’s Associated Students (A.S.), Caduceus Club, Disabled Student Programs & Services, Lancer Pantry, Personal Counseling, Student Health Services and Veterans Resource Center with the aim of providing students with free and/or low cost services in many aspects of health and wellness. The fair provided maps and raffle prizes to encourage students to visit at least one booth from each section and engage in activities.
One booth warning about the harms of sodium and how much is in processed food had students take a quiz. Another booth had students practice yoga. Planned Parenthood had a spin wheel to test students on their sexual health knowledge while providing free condoms and other prizes.
“Reproductive and sexual health services are so important for college age students as they start to explore their sexuality and be intimate with others,” Planned Parenthood representative Mary Lou Mercado said. “We provide accessible and equitable services. We just rolled out TransCare which provides hormone therapy for those who are transitioning as well as our previous services of providing birth control options, condoms, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, preventative vaccines and more.”
The nearest Planned Parenthood is a few miles away from PCC, at 1045 N. Lake Ave.
Power to Decide has taken PCC through assessment tools on four different categories: policy, health services, health equity and information and education. Based on the assessment, PCC is able to see what they are excelling at and what aspects they need improvement with.
“PCC is a campus we are working on to implementing a comprehensive campus sexual health program on,” Power to Decide representative Jeneen Anderson said. “We work with Student Health Services around policy and system changes. A comprehensive program encompasses making sure young women and men are informed about all their contraceptive options that are available, making sure they have all the information to make conscious decisions on their sexual and reproductive health.”
Another booth at the fair encouraged students to express their political power. The LGBT Youth Center’s booth had the political action wing at PCC where students could write postcards to their legislators.
“It’s important for students to know how to get involved politically, how to contact their legislators and representatives,” Joe Smith, a representative for the Los Angeles LGBT Center said.
Some resources for students right on campus include Student Health Services and Lancer Pantry.
Click below for a gallery of the Health and Wellness Fair.
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