Last Wednesday afternoon on the second floor of McCormack, you could find chips and salsa from Trader Joe’s, experts on the Falun Gong & Falun Dafa ways of life, massagers, herbalists, Reiki practitioners, and Tom’s of Maine mouthwash and soap samples. Together, this diverse group of vendors and health professionals made up the Alternative Health Fair, hosted by the UMB Wellness Center.
The Alternative Health Fair, a yearly event at UMass, offers the campus community the chance to sample and learn about nutritional food, natural beauty products, and natural remedies like reiki, herbalism, massage, and meditation.
It was also a place for career networking. Students could chat with representatives from several institutes offering training and certification in various alternative health care fields, from the New England School of Acupuncture to the Boston School of Herbal Studies. Other Alternative Health Fair vendors included Wild Oats Natural Marketplace of Medford and Harvest Co-ops of Cambridge and Jamaica Plain.
Johanna Ryan, Peer Educator in the Wellness Center, organized the fair. Ryan, who is taking pre-med classes at UMass in preparation for naturopathic medical school, maintains that it is important for college students to learn about alternative health techniques. “Students should be empowered to take care of themselves. Sometimes, alternative health strategies are all you need to get better and stay better.”
The field of alternative health care has offered us “basic lifestyle changes that reduce the likelihood that you will have to spend more on health care later on, “said Linda Jorgenson, Wellness Center director.
What might some of these changes be? Whole Foods Market distributed a document entitled, “Health Tips for College” that offered wisdom on everything from “Natural Remedies for Stress” (“Protect your adrenal glands!”) to “Natural Relief from Allergies.” The “No Brainers” section implored the reader to “be a non-smoker.”
“Twenty-five percent of UMass Boston students smoke, which is a very high rate nationally,” continued Jorgenson.
But the activity during the fair suggested that some UMass students are interested in these and other wellness strategies. “Many students are signing up for email lists and asking questions [of the vendors and representatives],” Ryan pointed out. “There’s been great reception.”
And they weren’t just drawn by the free food. One woman remarked, “It was a nice to find this in McCormack after my class. [The fair] reminded me that it’s important to pay attention to my health…even though I have two tests next week!”
But just because the fair is over doesn’t mean students should forget about taking care of themselves. Located in Campus Center 2001, the Wellness Center offers health services and education year round. By providing free smoking cessation help, yoga and tai chi classes, drug and alcohol addiction services, domestic violence support, a space to view health-related films, and a small lending library.
Through these and many other services, the Wellness Center is helping UMass students get healthy. Whatever specific wellness goals you have, the “Wellness Buddy Program” will team you up with a partner who will help you stay on course. More information on health services at UMass Boston can be found at www.umbwellness.org.