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| PUC Students Promote Health Awareness
Among Peers
By Lainey S. Cronk
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 Midday
is always a high-traffic time in the PUC cafeteria. But for three
hours on Friday, March 7, there was an increased hubbub as PUC students,
faculty, and PUC Prep students circulated through the building,
visiting the 38 booths of the “Celebrate Health” fair.
For nearly 10 years, the PUC Nursing Department has provided annual
health fairs for high schools in the Napa Valley. This year, the
nursing department set out on a new venture and, working with the
PUC health services office, organized and implemented a health fair
on their own campus.
Distribution of health-care information was the basic goal of the
fair. “We wanted to show the resources for health care that
we have within the structure of the campus itself, as well as those
we can access by networking with other services,” said Sandy
Sargent, director of health services.
More specifically, the BSN program and health services hoped to
emphasize the importance of choices. “Our goal,” said
nursing professor Carol Williams, “was to better serve the
health care needs of the PUC student body while highlighting healthy
choices, emphasizing that the decisions they make every day while
they are young will have a major impact on future health and wellness.”
BSN students constructed booths on subjects they had researched,
and were available during the fair to answer questions and provide
information for curious visitors. At the “Sleep Deprivation”
booth, Nelida Wolk explained about sleeping habits and brain activity.
Sonja Gutierrez, at the “Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetes”
booth, used a model of the heart to explain her subject matter.
Other booths included “Mary Kay Cosmetics,” “Abusive
Relationships,” “Eating Disorders,” and “Stress.”
There was a self-defense demonstration, assorted health tests, and
plenty of handouts, prizes, and samples.
Williams and Sargent looked at feedback to determine whether this
should be a recurring event. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
“With such positive support from administration and health
services,” said Williams, “there is a good possibility
that the event will be repeated and possibly become an annual event.”
Student surveys also indicated a very nearly unanimous approval,
enjoyment, and benefit. According to Sonja Gutierrez, the location
contributed to the fair’s success. “It’s a great
location, because everybody’s coming to eat,” she explained.
Jenny Walker is a student who attended the health fair. She didn’t
have much time to spend there, but what she saw impressed her. “I
thought it was really, really great,” she says simply.
With positive feedback flowing in from all quarters, it looks like
an annual future for the health fair is on the horizon. Thanks to
some dedicated faculty, staff and students, PUC may very well be
starting a new tradition.
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