Wellness fair promotes health education

With displays and literature on everything from nutrition to sexual health, the Faculty and Staff Wellness Fair in the CAW Student Centre on Tuesday was an educational affair—but the learning wasn’t just on the client side.

Fourth-year nursing student Lisa Lee, one of the event’s organizers, said she learned a lot, too.

“Working on this project has helped me gain skills I will need in my career: communication, problem-solving, time management, teamwork,” said Lee, who is serving a community placement with Human Resources. “It was great to see everything come together today.”

Her classmate, Kelly Riccardi, learned the level of carbon monoxide in her lungs is a healthy four parts per million. A varsity athlete on the Lancer women’s soccer team, she was disappointed it wasn’t lower, but the tester assured her that this is in the good range for a non-smoker.

And Lionel Walsh, associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, learned that he has type A- blood.

“I just never knew my blood type,” he said after completing the test with Canadian Blood Services. “They gave me a pin to remind me.”

Marcela Ciampa, manager of employee engagement and development in Human Resources, said the event is intended to promote healthy lifestyles among the University’s employees.

“It’s all about helping our staff and faculty maintain good health,” she said. “We try to take a whole-person approach to wellness.”

Lionel Walsh displaying a pin bearing slogan

Lionel Walsh shows off a pin emblazoned with his blood type, A-, which he received at Tuesday’s Faculty and Staff Wellness Fair.

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