During January, health is a goal for many students coinciding with various new year resolutions. University of Idaho Vandal Health Education offers health recourses to students to help them achieve their 2017 goals.
Vandal Health Education’s Health Hut is a bi-monthly resource booth, said Marissa Rudley the campus dietitian. Each Health Hut booth has a different theme where students can learn about diverse health topics throughout the semester.
This semester’s first booth focused broadly on the resources available to students on campus. Though Vandal Health Education does not provide any clinical health services, they can point students in the right direction, Rudley said.
Vandal Health Education offers a variety of services, events and presentations, in addition to the bi-monthly Health Hut. Throughout the semester, students have opportunities to attend stress management, time management, drug and alcohol safety and Vandalize the Kitchen cooking presentations.
“We definitely raise awareness on different health concerns for students,” Rudley said.
Vandal Health Education encourages students to express their opinions at their events, Mental Health Program Coordinator Emily Johnson said.
At Vandal Health Education events, students may fill out evaluation forms to express their opinions about what students believe would help make the events better, what they liked or what they would like to see in the future, said Johnson.
“We listen to students,” said Rudley. “Our programs are for students, by students.”
Johnson said groups can also request special presentations at anytime for classes, Greek houses, residence halls or clubs through the Vandal Health Education website.
Various events are scheduled around campus, such as Wellbeing Wednesdays, Sleep 101 or Vandalizing the Kitchen. These events are spread throughout the semester with instruction from Vandal Health Education associates with various areas of expertise. The events can be found on the organization’s website, said Rudley.
Vandal Health Education utilizes the assistance of interns and volunteers to plan and run events around campus as outreach to students.
Rudley said UI students may also make individual appointments with her to discuss health topics in one-on-one nutritional counseling.
She said Vandal Health Education works closely with the UI Counseling and Testing Center on student mental health and different screening booths on campus.
“Student health services is under the umbrella of student affairs, so really, our focus is students,” Rudley said. “We’re here to serve students.”
Sophia Dunlap can be reached at [email protected]